Pioneer press. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1882-19??, 1914-08-22
WAR !I.1AY PREVENT
OBSERVATIONS
Or the Eclipse Of the Sun Tomorrow;
In Europe, Asia and Part Of
America

The eclipse Of the sun tomorrow
trtal II part of Europe and Asia and
part eclipse III northwestern Amer.
'ca~-NaS been attracting widespread
3''on1 on among astronomers AMI
%''r"tiHtE, hGl now t IS feared that
III" European war will seriously in
terfero with, even if it does not en-
tre!y prevent the 0bsdrvat ons which
the scientists had planned to make
OF the phenomenon.
Tho eclipse will be observable
along Inc extending from Alsteno
Of the west coast Of Norway. through
llernosand, on the Swedish coast.
Riga on the Baltic, Mlnsk and Kie.r
in central Russia, and leaving Eu
rope at IIheidOsia ON the Cr:mcan
coast
Many. scientific expeditions hal
been planned TO observe the eclipse
The most Of these expeditions were
designed to take their observations
from points in Russia, where the ,lu
ration Of totality VIII be longest Un
Ger existing conditions it will CT
course be impOSS bic for the scientist.
Of other lands to visit Russia at The
present time. At tho present time I
will be almost equally impossible 1or
the scientists to change the base Of
their operations to the Scandinavian i
peninsula, for the reason that weeks
Of preparations are necessary to So
up their Instruments and make other
necessary preparations. The difIicu!
tY Of reaching Norway and Swede:'
at the present time is so great th"t
it is unlikely that any expeditions &C
those countries will be undertaken
In view CT the existing circumstances
it is probable that no noteworthy on
servations will be made Of the eclipse
with the possible exception Of th9st
that may be m"Go by the RUssi;1.
astronomers themselves.
Before the outbreak Of the wa
nearly all civilized countries were
preparing expeditions for the stu1,
Of the eclipse, and Il number Of pr.
vate expeditions were also being lit
ted out AS previously stated the
most of them had chosen Russia TO:
their goal. Among other German?
cities, Hamburg was fitting out n!
expedition, while a second one. su )
sid;zed by the PruSsian Stat, was be.
ing planned by Professor Miethe Of
the Charlottenburg Technical School,!
In England steamboat parties Wera
being made up to view the eclipse
from AlstenO and Riga, and from the
fact Of the eclipse coming in the hOl
iday season it was expected that
great numbers Of sightseers wOul
avail themselves Of the opportunity
which will not reCur in Europe Ill
1927.
Professor G. G. Abbott, head Of tnc
astronomical branch Of the Smith
sonian Institution, and a recognize
authority on solar phenomena, gives
the following account Of the eclips@
and the scientific results sought from
such events.
TOmmOrw the moon Will pass cX
actly between the earth and the sun
and there will be q total solar eclipse
If will not be observed in America
except as a small partial eclipse al
sunrise in the norther states an
Canda, but in Persia, Russia ant
Scandinavia the full effect will bt
seen.
Although the moon looks about tht
same size as the sun, it IS very mucI
smaller and nearer The sun IS Sbo,
600 miles in diameter and $4,000 OU(
miles away, while the moon is 10
miles in diameter and $4,000 miles
away On account Of the moons sinal
size compared with the sun the shad
ow cast by the moon is cone, ant
the point of this cone just barrel!
reaches the earth.
In tomorrow's eclipse the damete
Of the cone at the earth's surface j:
only about 50 miles, so that th'
eclipse is visible as total only i'll ;
belt about 50 miles wide, streLcnin'