The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-08
ASITE ALREADY SELECTED
Will Bring Two Telescopes Specially
Prepared For the Occasion.
WADESBORO ON UP GRADE EVERY WAY
The Pee Dee Baptist Institute and the Nc.
Gregor School Are Educational Lights
That Cheer Many Localatcs.
(Staff Correspondence.)

Wadesboro N. c., April THE subject
ing of several distinguished parties of
scientists to view from this point the
eclipse of the sun on the 2Sth of May.
These parties come, not only from vari-
Gus parts of the United States, but from
foreign countries also.
Thus far 1t is known that delegations
will come from the Smithsonian Institute
of Washington, the Naval Observatory,
Princeton University the British Royal
Astronomical Association of London,
Charleston Military college, and State
Normal School of Westchester, Pa.
Prof. C. G. Abbott, of the Smithsonian
Institute, came here last Friday and left
Tuesday night. While here he secured a
site from Capt. J. M Little, on knoll
near his residence in the southern part
of the town. He laid off the grounds and
made other preparations.
Prof. Abbott and party will bring with
them two telescopes One of these tele-
scopes is huge affair and specially pre-
pared for this occasion. 1t will be 135
feet in length, with a II inch object glass,
and will make photograph of the sun
Is inches in diameter. The telescope will
lie in horizontal position and objects
will be reflected into it from large mir
ror The other telescope is SO feet long
and will be mounted. Other scientific in
struinents will beprovided and Wadesboro
will then have full fedged observatory.
These instruments will be put in place
about the first of May. From then until
the event of the eclipse, daily observa-
tions will be taken and everything thor
oughly tested and adjusted.
The observations taken by the Prince
ton delegation will be under the direc-
tions of Prof c. a. Young of that institu-
tion. He has secured a site on Carr S
Mountain, high point northwest of the
town. The State Normal School party
from Westchester Pa. will be in charge
of the principal, Prof. G. NJ Phillips:-Ahe
other locations have not yet been chosen.
The question naturally arises Why
did these eminent scientists select Wades-
boro rather than any other point to do
this important work? In selecting "a fa-
yorable place three conditions are neces-
sary: 1st, it must be high and the view
unobstructed; End, ii must be near the
centre of totality; Srd, and most import
sible assurance that the weather will be
fair.
In the first place no one who has visit
ed Wadesboro will doubt that it is higl
enough to see the sun before it is up il
many other places of the same longitude
much less at eight o'clock a. M, about
which time the total eclipse occurs, here
The exact moment has been figured out
for Wadesboro. Tctality lasts l minute
and 40 seconds.
In the second place the town is calcu-
lated to be only about four miles north
Of the centre of totality. which is streali
fifty-five miles wide extending from New
Orleans to Norfolk.
Thirdly, the only way TO Judge so faI
ahead what the weather is likely to be
is to consult the record of the weather
on that day for the past number of years
The record Of the Weather Bureau shows
that during the last twelve years there
has been only one cloudy day on the 28tl
of May at Wadesboro. This is a record
that is unexcelled. The probability o.
fair weather is considered three times as
favorable for Wadesboro on May 2Sth a.
fer either Monroe or Rockingham, both
otherwise equally as favorable towns.
This is why the wise men of the east
as we'll as our sages of the Western
hemisphere are so suddenly becoming in
terested in Wadesboro. Accommodation
have already been engaged at the hotela
by many of these parties. The Smithson
ians and Princetonians will stop at the
National-the Englishmen have secured
quarters at the Klondyke hotel
A number of these parties will be here
for nearly a month, and as the day ap-
proaches their number will increase. On
the 2Sth we may expect big crowd.
Won Hermann will be closely consulted,
and il his predictions shall be unfavorable
we may look for scattering of spectators
10 points supposed to be more favorable.
1t will be too bad II Wadesboro shall go
back on her record, and all this expense
aud pains to secure a good photograph
of the eclipse prove futile.
Hlly Wadesboro is on the up grade in
more senses than one. Business is good.
The silk mills are doubling their capacity.
New buildings are going up. There are
plans on foot for enlarging the well pay
ing Gotten mills.
The Pee Dee Baptist Institute, under
the management, of Prot w. j. Ferrell.
has over one hundred students, and is
doing good work. Their new brick struc-
ture is one OF the largest handsomest