370 



NA TURE 



[August 20, 1896 



It is hardly necessary to remark that these instruments 

 are capable of furnishing results of the highest value to 

 solar physicists. We therefore note with satisfaction the 

 still later Reuter telegram from Hammerfest, dated 

 August 17 : 



Sir George Baden- I'owell's yacht Olaria has arrived here all 

 well with the members of the British Eclipse Expedition. The 

 party made excellent and valuable observations of the eclipse in 

 Novaya Zemlya. The corona and spectrum were clearly visible, 

 and very satisfactory photographs were taken. 



The following telegrams from Russia inform us that 

 one of the parties from Pulkowa, including the excel- 

 lent spectroscopist Belopolsky, has also been successful. 



St. Petersburg, August 15. 



According to a telegram from Tiumen, in Western Siberia, 

 the solar eclipse was very successfully observed at that place, 

 and one particularly good photograph was taken. Some stais 

 even are visible. 



August 16. 



A despatch from Khabarovka, which is the residence of the 

 Governor-General of the maritime territory in the extreme east, 

 states that the astronomical observations of the eclipse taken in 

 the village of Orlovski, on the river Amur, were thoroughly 

 successful. The weather was fine during the eclipse. The 

 astronomers, MM. Belopolsky, N'itram, and Orbinsky, have 

 returned to Khabarovka. 



August iS. 

 A telegram from Khabarovka gives further details of the 

 astronomical observations of the solar eclipse taken on the Amur. 

 The sky at the time was overcast, but during totality the 

 corona and several stars of the first magnitude were distinctly 

 visible through the telescojie. The darkness was not complete. 

 Six photographs were taken illustrating the different phases of 

 the eclipse. 



We referred last week to the partial success on the 

 west coast of Norway. Mr. John Dover has communi- 

 cated a letter to Tuesday's Times, from which we make 

 the following extract : — 



It was thought that the best view would be obtained from a 

 village, Brevik, about twenty miles south-east of Bodo. Leaving 

 Bodo on Saturday evening by steamboat, we passed through 

 the " Saltstrom " at low tide, and waited near to watch [the 

 waters rushing into the fiord as the tide rose. We then pro- 

 ceeded to the village of Brevik, where we landed at two o'clock 

 on Sunday morning. A climb of about twenty minutes brought 

 us to a suitable elevation above the fiord of about 250 feet from 

 whence there was an uninterrupted view to the north-east 

 and east for some miles. Only one small cloud was visible, 

 and that in the west ; otherwise the sky was quite 

 clear. There was a perfect sunrise at 3. 14 on Sunday 

 morning. The partial eclipse began at 4.1 a.m. The 

 total eclipse began at 4.54, and lasted for 92 sees. At 

 Vadso the totality would have been 105 sees. The partial 

 eclipse ceased at 5.51. At 4° 54' 45", the middle of the 

 eclipse, the sun being completely hidden, the corona around it 

 assumed a distinct form. The corona to north-east was about the 

 length of the sun's diameter and very distinct. On the western 

 edge the corona was about two-thirds the length of the sun's 

 diameter, while to the .south-east it was about half a diameter. 

 To the north the corona was very slight indeed, being about 

 one-tenth of a diameter. On the south-western edge of the 

 sun appeared a large red spot which was visible until the totality 

 of the eclipse had quite ceased. A Dutch profes.sor near me 

 observed tw'O small spots on the eastern side, hiut these escaped my 

 notice. I glanced away from my telescope for a moment to see if 

 any stars were visible, and observed Jupiter and Venus. Mercury 

 and Regulus were also seen by others present. The colour of 

 the moon in front of the sun seemed of a dull grey, while the 

 corona around the sun was of a light cream colour. The sky to 

 north and east appeared of a pale orange colour, while to the 

 west it was of light yellow shade. Two photographers — one 

 from Flensborg, Schleswig, the other an amateur from Oxford — 

 were at work, so that I hope a go'>d photograph of the eclipse 

 may be produced. My great regret was that I did not see any 

 one present with thoroughly good scientific in.struments. 



