The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-05-29
SOME HIT IT BY SECONDS
OTHERS WE'RE WITHIN HAILING
DISTANCE OF ALL THAT HAD
BEEN PROMISED
PHENOMENA WERE PECULIAR
Falling of the Sums Rays in Shape of
Crescents Rewarded Observa-
tiOns of One Enthusiast
Reports Sent In.

WASHINGTON, May Z0.-AOV1ceS re-
ceived at the naval observatory from it's
agents in various points in the South
show that favorable weather prevailed for
observing the suns eclipse today, that the
contact occurred very close to schedule
time, and that the programme arranged
was carried out without a hitch. Three
parties were sent out from the observa-
tory viz: One to Pinehurst N. c., in
charge of Prof. Aaron N Skinner; one
to Barnesville, Ga, in charge of Prof.
Milton Updegraff and one to Griffin, Ca,
in charge of Prof. Stilson ]. Brown. Supt
c. H. Davis, of the observatory was in
communication with these officials by
telegraph, and during the day he re-
ceived the following advices:
,',,Pinehurst, n. C.-Clear sky and favor,
able, permitting successful observation of
the eclipse. All seventeen instruments
successfully operated. Contact occurred
very close to predicted time. Corona very
fine. Mercury only star visible.
"A. N. Skinner
Prof. Updegraff. at BarnesvilIe, Ca,
and Prof. Brown. at Griffin, Ca, merely
reported that both observations were sue
cessful.
In Washington the weather was slightly
cloudy, which somewhat marred the op-
portunities for making a satisfactory OBJ
servation Of the eclipse.
The eclipse appeared q few seconds
ahead of scredule time, but the difference
was SO slight that an ordinary observer
could not have discerned it. The trained
star-gazers claim that the contact came
from five to eight seconds before 1t was
due, but the difficulty of telling just
when the actual contact began was SO
great, because of a cloud which passed,
that even they cannot quite agree among
themselves. They do agree, however, that
1t was one of the most remarkable predic-
tions in the history of astronomy, it be-
ing doubtful if ever before the time of the
arrival of an eclipse was so accurately
announced in advance.
THE FIRST CONTACT.
The first contact was scheduled to take
place at "A minutes and seconds after
o'clock, meridian time, which is min
utes Is 7-1O seconds faster than Washing
ton time. A few seconds before that time
the sun and the moon were in contact, but
it was several seconds later before the
naked eye, looking through smoked glass,
could tell that the eclipse was actually
taking place.
From the moment of first contact until
the period Of the nearest approach to to-
IdIly, at CLOCK, the light faded grad
ually until the city was in kind Of hazy
twilight. The watchers at the observa-
tory gazed at the phenomena through a
nlne-inch and a twelve-inch telescope
While another official used a comet
finder
There was no attempt at photography
as all the instruments for such purposes
had been sent South. The only object of
the watchers in Washington was to catch
and record the time of the first and final
contact and the exact moment of the
nearest approach to totality
At exactly o'clock so per cent Of the
suns face was obscured. The final con-
tact was scheduled for 16 minutes is sec