Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 67.djvu/580

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574
POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY.

several reasons of more than usual interest. The path of the shadow passed over accessible regions, in part of which at least the weather conditions were likely to be favorable; stations could be chosen as far apart as Labrador and Egypt; the period of totality was comparatively long, and there will be no eclipse for seven years. As is shown in the illustration, the long shadow which the moon casts in space, struck the earth south of Hudson's Bay. The spot of darkness, about 120 miles broad and traveling at the rate of about 2,000 miles an hour, passed over Labrador and the Atlantic Ocean, and struck the Spanish coast at the Bay of Biscay. It traversed Leon, Burgos and Valencia, the islands of Majorca and Iviza, reached the Algerian coast near Philippeville, thence struck inland across Tunisia, skirted Tripoli, crossed the Nile at Assuan, and finally in Arabia, passed away from the earth into space again.

Path of Total Eclipse.

Along this line there gathered during the month of August numerous parties from America (including Canada and Mexico), Great Britain, Fiance, Germany, Russia. Italy, Holland, Switzerland and Spain. Two of the most elaborate of the expeditions were from this country—that of the Naval Observatory, under Rear Admiral Chester, which was carried on a warship to Algeria with very complete equipment, and that from the Lick Observatory, the expenses of which were paid by Mr. William H. Crocker. The latter consisted of three parties, one in Labrador, one in Spain and one in Egypt, each equipped with a 40-foot photographic telescope, the object being to take similar photographs, to determine any change that may occur in the corona in the course of the two and a half hour interval between the observations in Labrador and in Egypt. English observers also had stations in Labrador and Egypt, with similar objects. It appears, unfortunately, that the sky was completely clouded in Labrador, and that there were haze and floating clouds in Spain and the north of Africa, except at Assuan. No definite information in regard to the results of the observations is as yet available. Director Campbell and Professor Perrine, of the Lick Observatory, in Spain, and Professor Hussey, at