We shall publish next week a letter received from Mr. 



NO. 1399, VOL. 54] 



Norman Lockyer, containing an account of the prepara- 

 tions he made to observe the eclipse on the Island 

 of Kio, assisted by the officers and men of H.M.S. 

 Volagc. Sir Robert Ball contributes to Wednesday's 

 Times a long letter on the observing parties and stations 

 at Vadso and in the neighbourhood, and Dr. Rambaut 

 makes a similar contribution to the Dailv Chrptiide of 

 the same day. We must also mention that the corre- 

 spondent of the Daily Telegraph gives some interesting 

 notes on the characteristics of the shadow. 



NOTES. 

 The current number of the Comptes rendus of the Paris 

 Academy of Sciences contains a statement, by M. Berthelot, 

 with reference to the present condition of the scheme to erect 

 a monument to Lavoisier by international subscription. A 

 Committee to take this matter in hand was formed, in 1894, of 

 members of the Institute of France, and representatives of the 

 French Government, of the Municipal Council of Paris, and of 

 various scientific bodies. A special Committee was nominated 

 to obtain sub.scriptions, and the result of their appeal has no*- 

 been made known by the publication of a list of subscribers in a 

 fasciculus issued with the Comptes rendus. The amount already 

 received is 47,553 francs (nearly ;^200o), and subscriptions are 

 still coming in. The Emperor of Russia has authorised the 

 opening of a subscription list in Russia, and has headed the list 

 with a sum of two thousand roubles (£l\^). The French 

 Minister of Public Instruction will give six thousand francs 

 (^240), and the City of Paris ^^400. Alsace has contributed 

 2475 francs (nearly ;^loo) to the fund, Germany about .1^160, 

 England £\'io, Au.stria-Hungary ^100, Belgium £"24, United 

 States ;^20, Greece ^7, Italy ^^40, Mexico ^4, Netherlands 

 ;^40, Portugal .^24, Roumania £\^, Servia ^40, Norway and 

 Sweden ^80, Switzerland £'^a,. The construction of the monu- 

 ment has been entrusted to M. Barrais. 



A STRONr. and representative Committee is being formed in 

 connection with the proposal to inaugurate a memorial to 

 commemorate the inception and extension of submarine 

 telegraphy. Amongst many other influential persons who have 

 agreed to act are : — Viscount Peel, Lord Kelvin, Lord Selborne, 

 the Lord Chief Justice, Jlr. Joseph Chamberlain, Sir Richard 

 Webster, Lord George Hamilton, .Sir Juland Danvers, Sir 

 .Samuel Canning, Sir Eyre Shaw, Sir John Robinson, Admiral 

 Sir Henry J. C. D. Hay, Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins, Mr. 

 Hubert Herkomer, Mr. Herbert de Reuter, Mr. J. C. Lamb, 

 Mr. W. H. Preece, Dr. John Hopkinson (President of the 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers), Dr. Alexander Muirhead, 

 Mr. Alexander Siemens, and Mr. W. S. Silver. An executive 

 will no doubt be formed from the larger Committee, and the 

 Electrician makes a suggestion for their consideration. The 

 introduction and extension of telegraphy are almost exactly 

 coincidental with Her Maje.sty"s reign — the magnetic needle 

 telegraph having been patented by Cooke and Wheatstone on 

 June 12, 1837, and the first telegraph line from I'addington to 

 West Drayton being constructed in 183S-9. The suggestion 

 of our contemporary is that the memorial in question should be 

 inaugurated at the time of the celebration of the sixtieth 

 anniversary of the (Queen's reign, on or about June 20 next. 



The fourth meeting of the International Congress of Hydro- 

 logy, Climatology, and Geology will be held at Clermont- 

 Ferrand, Puyde Dome, from September 28 to October 4. 



It is announced in Science that, if certain conditions are 

 fulfilled by the City of Chicago, the Field Columbian Museum 

 is to receive two million dollars as an endowment fund from 

 -Marshall Field, the founder of the Institute. 



