272 REPORTS ON INVESTIGATIONS AND PROJECTS. 



The department also availed itself of the skill and experience of Pro- 

 fessor Palazzo, director of the meteorological and magnetic service of 

 Italy, and arranged for magnetic, electric, and meteorological obser- 

 vations under his direction at Tripoli, all of which work, according 

 to information received from him, was successfully carried out. 



Cooperative observations were made under the auspices of the 

 United States Coast and Geodetic Survey at Pembina, North Dakota, 

 by Prof. H. W. Fisk, of Fargo College ; at Wausau, Wisconsin, 

 by Mr. C. C. Craft; at Colebrook, New Hampshire, by Dr. G. B. 

 Pegram, of Columbia University, and at the various magnetic observ- 

 atories. At the Cheltenham Magnetic Observatory both special 

 mao-netic and electric observations were made under the direction of 

 the observer in charge, Mr. W. F. Wallis. 



At all of these places the program of work prescribed by the 

 department was successfully executed. 



These stations, in addition to those occupied by other countries,^ 

 will afford a unique and most valuable collection of data covering 

 the entire belt of totality. 



The hearty cooperation of foreign countries has been very gratify- 

 ing. Russia, to complete the distribution of stations along the belt 

 of totality, sent, under the auspices of the St. Petersburg Academy 

 of Sciences, an expedition specially equipped for magnetic work and 

 placed it under the direction of one of its most experienced magne- 

 ticians, Mr. W. Dubinsky, in chafge of the Pawlovsk magnetic ob- 

 servatory. Other European countries were no less zealous, and 

 likewise either sent special expeditions equipped for magnetic and 

 electric work under the direction of able and experienced observers 

 or made special arrangements for careful and comprehensive obser- 

 vations at their home stations. 



According to the reports already received from observers in the 

 United States and Canada, the eclipse interval was a rather disturbed 

 one, due to a cosmic magnetic storm, the magnetic disturbances having 

 in fact begun several days before the day of the eclipse. During the 

 night of August 29 and 30 brilliant polar lights were visible at the 

 northern stations. 



At the director's station (Missinaibi, Canada, 48° 28'. 6 N. and 

 5h. 33.9111. west of Greenwich), in addition to the disturbances 

 already referred to, there was a smaller fluctuation about the time of 

 maximum obscuration of the sun of the character and amount to 

 be expected as the eclipse effect, as judged by previous eclipses. 

 However, whether this particular fluctuation is really to be referred 

 to the eclipse can not be stated definitely until the records have come 



