The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-29
SEEING TIE ECLIPSE
Ideal Weather Along the Line
of Totally.
MANY SUCCESSFUL OBSERVATIONS.


Across the United States From Nor
folk to New Orleans, In Africa, In
dia and Spain, Scientific Partien
Well Repaid For the Trouble.
ATLANTA, May 29.-In every section
pf the southeastern states over which
The belt of totality Of the SUMS eclipse
extended the weather was ideal for the
observation Of this remarkable phenom-
enon.
In the suothern portion Of Alabama
there was some haziness, but other than
this the astronomers and scientists who
located their observatories in North and
South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and
Louisiana report that the weather could
not have been more suspicious for the
study of the suns eclipse and for securing
splendid photographs Of it. e
From the many stations Of observation
established by universities and scientific
and private parties the reports indicate
that the taking of scientific data was en-
tirely successful, and no incidents oc-
Cured to mar in the smallest degree the
full benefit that was expected to be de-
rived from the event by the scientists,
many of whom made long journeys to
view the eclipse for St seconds.
Professor Lord Of the Ohio State uni
versity believes he obtained results that
tend to prove that the mysterious matter
which forms the corona is to be found
also in the solar prominences. The exist
ence of protuberances on the sun was re-
ported by Professor Pickering Of Har-
ward. From the standpoint of grandeur
the spectacle was awe inspiring. The
movements of the heavenly bodies were
rapid. Not over FIVE seconds elapsed from
the time Of the first contact until the
great shadow was seen sweeping over
the earth from the southwest. just as
the moon covered the face Of the sun
Mercury came into prominence.
The United States naval observatory
achieved splendid success at both Barnes
vile and Griffin. Professor Updegraf,
who directed the work at the government
station at Barnesyille, says OF the obscr-
yations at that point:
"The weather was very favorable, and
the conditions under which observations
were made were good. Our programme
was carried out without interruption,
without accident Or delay. We secured
20 photographs on the FIVE cameras
mounted on the polar axis and four pho
tographs with the large photoheliograph.
The transparency of the sky was good,
and the steadiness of the air was excel
lent, in fact it was unusually good. We
feel, as far as we can tell at this time,
that the observations were entirely sue
cessful."
At the stations of the Philadelphia
High school and University of Pennsyl-
yania observations we're attended with
very gratifying results.
The accuracy of the results at Griffin
will not be known for some time, as the
photograph plates will not be developed
at present. A few minutes before to-
tally clouds drifted across the suns face
and cut off good portion of the light.
1t is disputed question whether there
was any haze before the sun during to-
tally.
DR.. Brown, the director Of the obserra-
tons, thinks there was very slight cut
ting off of the light on this account, as
does also. DR.. Humphreys. Professor
Mitchell and others Of the observers,
however, who watched this particular
phase Of the eclipse say that there was
no interference or if there was so slight
as to be inappreciable.
The report of Professor Alfred E. Bur-
ton, in charge of the expedition from the
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
at Washington, Ga. reads:
"The weather here was perfect. Time
Of totality minute Is 2-10 seconds. The
magnstometer showed no disturbance in
magnetic declination. Seven sketches
were made of the corona"
Professor w. II. Pickering. at the head
of Yale's expedition, furnished the fol-
lowing statement:
1--WE secured SO plates with intra-
mercurial apparatus and "a with other
cameras, aided by 10 assistants. The
plates will be developed in Cambridge
observatory. The corona resembled that
Of the 1889 eclipse. Two large solar
protuberances. Venus and Mercury
were conspicuous. The innes corona
was visible in the telescope several Sec
onds after totality was over. There was
no dark band around the moons limb
during the partial phase and no detail on
the moon during totality."
Professor w. w. Campbell astronomer
in chief Of the Lick observatory expedi-
ton, states
"Forty-two photographs were secured.
The corona had somewhat the appear
ance of the corona in 1893 as observed
in India. Two prominent streamers ex-
tended to the west near the line Of the
solar equator to distance equal to about
five or six diameters Of the sun, several
million miles.
"One prominent streamcr to the east
Of the sun and north of its equator was
traced to equal four diameters of the
sun. The corresponding streamer south
of the equator was very much less prom
inent The shadow bands were obscrv-
ed easily at the beginning and ending Of
totality.
1.-THE eclipse occurred seven seconds
earlier than was expected"
The observations at Sloan, Ga, were
n complete success
Professor Charles Bupkhalder, OBJ
server in charge of the Chabot university
eclipse station, gives the following state
ment regarding his work:
"The corona appeared strikingly like
that of the eclipse in India in 1893. The
pictures taken vary from to 100 of
a second at the moons limbs and 4 to 6
seconds at the outer limits, two plates
giving 4-100 to 800 inside and to 8
coonodu nuts;da nvnnuurnv With int