Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-15
SUN ECLIPSE SQUADRON
Scientific Brand of American Wafships to Foreign Shores.
WEIRD SPECTACLE TO BE STUDIED

' x
 The sun's Corona and Alleged Planet
 vulcan Are. Among the Mysteries to
 Be Solved by United states Govern
 ment Scientists = Camera Seventy
 Feet Long Will Be Used.
 Hoping to discover the alleged planet Vulcan, to determine what the suns corona really is and to learn various other facts about the heavens above us and the atmosphere surrounding, the United States government will dis patch to the northern coast of Africa and the Mediterranean shore of Spain | squadron of three war vessels com handed by rear admiral, says the Kansas City Star.
 These interesting observations will be made in the old world during the to- tai solar eclipse of Aug. 20 and 30, but the "eclipse squadron" will sail from Washington early in July. Rear Admiral c. NJ. Chester, U. s. N.. in of the squadron, will have for his flagship the Minneapolis, and bis expedition will include about seven members of the scientific staff of the United States naval observatory, of which he is superintendent A number of university professors and scientists of the civilian institutions of the gov ernment will accompany him and CO., operate with his three field parties.
 At sunrise Aug. 28 those who dwell in Manitoba near the southern end of Lake Winnipeg will see mounting the eastern horizon a weird heavenly spec tacle, one which has maddened primi- tive man and frightened his betters in- to terrible religious frenzy. Instead of the familiar sun, red and glowing through the mists of dawn, there will mount these cool Canadian hills a great coal black moon, frinsed on all sides with great streamers cottony white and attenuated. The earth be- low will be black as night over great band 12O miles across, and this lnky shadow will sweep eastwardly on a path of equal width across the Brit lsh possessions, over the southern part of James bay and the peninsula of Labrador.
 About a hundred miles above the eastern mouth of Belle Isle strait 1t will enter the Atlantic, turning Its waves pitch black until reaching the north coast of Spain. Thence the broad shadow ribbon will sweep southeast wardly across the peninsula of the dons, passing about forty miles above Madrid. suddenly throwing its black night pail over Leon. Burges. Valla- dolid, Zaragoza and numerous smaller settlements of men at midday. Leav- Ing the Spanish Mediterranean coast, the pitchy band will cross the Colum- bretes island, strike the African coast about midway between the cities of Tunis and Algiers, stretch out upon the white desert to Egypt. cross the Nile at Assuan and leave the earth in central Arabia. Wherever 1t touches the beasts of the field and the birds of the air will close their eyes In sleep while the same white crowned. white bearded, black faced disk which rose over the hills of Manitoba looks down upon them amid the twinkling stars.
 Our eclipse squadron will land its as- tronomers and their freight at two Mediterranean ports-valencia, Spain. and Bona. Algiers. Apparatus more elaborate than any devised for previ- ous eclipse observation will be upon the ground In the path of the shadow from four to six weeks previous to the From day to day and un- til the moon hides the face of the sun drills will be repeated until every bit ,f apparatus works to perfection.
 Arrangements for the eclipse have been in the course of making at the na- ral observatory In Washington for. in fact, two years. The hilly park sur its white marble buildings presents the appearance of a machin- Try exposition. The great instruments with which the corona in It's varying phases Is to be photographed or other wise observed are all In place. as they will appear when installed in sunny Spain and scorchIng Algeria. They are thus assembled In an experimental ,amp.
 One of the largest cameras ever con- strucfed will snapshot the corona as it appears over the Valencia camp during the two and a half minutes that the sun Is obscured there. It is seventy feet long from the front of the lens to the back of the box. the alter being in reality a little house or lark room.
 The plates will be isochromatic. giv- ng true color value. This giant cam .ra will be operated by George H. Pc iers. the expert astronomIc photoera- ,her in charge of the photographic divi- lion of the naval observatory. the man who has mede the notable sun spot of recent years.
 At the stations in central Spain and Algeria the corona will be photograph td with great cameras of like coastruc- ion. but with only forty feet of focal enGth.
 While the corona is knowu to be an of the sun. astronomers fail