Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-29
THE ECLIPSE
Continued from page ~

Africa by the naval observatory. Prof
S. j. Brown, United States astronomi-
| cal director, is in charge of the naval
parties in the South. which number
about 60 persons. with headquarters at
GAINESVILLE, Ga. The preliminary work
was in charge of Prof. Milton Upder-
graft
A carload of costly and delicate ap-
! paratus was placed in position three
large buildings being erected on a
prominence at an altitude of 1909
feet. y large scaffold was put up. and
Il tent pitched. In one of the large
| buildings is the polar axis upon which
was mounted various cameras and pho
Geographic telescopes. The telescope is
| revolved slowly by means of water
clock. The equatorial telescopes for
| visual observation of the corona were
also placed in position in this building.
| Upon the scafford the large photo he
| liogTaph with 6-inch lens was installed.
! There is. Of course, Il dark room where
| the plates Will be developed, and on
| this particular branch Of work depends
| the preservation Of the records Of the
all-important event.
| \ branch of this naval observatory
| party was stationed at Griffin. Ga, a
! few miles away. in charge Of Prof. G..
"A. Hill. whose temporary observatory
| is on the estate Of Ge0reia's experiment
| farm, which is also a high point. Both
| to the east and the west the country
| is open and afforded a splendid view.
| not only Of the eclipse itself. but the
| shadow as it appeared from the west
could be distinctly seen for miles. The
! station was selected for the express
purpose of making spectroscopic anal
| ysis of the various phenomena Of light.
| IN this particular. the work of the
Griffin station differed widely from that
at GAINESVILLE.
The third government station was To-
Gated at Pinehurst, n. c. Prof. A. y.
Skinner was in charge ana his work for
! the most part was Of the same charac-
ter as that performed by the Griffin
| observatory. Prof. Skinner superin-
tended the erection of one of the larg-
est cameras ever constructed. This sta
tion il manned by five members Of the
observatory staff. and Il number of dis
tinguished specialists.
| The eclipse station of the Cabot OBJ
| scrvatory was located at Sloan. Ga.
| i ne party was sent OUT from IDt nome
Of the observatory Oakland, Cal. by
Prof James Dolibear. a noted astron
omer of San Francisco, and members
Of the Royal Astronomical Society Of
London. Prof. Charles Burchalter is in
charge of the party.
The permanent staff of the Yerkes
observatory of the University of Chi
| cago. located their station at Wades-
boro, \. G., with Prof. Edward Z. Bar
mar in charge. who placed in position q
magnificent Photographic telescope of
siX-inrh aperture and focal length of
g. feet. This telescope is capable Of
producing pictures from IS to 20 inches
in diameter. a delicate apparatus for
measuring the heat radiation of the
corona was also set up.
| Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
oEy sent a delegation in charge of Prof.
a. T.. Eurton. Prof w. Fl. Pickering
directed the party sent ont by Har-
ward Blue Hill observatory, Boston,
sent out a. l.. Rotch and party. Their
work was confined to meteorological
obscrv atoms. a study and record Of the
shadow bands and the velocity of the
eclipse wind.
! The accuracy of the results at Griffin
will not be known for some time, as the
photograph plates will not be developed
ut present. a few minutes before totalty
: clouds driftcd across tie suns face and
cut off a good portion of the light. 1t is
. a disputed question whether there was
any haze before the sun during totality
! Or. Rrown. the director Of the observa
tiOns, thinks there was a very slight cut
ting of Of the light on this account as
ALSO does DR.. Humphreys. Prof Mitchell
and others of the observers however
who watched this particular phase of the
eclipse. say that there was no interfer-
, ence. or if there was. so slight as to be
inlDprCciahle.
| The report Of Prof. Alfred f. Burton. ir
: charge of the expedition from the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology al
: Washington. Ga. reads: THE weather
? here was perfect. Time of totality.
: minute and . and 2-10 seconds The mag
,netometer showed no disturbance in mag.
netic declination Seven sketches wer,
: made of the corona.
!, Prof. w. II. Pickering at the head q
HdrVard's expedition. furnished the fol
lowing statement: We secured Sc plate.
with intra- mercurial apparatus and ;
with other cameras. aided by 10 assist
I ants. The plates will be developed in til,
I Cambridge observatory. The corona re-
Sembled that Of the 1>S9eclipse. TWO larg,
; solar protuheTanccS. Venus and Merctry
= We're CONSPICUOUS. The inner corona wa,
! visible in the telescope several second.
!. after totality was over. There was n,
dark band around the moons limb durins