Received May 30 th 

 Ans.Feb.1& h , 1855 



Letter sent to Prof. Backe Aug. 15 



Franklin County May 27, 1854 

 Most honored Doctor: 



I beg to in form you about the due arrival ofyour precious letter of the 16> h of this 

 month with the helpful common tables and I thank you very much foryour 

 thoughtfulness. These tables are derived from Bristol's formula which was published 

 more than 20 years ago first in Shumacher's "Astronomische Nachrichten" and then 

 soon afterwards in the 1835 Berlin Ephemeriden. When I received you timely 

 message I had already calculated the solar eclipse by another method and it 

 pleased me to see that that Mr. Josef Hermoy's and my work were in good 

 agreement Unfortunately the cloudiness yesterday was such that it was impossible 

 to check on the agreement between the sky and the calculations. The clouded sun 

 showed itselfonly for moments among the drifting clouds. The onset was totally lost 

 because a thick cloud came before the sun at the critical moment I believe I truly 

 got the end ofthe eclipse, but also this time the sun was so obscured that my 

 Observation, namely 



End of eclipse at 5h 28m 5. 74s solar time 

 is not sufficiently accurate to justify a letter to the Smithsonian. 



Allow me to use the opportunity to discharge a task for me to Mr. Egloststein. I ask 

 ofyou to teil Mr. Egloststein from me that the minor sextant which he send me last 

 summer on approval and I was supposed to deliver to you, already long ago was 

 given by Mr. Gallenkamp in Washington to Mr. Kirchwarther, Egloststein's brotherin 

 law and by him sold to Mr. Kollman. 



I have the honor of assuring you of my total devotion 

 Yours sincerely 



David M. Göbel 



Transl .Eliasson 2/97 



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