Lancaster enterprise. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1891-1905, 1900-05-16
the swift flight of the shadow

| Ddrlng most ecllpses that have
heretofore occurred astronomers
have had few eyes To as
sist their own In showing the
picturesque features of the phe
nomenou. Well known astrono
mers who have gone half round
the earth to observe an eclipse
have come back acknowledging
that they had not really seen it..
because they had no time to look
at it, Their attention was entire
ly absorbed by the technical OBJ
servations, and only a dreamlike
impression of the real wonders Of
the scene had been made upon
their minds.
On this occasion what has
heretofore been so seriously lack
ing,wilI be supplied in abundance,
and while astronomers are busy
with telescope, spectroscope and
camera, thousands of eyes will
note things which perhaps have
not before been described as visi
+ bic or as occurring during a total
eclipse.
Here is the reply given by Prof.
Burnham OF Chicago, wheu asked
! by budding astronomer for ad-
vice as to the best instruments to
use during the coming eclipse
He said:
use the most valuable instru-
ment God ever gave you-your
eye. Watch the effect of the
strange phenomenon on nature.
and learn lesson in her laws
that you'll never forget, sir {;
never forget"
Some details of the eclipse
which are of interest are as fol-
lows. The track Of totality begins
on the Pacific ocean just west Of
Mexico al sunrise, trends due
eastward over Mexico, enters the
United States very near New Or
leans, extends northeastward
over Mobile and Montgomery,
near Atlanta, oyer Raleigh, and
leaves this country in the region
Of Norfolk and Cape Henry. 1t
then crosses the Atlantic ocean
and touches Europe at Colmbra,
Portugal. takes in Algiers and
northern Africa, terminating
near the northern end Of the Red
sea at sunset.
The eclipse therefore, may be
observed in the United States IN
the morning hours about 1850 to
to 8 o'clock, and in Spain and
Africa in the afternoon after 4.
The local hour of totally in.
creases from west to east, begin
ming al 727 a. M, near New Or,
leans, and growing latter to s 80
near Norfolk, as the shadow
sweeps over the country. The du
ration Of totality is 1 minute an d
13 seconds near New Orleans and
l minute and AZ seconds near
Norfolk. This tact constitutes a
powerful argument in favor OF
locating the stations as far east
ward as possible In North Caro-
lima and Virginia, since the gain
of half a minute is made in the
duration of totality, which is i'm.
portant when every second is
pernIciOus for observations.
Scientific men have made elab
crate preparations for observing
the eclipse. The United States
governments will have two STA
tions, and every big college in the
country will have its apparatus
located some where in the track of
the moon shadow. From New Or
leans to Norfolk there will be an
almost continuous line Of tele
scopes and cameras pointed sky
ward. To a man in a balloon il
would look az if we were plan
ming for fight with Mars.
The amateur photographers who
are a legion in themselves, will
be out in full force. They are
spurred on by the knowledge that
the most successful photograph
Of the suns corona was taken BY
an amateur. This amateur was
Mrs. Maunder, wife Of an English
astronomer, who accompanied hel
J husband TO India to witness the
solar eclipse Of 1868. She used {
Dallmeyer stigmatic lens Of i
! inches aperture and Q inches fO