The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-18
SOLAR ECLIPSE ON MAY q.
IT WILL BE VISIBLE OYER A LARGE
PART or MS COUNTRY.
The Eclipse viii Be Total and Conditions
viii be Peculiarly Favorable for OBJ
serving 1t Preparations of Astronomer
"A Chance for Amateurs With camera.

suns total eclipse Of Nav 90 next will he without
precedent Its path, instead 81 extending over
the snarSely settled regions that intervene between
iowa and the western coast ~ In 1873, or stretch
Ing over the wa,ery eSpanses IT the Pacific, AS in
1853, when the United States had to send an e1-
petition 10 the Caroline Islands, 1000 miles ives,
oi South America, or let the eclipse go unob-
served, will cross the States 81 louisiana, Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, Georgis, South Carolina and
North Iarulina, touch Virginia and traverse a
very fairly settled part " the Republic which Is
covered with a network Of rail Tie track Of
totality begins on the Pacific Ocean Just west 81
Mexico al sunrise, trends due eastward over Mex
leo, enters the United States very near New Or
leans, and extends northeastward over Mobile
and Montgomery, Ala, passes close TO Atlanta
Ga, and Columbia, S. C., over Roleigh, \. C.,
and leaves this country In the region u Norfolk,
Va and Cape Henry. l,esi les the cities named.
/ tincludes thirty other towns tina, are large enough
n And place on the smaller maps After leaving
the United States the path Of the eclipse crosses
the Atlantic Ocean and touches Europe atCoimbra,
Portugal, takes in Algicrs and northern Africa.
and terminates near the northern end Of the Red
Sea at sunset. The eclipse will last about one
minute and twelve seconds neal New Orleans and
one minute and forty seconds near Norfolk.
Hitherto only the favored few who could afford
to spend days, and perhaps weeks, in travel have
been able to view the great spectacle; this time a
million Of people al least can witness the phe-
nom.non from their own doors'eps' oher mill
ions dwell within an easy days journey Of the
path OF to'ali'v, and FAR more than hall the en'ire
population Of the country will he able to witness
O portion Of the show at home, for a partial eclipse
vil Iva xisiblu Il, nNory Sin, N east NJ The NiSSiSSipui
Nature has arranged no similar display with such
consideration for the masses within a genprauon'
Total e~clipses were visible in the United States in
1885,, 1873 and 1889, but their paths did not traverse
closely settled regions.
The accessibility Of The path Of the eclipse will
| render The coming event Of ineslculable value 70
science Preparations are being made by nearly
| every scientific institution in the country to place
its best instruments and most skilled observers
in the field. The United States Government
| will spend thousands Of dollars establishing OBJ.
| s~ervation stations along the path Of the eclipse
Uncle Sans chief star fga7er, Prot. Brown
Of the Naval Observatory, will have charge of the
Governments principal observations.
Greater results are probable from the obserya-
| tions his year" says Prof Brown, than from
any taken heretofore. During the half decade
since me lhSk IVA ~ ilSt " '"rih hi''N
strides in Improvements in the apparatus EN-
ployed in the work. Photography has been
wonderfully DEVELOPED and the Improvements in
photography alone may effect remarkable dis
cove mes during this years eclipse. Moreover,
the ease with which the eclipsed region may be
visited will increase the numl-r Of scientific observ
ers enormously, The Government Is already
prepa ring to occupy several stations along the
- II ,...li, FrkN ,n.sar anpavatpa il
being gathered and arranged and men specially
adapted for the work are being engaged and their
special parts In the observations are being out
lined. Congress has allowed S. ZOO TO the Naval
Observatory for expenses and 81 900 to the Smith
sonian Institution. The Naval Observatory
will send out two expeditions. The points from
which they will observe the eclipse have not yet
been chosen definitely, but they will probably
be located about 200 miles apart, one in North Caro-
lima and The other In Georgia, A floating cloud
which might obscure the eclipse at one point may
no. affect in The slightest the view from the other.
and II is 10 obviate the danger from clondiness
that has caused the division Of forces
an nn,,ctpa,,on Of this years eclipse the
n,,,.n nos g., ,h,as ve,,s mss, ho.n
"ee'he' pu'Va" d y" ""'' 80 '"s' o'n
Nav .l1pp tbe line Of t~otoli,y nj all times Of the
- ,,'--..n ut, ,,a.,.,,.Ih.. haon
Gay IN" result " 'nH "NV''s"''h" "'"
10 show that there II less danger u' cloudiness
in central Georgia and eastern Alabama, nearly
,l.,,a ard ,h., tha,o,o,a ,bis 70
que south VI H"H"'a' u 'na' '".,'''' '"' ~
the best region for Locating the eclipse statons
so far as that consideration is concerned The
a.. n,.orr., ,ou,r., h.ra
s'Ie'''H' =" "o W. ,
taken thought Ut other conditions also anu al
,houph the perlod of eclipse IL longer in the neigh
-, -I,,, ho,a ho,, J.o;d.d o. a,,.h
oornoou d '"''o'n' '"' "0I"' -" W eo
fish stations on high gfound III Norm 'hrolna
and Georuia The stations selected will be &C.
., t,, ~. oi,.. Jho
."p''' WV VI ~
Instruments Will be erected ana the part each man
To IN tnke will be thoroughly rehen rsed. There
n, -. ...,,, nr.,,n =, cha w,,L dining
VIII U V a "o'e'u' "'''"" '" WI" ""'"e
the eclipse Each man VIII be assigned 70 some
p.rticrlar duty and he will bend every effort 10
~. -.,haxur -, ali dat, nossibl. 4, that connec.
tic sa'"'''he ""' $50
ton. There will be but n minute ana q nall in
which 20 make all the observations, and il Ia I'm
a.. hI, .a.. sL,,Il ho o.,trJiy
ieta"'' '''' '" -" """' ~ -"
systematized aud that each man should know
definitely and absolutely what he is to do.
40. - ,n.., ,o. h.d ,ho atlantic.
No previous V"'"e ""' "' me o'""uoh
OF so many skilled "~bserVers as VIII watch this
one. The Smithsonian, lnsNtutl0n VIII have
q corps In The feld under froi D. 4. iangley.
Princeton college VIII nave d loioe uhdrf froi.
Young the University oi ehhsylNania one
under PIoi stone, anu lne iHAes onSer'a'ory
will conduct An eNpediton WIN frot fiale at
Its head, these are ohiy a ie" oi we ihsu'uu"ns
which are preparing Tor Tue htfu IN iact pract'
caly every college ana s'lehnnc ihs,luuon IN
the country VIII 'r fepteSeneu an old ltopaoly
10 the path m totally well equipped Tor some
portion al The WORK.