268 SOLAR ECLIPSE OF JULY 29, 1878. 



shadow fell on Long's Peak, seventy five miles distant, and sweeping rapidly 

 southeastward, covered the plain like a gray pall. To the northeastward clouds 

 could be seen bathed in sunlight, and presenting the view of a beautiful sunset. 

 During the period of obscuration the moon appeared like a huge black ball. 



At Rawlins, Wy. ,the weather was fine, the sky clear and the observations a 

 perfect success. Dr. Draper, of New York, succeeded in obtaining several photo- 

 graphs of the sun during the eclipse. Prof. Watson of Ann Arbor, and Mr. Nor- 

 man Lockyer returned early from Separation, where the total eclipse lasted two 

 minutes and fifty seconds. Prof. Watson discovered an intra-Mercurial planet of 

 the size of a four and a half magnitude star about two and a half degrees south- 

 west of the sun. Mr. Lockyer says this eclipse was totally different from the one 

 in 1 87 1, the corona being ten times brighter this time, showing a great varia- 

 tion of the brightness of the corona between the maximum and minimum period 

 of sun spots. He obtained a faint photograph of the continuous spectrum of the 

 sun, and it showed no trace of lines of rings through Mr. Rutherford's grating. 

 The structure of the corona was well observed by him, but no trace of an exteri- 

 or ring was seen, and the corona vanished instantly, while in 187 1 it remained 

 for several minutes after totality. Only one faint protruberance was observed by 

 Mr. Lockyer. He is greatly surprised at the difference of eclipses occurring in 

 different sun spot periods, and at the intimate relation of the brightness of the 

 corona to sun spots. 



At Dallas, Texas, observations of the solar eclipse were generally successful. 

 The clouds interfered somewhat with all observations until near the time of the 

 last contact. The following observations are furnished by Prof. D. P. Todd, of 

 Washington: First external contact at 4 hours 33 minutes 6.5 seconds; second 

 internal contact, 5 hours 38 minutes 33.3 seconds; third internal contact, 5 hours 

 40 minutes, 57.9 seconds; fourth external contact, 6 hours 40 minutes 25.6 sec- 

 onds. The record is in Washington mean time. Professor Todd made a careful 

 search for the supposed intra-Mercurial planet with a four inch telescope — none 

 was seen. The clouds were so dense that no objects whatever were seen near 

 the sun. The corona was very brilliant. Several drawings were secured and 

 photographs taken. Prof. Todd was well satisfied with the results of his ob- 

 servations. 



At Fort Worth, Tex., for several days beforehand a party of astronomers was 

 located taking preliminary observations for the great eclipse. The party consisted 

 of Leonard Waldo, of Cambridge observatory, general director of the expedition 

 and specially in charge of its photographic work: R. W. Wilson, of Harvard, 

 who noted times of contact and made extensive physical observations : Prof. John 

 K. Rees, of Washington University, St. Louis; W. H. Pulsifer, of St. Louis, 

 and F. E. Seegrave, of Providence R. I., whose labors were in the main directed 

 to the doubtful points, as the corona and its spectrum. The party were magnifi- 

 cently fitted out with telescopes, spectroscopic and polariscopic apparatus, and 

 had with them a skillful photographer from Dallas. Time observations were 

 taken with great care, and every thing got in readiness for the day's work. Day broke 



