National Eclipse

THE ECLIPSE.

How the Astronomers Observed the Phenomenon.

WATCHING FROM THE SHADOW PATH.

The Stations at Rawlins and Creston, Wyoming.

COMPLETE SUCCESS.

Official Report from the Draper and Harkness Expeditions.

EDISON IN A GALE.

The Corona Closely Examined by Tasimeter, Photography and Polariscope.

OBSERVATIONS AT FORT WORTH

Cloudiness and Disappointment in New York and Its Vicinity.

[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.]

RAWLINS, Wy. T., July 29, 1878.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:—

Perfect success. Four photographs of the corona, two of the spectrum of the corona, showing it to be continuous. The corona gave continuous spectrum to eye observations. Edison's tasimeter gave decided indications of heat in the corona.

HENRY DRAPER.

THE ECLIPSE AS OBSERVED AT RAWLINS, WYOMING—FAVORABLE WEATHER AND COMPLETE SUCCESS—THE CHARACTER OF THE CORONA DETERMINED—EDISON'S TASIMETER MEASURES THE HEAT FROM THE CORONA.

[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.]

RAWLINS, Wy. T., July 29, 1878.

The observation of the eclipse has been a grand success and the astronomers here are in a high state of happiness. Everything passed off in the most satisfactory manner. The various observations made by the members of the Draper expedition show not a few new phenomena. The green line in the spectrum of the outer corona, about which I telegraphed, was absent. This, the astronomers claim, goes to show that the substance producing it is not a permanent body. The spectrum of the inner corona was likewise devoid of lines, showing that it contained neither hydrogen nor the mysterious substance represented by the green line. The observation has likewise proved that the corona is not a self-luminous gas; its light is simply reflected light from the sun.

CONDITION OF THE SUN.

The great luminary during the totality was found to be in a condition of quiescence; only one protuberance was visible and that was exceedingly small. It was observed in nearly the same position occupied by the large one seen by Professor Barker on Saturday, and is supposed to be the same grown smaller through some unknown cause. The day dawned auspiciously, the skies were entirely clear and every confidence was felt. At ten o'clock, however, there appeared away to the east a mass of clouds gradually floating toward the sun. The astronomers watched these clouds with anxiety. By eleven o'clock they had become reinforced and the prospects looked far from bright. Noon, however, brought the glad knowledge that their direction had been changed; they were gradually vanishing toward the south. But a new evil soon became manifest. A strong wind began blowing the frail pine structures used for observatories. These commenced to rock. Edison's observatory, which, in its normal condition, is a hen house, was particularly susceptible. He hurried toward it only to find his sensitively adjusted apparatus in an extreme state of commotion. Every vibration threw the tasimeter into a new condition of adjustment. To remedy the evil was far from easy as the time was then so short and precious, it was too late to remove the apparatus and seemingly impossible to break the force of the wind, which was gradually increasing into a tornado. Hatless and coatless he ran to a neighboring lumber yard, and in a moment a dozen stalwart men were carrying boards with which to prop up the structure and erect a temporary fence at its side. That completed, the chronometer indicated half-past one o'clock.

THE ECLIPSE—FIRST CONTACT.

At thirteen minutes past two the moon began to make her first appearance between sun and earth. Again Edison adjusted his tasimeter, but only to find that the gale continued to sway his projecting telescope so violently that a satisfactory result was almost impossible. A rigging of wire and ropes soon partially overcame the difficulty and once more the instruments were ready for work. In a few moments there came from Dr. Draper the announcement "There she goes," and the crowd of spectators instantly levelled their smoked glasses at the sun. The moon had just made her appearance.

PROGRESS OF OBSERVATION.

At half-past two P.M. one quarter of the sun's disc was darkened with slow but steady pace. The progress of the moon continued. In the observatory of Dr. Draper the fall of a pin could be heard; outside almost equal quiet reigned. The only place of disorder was in that frail structure of Edison's. Notwithstanding his efforts the wind continued to give him trouble. In vain he adjusted and readjusted. At three o'clock three-quarters of the sun's disc was obscured, and darkness began to fall upon the surrounding region. The hills around were alive with people watching for the moment of totality. In Dr. Draper's observatory everything was proceeding excellently. The force of the wind had been broken. Edison's difficulty seemed to increase as the precious moment of total eclipse drew near. At five minutes past three o'clock the sun's disc was seven-eighths covered and the country around was shrouded in a pale grayish light, resembling early dawn. All nature seemed in repose; hens which a few minutes before were eagerly feeding left their food and retired to roost, pigeons flew homeward and the night hawks emerged from their haunts and flitted about in quest of prey. The cattle along the ranges stopped grazing.

THE SUN TOTALLY ECLIPSED.

