Astronomy. 287 
determining geographical position, were sent by him to the North 
and South, “to fix the limits of the belt of total obscuration, 
The Navy Department, besides making other provisions, sent ob- 
Servers to the western shore of Behring’s Straits; an e ar 
Department ag a Curtis, to make special photographic ob- 
servations at Des 
The Coast Surrey established parties on the Yaken river in Alas- 
ka, at Des Moines in Iowa, Springfield in Illinois, and Abingdon in 
West Virginia, and perhaps at still other stations,—that at Spring- 
ace. being amply provided with photographic observers and appa- 
Most of the principal este high: likewise organized expedi- 
ions of greater or less magnitude. From Washingt ton, the seve- 
ral observers arranged cae Seda series of rece Sa stellar, 
ap aprianaga. physical and meteorological. From Cambridge a 
ge party went to Shelbyville, Ky., with large photosrapHe rd 
private astronomers who established thempalves along the central 
line, with telescopes one other 8 apparatus of investigation, must 
have been exceedin g 
omers were at last eared we 7 of almost cloudless serenity, 
with an atmosphere much more saat t ual, in conse- 
quence of the copious rains; and so we have heard, the sky 
Was favorable every where, unless a slight haze at Des Moines 
formed an exception, 
It is of course too early, as we go to press, to give an 
account of the results, "whe in most cases are not yet e borated 
y the observers ; but some matters of interest peak. been dy 
aan 
e beginning and end of the eclipse seem to have been observ- 
ed a few Soaiaile later, and the b sentig and end of Aes potality 
about fifteen seconds later than the predictions of t 
Nautical Almanac. As r regards the exact position of the pe 
line, and of the limits of the total belt, we have as yet insufficient 
ne of ¢ the Co paises results is the introduction of a new 
me accurate method of determining the time of first contact, by 
O>serving with a spectroscope the gradual occultation of the bright 
lines of the chromosphere. This we owe to Prof. Young, of Dart- 
