Year: 1878

tiOnS Drawn.

 Dr. Henry Draper, the chief of the Rawlins expedition, whose discovery of the presence of oxygen in the sun places him high in the ranks of scientists, and entities his views to the greatest weight, said:

 The results which were obtained were entirely unexpected. It had always been supposed that the corona was principally composed of an ignited gas, which was characterized in the spectrum by line known as 1,474, or, as it is sometimes called, the green line, because of being in the green portion of the spectrum. The observations of this eclipse upset this theory. Up to the present time there has been considerable doubt ex- pressed as to whether there was any con- tinuous spectrum derived from reflection from the sun. It has also been regarded as doubtful whether the Fraunhafer lines, which are seen in the suns spec trum, could also be seen in the spectrum of the corona. This point is now settled by the photographs which I succeeded in taking, as we'll as by the eye observa- tions.

 THE PHOTOGRAPHS REVELATIONS.

 My photographic arrangements were so constructed that if the corona con- sisted of ignited gas the spectrum pho- tograph would consist of one or more rings. On the other hand, if the light of the corona was continuous-that is, derived solely by reflection from the sun "a spectrum photograph would consist of band of light without any rings. I was very much surprised to find that the spectrum photograph which I took was 8 continuous band without rings. My eye observations with an integrating spectroscope gave precisely the same re- suit for the visible part of the spectrum that the photograph did for the ultra violet region. There was no indication save one small prominence, of any great eruption in the sun. We must therefore conclude that on this occasion we have obtained what may be termed the true spectrum of the corona. On former oc- casions the bright lines must have been due to gaseous, ignited matter thrown up from the sun into the corona. The observations made by Professor Barker with an analyzing spectroscope-that is, spectroscope furnished with a slit showed the presence of numbers of the Franhaufer lines in the spectrum of the corona, and this corroborates my photo graphic results. The observations of Professor Morton that the corona was radially polarized, also confirms the same. The impression the corona made on the naked eye was as if it might be composed of great mass of small par t1cles surrounding the sun and rehecting his light to our eyes. As was in the dark photographic-room of the observa- tory until just before the commencement of totality, my eyes were exceedingly sensitive, and noticed that the corona extended more than degree, preceding the sun along the line of the ecliptic. It was not so long in the direction fol- lowing the sun. The matter winch on alr previous eclipse observations was found to be injected from the sun into the corona to distance of half a million miles from the sun, may have been sus- tained there by the attraction of the small particles of the corona. That such matter is not in the corona now is beyond dispute, as proved by the absence of the green line of the spectrum.

 QUIET CONDITION OF THE SUN.

 With regard to the quiet condition of the sun, as evidenced by the absence of protruberances. Dr. Draper said 1:

 I did not anticipate seeing any large prominences in the edge of the sun on the day of the eclipse, because I had carefully gone around the entire edge of the sun the day previous with our large telescope, and found that the chromos- pher or first atmosphere of the sun was very low, merely consisting of short tongues of fire: The chromospher was so low that its lines did not impress themselves on the spectrum photographs.

 It is rather singular while the sun has been in such quiescent condition for more than two years, that we have not seen more changes in the climate of the earth. This would seem to show that the abnormal condition of the sun at the maximum period of sun spots, which occurs every eleven years, counts but for little against the total amount of heat that is sent out from the sun at all times. The present obssrva- tions go to show that the activity or qui- essence of the sun make no perceptible difference in the earth's condition. do not regard this most marked change in the corona as pretending any change in the cond ition of either climate or crops. Acquitted by the Discovery of Skeleton.

 The Hudson Register says Green, vile, Greene county, N. Y., was much excited two years ago over several incen. diary fires, ending with the destruction of the dwelling and barns of Beni. N.

 Finch, who dwelt near the line of the

 towns of Coxsackie and New Baltimore

 Finch was not living very happily witt

 his family, and afterward, when he was

 accused of arson, they were the mos

 important witnesses against him. Ht was not put on trial, and matters rar along in this way until the development ] of new facts day or two ago. On Sat |