The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-19
THE RECENT ECLIPSE
Preliminary Statement Of Results OF
Observations at wadeshoro by Rep
r~esentatives OF the Smithsonian n


WASHINGTON. June ia preliminary
account OF the observations at Wades-
boro, y. C, during the recent eclipse,
under the direction CT the Smithsonian
institute has been prepared by {. e.
Abbott. OF the institution
The main object Of investigation.
saws Mr.. Abbott, was the corona and
OF this. first a Photographic study OF
the detailed structure OF the inner
corona; with. second. a determination
nv the bolometer whether appreciate
hea, reaches us from II. and. IL posi-
BILE. an examination Of the form OF
its spectrum curve.
The eclipse was notably not a dark
one. No second magnitude stars were
observed with the naked eye. Most o.
the observers saw only Mercury me
high degree OF illumination operated
unfayorabIy in he study Of the outer
corona.
The fall o. temperature n rising
barometer were distinctly noucedoie
before totality. No change In direcaon
of the wind was noted. SHADOW oands
were seen, but those observers VINO
ATTEMPTED to measure their velocity
found them TOO rapid and fiickering Tor
any successful work in this direction
1T was noticed that the birds were
silent during totality, but. true 20 their
nature. the English s2arrows were last
To be still and first 10 begin their dis
cussion Of the eclipse after the return
OF light.
The attention of all visual observ-
ers was caught by the equatorial
s,reamers. Father Woodman descrl9-
ed the appearance as like mother OF
pearl. but different observers differed
-, tho 1nlar aSfimarpS 4 yellow ism
green tinge was noted by the arts OF
the party, Mr.. Child. while TO others
the light was straw colored or golden:
The visual telescope observations OF
the writer gave little indication OF the
finely divided structure of the inner
corona. which had been noted at
Pixies Peak during the eclipse or 1913
One remarkable prominence was seen
as we'll as several smaller ones, out
the coronai Streamers did not give 10
visual observers the impression OF
being connected in any way with the
prominenceS.
"Au observers reported a successful
carrying out of the programme. The
greatest interest conferred in the direct
corona negatives with the LOO
foot telescope. Mr.. Smallie. exposed
six 30 by 80 plates during the totality.
With times ranging from one half to
sixteen seconds. All these negatives
have not yet been developed. Those
four seconds expose have been hur-
four seconds exposed have been hur-
riedIy examined, however. and they
give clear indications or the crossing
and recrossing of filaments like the
appearance Of a field Of grain bending
in the wind. The prominences and
polar streamers appear in imposing
magnitude and detail"
Mr.. Abbott, with the aid or MI.
Mendenhall, detected the heat or the
corona probably for the first time.
observations with the bolome;er show
ed that the corona gave a positive In
dication of eat as compared with the
moon. This heat, though certain. was
however. too slight to be sub-divided
by the dispersion Of the prism. with
the means at hand.
"The negatives taken TO depict the
outer corona show from 3 TO 1 solar
diameters extension of the longest
streamers The equatorial wings as
sumo more and more hair-like p
tons as they recede from the sun and
are finally lost. in an equally illumi-
mated sky, without having given any
indication of actually coming TO an
end.
mo attempt to clearly examine the
plates taken for ntra-Mercurtal
planets has yet been possible. 1t is.
however, doubtful il any very air
objects will be found, in consideration
of the considerable sky Illumination
during totally. However, Pleione
and many fainter stars in the Pleiades
were plainly seen on one Of the plates.
"On the whole, the experiment may
fairly be considered as very satisfac-
tory in its results"
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