26 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COF.LKCTIOXS \()L. "J 2 



canyon at aljout 14,000 feet elevation, lliere the a])])aratus was set 

 up, and on the day of the echpse very satisfactory ohservations were 

 made, both photographs of the phenomenon and measurements of 

 the brit^htness of the sky and the nocturnal rathation. Tlie accom- 

 panying- photograph shows in but a feeble way how splendid was the 

 eclipse phenomenon on this occasion. ''J'he corona extended at least 

 two diameters of the sun in almost all directions, with a great ])ro- 

 fusion of fine streamers. Underneath the sun, that is to say towards 

 the east, there hung a sickle-shaped solar prominence of hvdrogen 

 and calcium gases, extending fully 150,000 miles outwards from the 

 sun and over 300,000 miles long, which cast its crimson glory over 

 all. The background against which this splendid phenomenon was 

 seen was a range of mountains, perhaj^s 50 miles distant, which raised 

 their snow-covered heads fully 20,000 feet in altitude. 



From La Paz, ^Messrs. Abbot and Aloore ]iroceeded at once to 

 La Ouiaca, Argentina, where they ins])ected the meteorological 

 observatory and conferred with Messrs. Wiggin and Clayton. Chief 

 and Chief Forecaster, respectively, of the Argentine ^Meteorological 

 Service. Under Mr. Clayton's direction a system of forecasting bv 

 the aid of daily telegraphic reports of the intensity of the radiation 

 of the sun as observed at Calama, Chile, has been worked out with 

 encouraging success. 



Both Mr. Wiggin and :\rr. Clayton were firmly convinced of the 

 great value of solar radiation observations for forecasting. Arrange- 

 ments were tentatively entered into for the transfer of the Smith- 

 sonian observing station at Calama to the Argentine Government, 

 to be located at La Quiaca thereafter. At the present time, however, 

 these arrangements have not yet been comjileted by the higher 

 officials of the Government of Argentina. 



From La Quiaca the travelers returned to the observing station at 

 Calama, Chile, where Dr. and ]\Irs. Abbot remained about a month 

 before returning to the United States, during which time Dr. Abbot 

 worked over the results obtained with a view to discovering some 

 means of measuring the intensity of the solar radiation without the 

 long and tedious process of observing and con4)Uting which has 

 hitherto been necessary. Tn this he was so fortunate as to discover, 

 with the aid of ]\lr. Moore, a method by means of which suitable 

 obser\'ations taken within a period of 10 minutes mav ])e reduced 

 within a period of 2 or 3 hours. Idius the intensity of the solar 

 radiation outside the atmosphere may be determined with greater 

 accuracy than by the former method which re(iuired al)out 3 hours 

 of observing and about 15 hours of comjmting. 



