The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-06-07

Tomorrow the phenomenon viii
be repeated for q comparable In
terval, as scientists on tiny Can
ton Island, in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean, snap the shutters
or grind the cranks Of the cam
eras, as artists strive to catch the
evanescent beauty of fading fire,
and as the world awaits the result
of their lorlg-planned labors.
lao Miles in Width
From the National Geographic
Society today came . statement
that the eclipse at its maximum,
to be observed on the island by an
expedition sponsored Jointly by
the society and the American
Navy, will be the longest in more
than IL centuries. Its total phase
is to begin at 7:39 q. m. (2:06 p.
m. Eastern Standard 'Time) and
will last three minutes and 80
seconds.
Averaging about 140 miles in
width, the eclipse shadow will
move 5000 miles across the Pa
cific from a point $500 miles
northeast of Australia to the coast
of Peru, almost entirely over open
ocean. Canton Island is one of the
few points of land which will be
within the eclipse path and suit
able for making observations.
A partial phase Of the eclipse,
with the moon only partly cover.
ing the sun, will be visible In the
United States southwest Of q line
running approximately from Eu-
reka, Calf, near Amarillo and
Wichita Falls. Texas; Shreveport.
La, and Biloxi. Miss, and on to
Tampa and Palm Beach, Fla.
Plan Broadcast
The e"lispe and the activities of
the scientists while making their
observations will be described in a
radio rogram direct from Canton
Island, which will be broadcast In
the United States on a network of
the National Broadcasting Com
pany.
Members Of the eclipse expe-
dition are: DR.. S. A. Mitchell, di-
rector Of University of Virginia
Observatory, Charlottesville, sci
entific leader: Capt. ]. F. He'll
veg, superintendent, U. s. Naval
Observatory, Washington, in
charge of Nays participation:
DR.. Paul A. Mentally, S. j., di-
rector, Georgetown College OBJ"
servatory. Washington; DR.. IT.
vine C. Gardner, National Bureau
of Standards, washington; DR..
r. K. Richtmyer, Cornell Uni
versity, Ithaca, N. Y: DR.. Theo-
dore Durham. jr., Mt. Wilson
Observatory. California; Charles
G. Thompson, Foundation for
Astrophysical Research, New
York city: John e. Willis, U. 8.
Naval Observatory: Charles Bit
finger. artist. washington: Rich
ard II. Stewart, staff representa-
tive, National Geographic Society,
washington; Walter Brown. ra'
di0 engineer. New York city; M.
s. Adams, radio engineer. San
Francisco, George Hicks, radio
announcer, New York city, all
of the National Broadcasting
Company: Leht. Herman A..
Gross. U. s. Navy surgeon, Homo.
lulu. Lieut. T. B. Williamson Is
in command Of the Navy sea-
plane tender Avocet which trans.
ported the expedition to Canton
Island and is anchored offShore.
Island Mostly Water
Canton Island consists Of a mar
row rim Of land, a quarter Of g
mile in width, enclosing a large
lagoon ~ miles in circumference.
Cameras, SpectrOgraphs, telescopes
and other instruments of the ex-
petition are mounted on concrete
bases and set up in q long line
along the shore. Members Of the
scientific personnel are encamped
nearby in tents. A dark room
built by the expedition and
equipped with a small air-condi-
tioning plant will be used for de.
veloping photographs OF the
eclipse.
During the eclipse the scientists
will make intensive observations
of the chromoSphere or atmos-
phere Of the sun, the gases Of
which give clues to the compost
ton of the sun itself.