Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-05-26
Predictions Of Eclipses.

L TGQlCllOIlS u LCllpSSS.
Among the wonders of mathematics,
nothing appeals more to the average
mind than the computation of eclipses.
Not only is it possible to predict them,
for thousands of years in advance, but
there is no mention of a dimming of
the suns light by unusual means set
forth in human history which can not
ence. In recently published work by
George F. Chambers, a fellow of the
Royal Astronomical Society, of Eng
land. called "The Story of Eclipses, -
there is discussion of the going back
of the shadow on the sun-dial of Ahaz
Biblical incident of the life of King
Hezekiah, which has fairly staggered
the commentators for many ages. This
may be taken to attest in remarkable
degree the accuracy in minute detail
of Astronomical figures.
The instrument on which this SEEM
ing wonder was SHOWN appears to
have been a sun-dial of kind not un-
known elsewhere in the ancient world
both Jewish and Gentle By means OF
an upright style or gnomon. cr an Or
| ifice in some structure of similar in
tent, a shadow was cast along a given
line, indicating the annual journey OF
the sun from east to west, and making
it bear its own testimony to the soils
tices and equinoXes, upon which the
sacred festivals of antiquity were
largely based. There is today a meri-
dian line marked in the floor of the
Cathedral of Milan, an aperture in the
southern wall enabling the sunlight
to travel along this at different heights
according to the season Of the year.
To those unfamiliar with astronomi-
cal possibilities, the mere statement
that the shadow cast by the sun could
be moved ten steps, or degrees, back
ward sounds absurd. Mr.. Chambers
points out that it must have taken
place at noon in order to be effective
since it would have been unnoticed in
case the dial referred to was similar to
that in Milan Cathedral under other
circumstances, and would have been
les noticeable at any time other than
that of the sun approaching the meri-
dianThat ascertained and Hezekiah' S
reign being approximately known by
computation, it is permissible to go
back through the annals OF astronomy
and discover, if possible, whether there
was any unusual phenomenon to
which this extraordinary exhibition of
acknowledging shadow could be re-
ferred.
That an eclipse of the upper limb of
the sun little before noon--that is,
the cutting off of the light from the
upper half of the suns disk by the in
terpositon Of the moon-would have
the effect of causing the suns light,
instead of climbing steadily to the
meridian, to sink backward, must be
evident. With this in mind, the late
]. w. Bosanquet undertook the neces-
sary computations. On January II, B.
c. $50, in one of the years accredited
to Hezekiah's reign. there was a par
tial eclipse of the sun at 1880 o'clock
in the morning, visible in Jerusalem.
Thiu hpfn0u i,, r1y II
ner, the truth of the Biblical state
ment, since the sacred writer's of the
day do not seem to have understood
the cause.
Other eclipses are mentioned in the
Bible, one Of which can be positively
identified. 1t is set forth in Amos, vii
8, in the following language: 81 will
cause the sun to go down at noon and
| will darken the earth on the clear
day" This language, it is evident,
can be explained by nothing short of
a total eclipse. Archbishop Usher,
the sacred chronologist, was the first
10 seek Identification OF this eclipse,
more than 2OOO years ago, He failed
to hit upon the one now accepted. The
German Biblical scholar. Hitzig, also
missed the mark. Later DR.. Pusey
engaged the attention of the Oxford
astronomers for certain eclipse
which was thought to cover the case,
but 1t was not verified.
Somewhat before this however. Sir
II. Rawlinson, the distinguished Assy-
riologist, found tablet at Nineyeh re-
eording an eclipse which must have
taken'place on June is, b. G. 1858. The
working out of the details of this par
ticular observation OF the sun as found