Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17
SOLAR ECLIPSE TO ADD VAST
DATA FOR u. S. RECORDS
Navy Party Transporting Huge Camera
to Pacific Island, Many Tons of Equip
ment Will Be i'm Place for October 81.

About lis boxes and cases Of scientific
instruments, apparatus and equipment
have been shipped to Tutuila, as well as
camp implements and food supplies suf.
f1cient for 20 men for so days. The exc
petition also carried about 5000 board
feet of lumber for the construction Of
various cameras. the largest of which
will have a focal length of IS feet and
will include a Photographic developing
room. The total equipment to be trans
ported to Niuafou weighs more than so
tons.
Difficult Expedition.
This is one of the most dificult
eclipse expeditions ever undertaken by
the Navy according to officials. Not only
Is the distance great, but the most prirn.
tive conditions prevail. On Niuafou
there are only white men and about
! 100 natives. A major eruption occur
ring in several of the islands active
craters destroyed one of the two VII
lagos in June 1929
A Navy party at Page Pago, which
made preliminary visit to the island,
found that there were no good anchor
ages and only one precarious landing
place. The expedition heads will pro-
coed to Pago Page, where their equip
ment will be transferred from the Sierra
to the mine sweeper Tanager and the
entire party, including cooperative SCI
entists observers and helpers, will be
assembled on this ship. Landing on
N1aufou will be accomplished as soon
as possible thereafter.
The Tanager will have to be anchored
in deep water. The cliffs of the island
rise abruptly on all sides, but a landing
place for small boats has been found.
1t will require extreme skill to transport
and land the heavy equipment, aug
mented by the 5000 feet of unwieldv
camera lumber, in the small boats. This
work will be possible, 1t Is believed, only
IN calm weatheT. Swells or winds viii
delay and jeopatdiZe the work, and the
loss OF important equipment at this
stage would ruin the chances of the ex-
petition for a successful study of the
eclipse.
Cameras to Be Built.
The enlisted personnel of the exnedi-
ton includes a rigger, an optical repair
ana instrument man, carpenter to
construct large cameras, an expert
photographer, two general assistants.
Two radio operators, two cooks and an
interpreter. Approximately eight weeks
OF work will be necessary on the island
In preparation for the event, the big
gest job being the building of the huge
cameras.
These will require exact astronomical
engineering as well as skilled work in
camera construction, for because of
their size and the brief duration of the
| eclipse 1T will be necessary that they be
aimed In advance at the exact spot
in the heavens where the eclipse will
| occur.
The eclipse will be total at this spot
for only SO seconds. The sun will enter
the shadow at 9 o'clock In the morning
of October 81 or %, depending on which
| side of the international date line the
observers are located. During the eclipse
there will be no time for delay or re-
calculation. The Photographic marks
men will have to fire rapidly and with
precision. The enormous cost of the ex-
! petition in money and effort can be re-
paid in no other way than by getting as
much useful data as possible.
AS is always true of eclipse expedi-
tions, the observers are taking their
| biggest chance on the weather. Virtu-
ally all other contingencies can be
prepared for, but If the morning is
stormy-if. in fact. a single fleecy cloud
| gets in the way of the sun during the
crucial moments-the scientific yield of
| the expedition may be wiped out.
Meteorological observations have never
been taken on Niuafou; there is no
way known to science for forecasting
the weather even approximately. The
expedition expects good weather, how
ever, because the eclipse takes place in
the morning, and the morning sky Is
usually clear at that season in the Pa
cific islands.
Niuafou is one of the islands of the
Tonga Archipelago and is one Of the
mandate islands of New Zealand There
is only one other spot of land where
the eclipse might be viewed in its
totality: the island of Nurakita in the
Ellice group. Navy observers investi-
gated the possibility of setting up CAM
eras on this island, but reported tbs
difficulties too great. However. 1t is ex-
pected that independent scientists may
| attempt it,