The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-06-07
tWadc II. Harris, 10 Charlotte Observer

the ODSerVatlOnS-lhe he StO
(Wade Ii. Harris, 10
WADEsBORo, N. c., May 2sth.-The
eclipse Of the sun, as observed in
Wadesboro to-day, was of a very sat
isfactory character, all conditions
being as fine as could have been de-
sired by the most enthusiastic scien-
tist. The conditions were absolutely
perfect and the astronomers and
scientific men had only one thing to
complain of, and that was that by
some slip of moon calculations, they
were cheated out of about seven
seconds OF the eclipse. In other
words, the period OF totality was
about seven seconds less than had
been calculated upon. Prof. J. B.
Colt, one of the professional observ
ers, explains that this fact is neither
important nor surprising, because as
tronomers are not perfectly sure of
all the elements Of the moon. 1t
demonstrates that the motions of the
planets can be computed with higher
accuracy than the moon.
The town was full of professional
and amateur observers and telescopes
of all shapes and sizes. Congress
appropriated $1,000 for the expenses
alone of the Smithsonian observation
station. This station occupied de-
preston to the SOUTHEAST of the
town, and was perhaps the most fine
ly equipped station in the belt of the
eclipse. 1t was made up of the regu-
lar apparatus of the Smithsonian In
stitution, the only new addition being
the great telescope 1875 feet in length,
carrying plate one yard square,
making picture 16 inches square.
The plates cost $50 per dozen. Dur
ing the few moments of totality the
operator Of this telescope secured six
pictures.
The Smithsonian station was in
charge of Prof. Langley, and he had
40 assistants. among them Prof. c. G.
Smith, who had charge of the instru-
ments; Prof. Smile, chief photograph
er of the National Museum; Mr.. r. c.
Child, Mr.. Del. Gill, Prof. C. G. Men
denhall and Mr.. A. Graemer. On the
Smithsonian grounds was the obser-
walton station of the Yerkes Observa-
tory, in charge of Profs. Barnard,
Hale, Ritchey, Ellerman, Flint, Frost,
and DR.. Isham. Their equipment was
almost as that of the Smithsonian
Princeton had well-equipped sta
ton, in charge of Profs. Young, Lib
bey, Bracket and Magee; Mrs. Magee,
Messrs. Reed, McClenaham, Russell
and Fisher. Nearby was an observa-
tion station profusely decorated with
American flags. 1t was in charge of
Rev. John NJ. Bacon and daughter, of
Newberry, Eng, and Nevil Marke-
lyme, of London. Each of the party
wore small American flags in their
hats. They had very expensive set
of instruments. In addition to these
big telescope batteries, there were
many private plants of more or less
Importance.
The equipment of the Yerkes OBJ
servatory was as follaws: One 62-foot
Photographic telescope and several
smaller cameras for photographing
the corona; six spectroscopes pro-
vided with prisms and gratings TO,
photographing the spectrum of the
chromosphere and the corona; deli
cate bolometer for measuring the
heat radiation of the corona, and
which was used with a 2O-inch re-
flecting telescope and a coelostat,
loaned to Prof. Hale by the secretary
of the Smithsonian Institution; tele.
scope used by Prof. Flint for observ.
ing the times of contact.
Mr.. Thomas Lindsay, of Canada
secured many valuable photographs
Prof. j. A. Holmes, North Caroline
State Geologist, had a well equipped
station on one of the buildings il
town and the results Of his observa
tions are considered among the most
valuable of the day, especially in the
photographing of the shadow belt
DR.. &. M. Philips, principal of the
State Normal Schools, West Chester
Pa, had well-equipped observator,
on Carr's Mountain, where the Char
lesion cadets, under Captains Bono
and Coleman, were also stationed
The individual professors and anna
teurs with telescopes and cameras o
their own were met on every hand.
THE STORY OF THE ECLIPSE.
WadeSbOrG was astir early thi
morning. The sun rose brightly ant
save An occasional streak of cirrus
not a cloud was to be seen. Tn,
Smit thsonian station was roped off fo
a block around, and absolutely NJ
; outsider was admitted. The vas
ma alority of the crowd, therefore, re
, paired to Carr's Mountain, to tn,
West of the town, which is an idea
spot for an observation. From it,
summit the view extends in an un
broken ring of horizon. One can Sc,
into the counties of Union, Richmond
Stanly and Montgomery. and tn,
Smithsonian men had said from thi
point alert persons could see th,
shadow as it came and swept by
This shadow, by the way, was 81
miles in width and swept over tn
country at the rate of a quarter of
mile second. Shortly after the ar
rival of the special train from Char
lotte, the top of the mountain wa
covered with people. 1t wa sjus
1886 O'Clock when those who wer
keeping an eye on the sun through
smoked glasses saw the slightest Gu
on the upper right hand edge, mark
, ing the beginning of the eclipse. Tn
: shadow came on just on the edge o
; thess sun represented by a point be
tween the figures l and > on the fac