At a quarter past three darkness was upon the face of the earth. The few moments for which the astronomers had travelled thousands of miles had arrived. Still Edison's tasimeter was out of adjustment. All the other instruments were in excellent working order. Totality had brought with it a marked cessation in the force of the wind. Edison worked assiduously, but the tasimeter would not come to a proper condition. At last, just as the chronometer indicated that but one minute remained of total eclipse, he succeeded in concentrating the light from the corona upon the small opening of the instrument. Instantly the fire ray of light on his graduating scale swept along to the right, clearing its boundaries. Edison was overjoyed. The experiment had shown the existence of about fifteen times more heat in the corona than that obtained from the star Arcturus the previous night. The period of totality was exactly 167 seconds. At the expiration of that time the moon had crossed the disk and from the right edges of the sun were beginning to shoot out brilliant rays. Ten minutes later the cocks began to crow, the cattle resumed their grazing and the wolves and night hawks wonderingly flew for their retreats. The new day had dawned and once more Nature wore her normal aspect. The success of the observations were soon announced by Dr. Draper, who emerged from his observatory with light step and smiling face. The crowds shouted "Hurrah!" and for half an hour the astronomers were the lions of congratulations.

OFFICIAL REPORT OF RESULTS.

I telegraph you herewith the official results as given by the astronomers. Dr. Draper obtained four excellent photographs—one of the appearance of the sun during totality and three of the spectrum and corona. The latter were taken from a diffraction grating, and are of different size, the better to exhibit the phenomena which they record. No trace of any ring indicating monochromatic light was found, which proves the light of the corona to be diffused light derived from the sun by reflection, and not due to ignited gas. In former eclipses it has been claimed that the quantity of solar light reflected from the corona was so small as to be scarcely perceptible, and it was doubtful whether the Fraunhoffer [sic] lines were visible in the corona's light at all, but Dr. Draper's observations to-day revealed them. His eye observations show the absence of a true gaseous spectrum in the corona. Professor Barker's observations show no bright lines in either the inner or outer corona. The green line was not seen, although every precaution was taken to detect its presence. The spectrum was continuous throughout and crossed by Frauhoffer's [sic] lines, which were at the base of the corona and which faded out about a solar diameter from the limb. The Professor saw no protuberances.

PROFESSOR MORTON'S OBSERVATIONS.

Professor Morton, president of the Stevens Institute, observed the eclipse with polaroscopes from the summit of a hill. He reported that the approach of totality was gradual, no flying shadow being visible at totality. The corona was brilliantly white, with a marked prolongation of bright rays in a diagonal direction to the horizon. He saw no solar flames or prominences. His instruments revealed a continuous spectrum with no bright lines. His observations proved the light of the corona to be radially polarized.

EDISON'S TASIMETER.

Edison's tasimeter showed its power to measure the corona's heat. It, however, was adjusted ten times too sensitively. Never having used it before for a similar purpose, he had no means of telling the degree of sensitiveness necessary. The heat from the corona threw the ray of light entirely off the scale, and before he could make the second test the eclipse had passed away. The experiment demonstrated that, compared to some of the fixed stars, the corona's heat was much greater.

PROFESSOR NEWCOMB'S PARTY.

The eclipse was viewed at Separation by Professor Newcomb, Watson and Lockyer, and with equally good results. The weather was most favorable, the high winds which prevailed at Rawlings [sic] not having occurred there. Professor Newcomb feels quite positive that he has discovered a new fixed star in the vicinity of the sun. He, however, will not announce the same positively until after he makes some researches.

IS IT VULCAN?

Professor Watson, of Ann Arbor, has, he believes, discovered a new planet between Mercury and the sun. It is of about the fourth magnitude and only two degrees remained from the sun, while Mercury, hitherto known as the nearest planet, is about fifteen degrees from the sun. Professor Lockyer observed the eclipse with a small Rutherford grating in front of an ordinary camera. His results, he states, have, in conjunction with those of Dr. Draper, demonstrated the ability of science to photograph the spectrum of the corona. The several members of the expedition are to-night in a state of high jubilation, a comparison of their results having proved highly satisfactory.

COMPARATIVE RESULTS.

The last total eclipse which occurred in India was about ten times brighter than the present. No past eclipses, the astronomers say, have presented the corona under similar conditions. To-day the corona was much darker than ever before observed and new phenomena were in consequence seen.

To-morrow all the members of the various expeditions will meet in Denver in convention and there officially compare the various results. Mr. Edison and Professor Barker leave to-night for California on a pleasure trip, to return in two weeks. They intend to attend the St. Louis Scientific Convention before returning to New York. The Convention there takes place on August 21. From the results of to-day's observations the astronomers are unanimously of the opinion that a great advance has been made in the science of astronomy. Matters before subject of dispute and contention have been effectually settled, and new avenues hitherto unthought of have been opened to science.

ELSEWHERE.

Advices received to-night from Denver state that observations there were equally successful. Professor Young found no rings in the ultra Violet, which exactly corresponds with Dr. Draper's observations.

Professor Hastings, at Central City, found consistent tangential polarization, confirming Lockyer's results of 1871. Several excellent drawings of the eclipse were also obtained.

[article continues for 4½ more columns]