New-York tribune., 1900-05-29
THE Sun IN ECLIPSE.
IA VORABLE CONDITIONS IN
THE Bell OF TOTALTTY.
FINE VIEWS OF THE CORONA OBTAINED
VALUABLE RESULTS To SCI
ENCE EXPECTED
IsT rrLsGRAPH 70 rHE rRIBrvE. /

programme arranged by the scientists
carried out successfully. The observatory sent
out three parties. q Piuehurst. y c. in
charge Of Professor Aaron y skinner; one 10
Barnesville. Ga. in charge Of Professor Milton
UpdegrsG. and one 20 Griffin. Ca. in charge OF
Professor Stimscn J. Brown captain C. II.
Davis superintendent Of the observatory re-
ceived the following advices-
Pinehurst y G. Nav 2S
Clear sky and favorable. permitting successful
observation Of the eclipse. All seventeen tnstru-
rents successfully opera ted Contact occurred
very close TO predicted time Corona very fine
Mercury only star visible. \ y SKINNER
Professor Updesran. at BsrnesviIIe and Pro-
fessor Brown. at Griffin. merely reported that
their observations We're successful
Unofficial reports indicate that the eclipse was
visible to greater less degree in the entire
belt Of totaIity. Particularly fortunate We're the
observers IN the Southern section Of the country.
where the weather seemed - be unusually
favorable for securing the photographic data
which the scientists were 50 anxious 70 obtain.
though in some portions toward the Gulf the
weather was cloudy In Some cf the Southern
cities during the period Of totaHry stars We're
visible almost directly overhead In Richmond
a striking feature OF tho eclipse was a short but
brilliant rainbow on the west or contact side OF
the sun. The phenomenon was the more surpris-
ing as there was not cloud in the SKY
AT THE NAVAL OBSERVATORY.
A clouded sky made impossible any close or
satisfactory observation OF the eclipse in this
city. The thousands Of amateur planet gazers
who stood on the street corners and in the pub
lie reservations had nothing but their pains for
their efforts TO aid the progress OF astronomical
discovery. The astronomers at the Naval OBJ
servaJoIy were up bright and early this morning.
adjusting their Instruments 70 the task they
were expected 20 perform This the deter
mtnation Of the two contacts tthe time OF the
first and last appearance Of the moon over the
suns disl) 70 close a fraction of a second
as possible. To obtain this desired result three
separate instruments % De used, namely
the two equttoriaI telescopes and a comet
seeker. E 4. Boeger at the great tweuJy-six
inch equatorial: William NJ Brown. at the
twelve-inch equatorial, and ". F. Porter az the
comet seeker. were busy before o'clock watch
ing with anxious eye the appearance OF the sky
near the sun. As the morning wore on from taat
time. however. things began 10 look brighter,
until about a. m the sun appeared in all its
| radiance. But light clouds began 10 gather
rapidly that it wss soen seen that the best Te-
suits could not be expected
REMARKABLY ACCURATE PREDICTIONS
Just at the computed moment for the hrst
contact the western limb Of the sun. on which
the moons disk was 20 appear. was cloud OBJ
scured. and the telescopes with the dark shade
glasses attached TO their eye-pieeas showed as
before stated. dark undistin guishabIe mass OF
rapidly moving vapor. By what might be
termed a happy accident the observer at the
great equatorial removed the shade glass at
tached 70 that instrument Just as the darker
clouds moved away for an instant and showed
the suns disk 50 slightly indented that none
but a practised eye could have discovered any
alteration Nevertheless, the contact had
passed. but the record Of the chrouograph
showed only a difference Of 50 seconds between
the computed time for the contact and the no
ment Of observation The trained star zazers
agree that il was OF the most remarkable
predictions in the history or ASTRONOMY IL heinz
doubtful II ever before the time Of the arrival
or an eclipse was SO accurately announced In
advance
THE FINAL CONTACT
There We're attempts at photoSranFrv "a
all the instruments for such purpose had been
sent South The only object OF the watchers
IN Washington was 10 catch and record the
time Of the first and hnaI contact and the exact
moment Of the nearest approach to torsIfrv A.
exactly y o'clock 80 Pc cent OF the suns face
was ohscured- The final contact was scheduled
for 1O1615 o'clock Each OF the three watchers
got different time One or them rscor5ss rs
minutes and 10 seconds another : seconds and
the third . seconds. the discrepancy being dua
probably 20 differences in the strength OF their
instruments The phenomenon OF the moons
shadow bands which was promised "a an a.
compartment for the eclipse was not Observable
here. Mr. BOeger, who watched through rba
twenty-six-inch instrument took partfcula-
pains 70 see whether the other phenorneuo,
promised-that caused by the suns rays falling
through the leaves Of trees-was present and
he was rewarded for his 9ains With an I'M
shadowed sun the rays streaming through leaves
produce little circles OF light on the ground be-
meath While the shadow was on the 0Ir.
Boeger found that these circles We're changed
20 crescents.
The temperature as recorded by the instr11-
eclipse showed sensible variations as the suns
ture at o'clock this morning was normal at
6412 degrees. but the period oS the greatest
observation the mercury had dropped almost a
degree At the end Of the eclipse the weather.
became warmer with remarkable rauidi,v ard
80 p. m. the Thermometer registered "A ts-
grees-
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS
The determination OF the atmospheric condi-
tions at all times during the eclipse will be pub
lished by The Weather Bureau tomorrow.
There was large amount OF moisture in the
upper regions. which accounted for the rain
bow that seen
An interesting feature OF the eclipse vas tina
attempted observation Of electrical variations.
which some scientists have Contended would be
produced by the moons shadow AT the Postal
Telegraph and Gable Company's office voir
meter was put into circuit by Mr. Slater. the
chief operator between Washington and Baltf-
more and between Washington and Richmond
Mr.. Slater considers. however, that whatever
variations in the circuit experienced Wera
due 10 ordinary causes. AT the Office OF the
Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company
the vice-presdent and general manager Ar-hur