,,canadian ,,eclipse ,,party #ahfi4 ,,the ,,proceedings ,,of ,,the ,,canadian ,,eclipse ,,party #ahfi4 ,,by ,,commander ,,ashe4 ,director ,observatory1 ,quebec4 ,quebec3 ,,printed ,,by ,,middleton ,,dawson1 ,,at ,,the ,,gazette ,,general ,,printing ,,establishment4 #ahgj4 ,,the ,,canadian ,,eclipse ,,party #ahfi4 ,before giving an account of my proceedings in reference to the eclipse1 ,i think it only right1 in justice to our party1 to state that the arrangements were made very hastily1 as it was not until the last moment that would admit of my reaching the station allotted to me by the ,american astronomers1 viz41 ,jefferson ,city1 that ,i was informed that #djj had been appropriated for the purpose of taking my telescope to ,iowa4 ,the party consisted of ,mr4 ,douglas1 ,mr4 ,falconer1 and myself4 ,as we had only three days to get ready1 there was much to be done1 dismounting the telescope and making cases for the several parts1 and carefully packing photographic materials4 ,instead of the stone support for telescope 7eight inches aperture and #i feet focus7 ,i had one made of wood1 but as the centre of gravity was raised so high by using wood1 ,i had to take great care in the formation of the base2 however1 the stability was excellent4 ,our arrangements were all complete by the #bfth of ,july1 and we started that evening by the ,montreal boat4 ,for the benefit of those who may undertake an expedition of a similar kind1 it may be well to mention a few incidents that occurred during our journey1 which1 although trifling in themselves1 may prove useful to future eclipse parties4 ,i may mention that two of the cases1 containing parts of the telescope1 were directed ,eclipse ,expidition1 with three i's in ,expedition4 ,this was pointed out to me at ,montreal1 but the mistake is excusable1 for evidently the more eyes we have in an astronomical expedition the better4 ,with regard to original spelling1 ,i will relate the following anecdote1 which would have suited ,artemus ,ward4 ,the boatswain of a man-of-war has to keep a rough expense book of the different stores that he uses1 and this is checked by the master1 who on one occasion sent for ,mr4 ,parks1 and when lie came1 he said3 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,parks1 you have expended too much rope for those 'jib guys2' it will surely be found fault with2 you had better reduce the quantity2 and on handing him the book1 he said3 ,by the bye1 b-l-o-x is not the way to spell blocks4 ,the boatswain took the book very sulkily2 and after he had taken two steps towards the door1 he turned round1 and said ,well1 sir1 if b-l-o-x don't spell blocks1 what do it spell8 ,we started on our journey by the evening train4 ,when we arrived at ,port ,huron our first difficulty occurred2 the ,custom-,house officers would not pass our baggage1 although we pointed out the great importance of our party1 and also1 that the moon would not wait an instant for us4 ,they did not see it2 so our baggage was locked up for the night4 ,we took rooms at a small inn1 and then ,mr4 ,douglas and ,i went by rail to ,huron1 to see the head of the ,customs4 ,after going up two flights of stairs1 we were shewn into a room which two gentlemen occupied4 ,the chief was smoking1 with the chair resting on its two hind legs and his resting on the table4 ,we told our story1 and shewed him a certificate from the ,american ,consul at ,quebec4 ,he looked very hard at me1 took the cigar out of his mouth1 wrote a pass which he handed to me1 and then resumed his cigar and former position4 ,we began to thank him1 but as he hid himself in smoke1 we retreated down stairs4 ,i never was more struck with the kindness of our ,american cousins than ,i was during this trip4 ,on all occasions1 they did all in their power to promote our convenience4 ,in the morning we had time to see ,mr4 ,muir1 the director of the railway1 who kindly gave us a free passage over his line1 a kindness that was shewn to us by all the directors of the different lines that we travelled on4 ,i may remark that the cases with the heavier parts of the telescope were broken1 and ,i much feared that the instruments would be seriously damaged4 ,mr4 ,muir very kindly had outside cases put on1 and ,i carried the most valuable part 7the object glass7 in my hand4 ,after we left ,chicago1 and before going to bed1 we left word to be called before crossing the ,mississippi4 ,it is not fair to judge of scenery from a view taken through the window of a railway car1 but ,i must say that ,i was disappointed1--shallow1 sluggish1 and muddy2 but then ,i ought to remember that ,i live on the banks of one of the finest and most beautiful rivers in the world4 ,in the morning we were on the prairie1 which is not so flat as ,i had expected to see it1 but it is a beautiful undulating country1 and if there were trees upon it nothing more could be desired4 ,it was explained to me by a gentleman who was travelling with us1 the reason why trees do not grow on this beautiful land4 ,it appears that on the eastern bank of all rivers and streams only do trees grow2 now without entering into the cause of the prairies catching fire1 ,i will only say that in ,september1 when the long grass is quite dry1 they do catch fire1 and then burn until it is stopped by a river1 and as it always burns to windward1 and as the wind generally blows in one direction1 we have a solution why the trees only grow on one side of a river2 and once the primeval forest is removed1 it never has a chance of growing again1 as the young trees are sure to be burnt1 and the beautiful black soil of the prairie is enriched by the deposit of burnt grass4 ,at one station where we stopped to water our engine1 ,i saw two children of the soil2 they have good reason to complain at their lot4 ,the buffalo and antelope driven away1 and if they are hungry they are told to go and dig2 dig1 how can they dig8 let us reverse the picture4 ,suppose that our cities and towns were by the ,indians turned into a prairie1 and when we were hungry they told us to go away and catch a buffalo1 a pretty hand ,i should make of catching a buffalo4 ,the sooner the poor fellows are shot down or killed by small-pox1 the sooner they will go to their happy hunting grounds4 ,as the ,norway rat kills all other rats that it meets1 so the savage must disappear1 and the ,northern races of ,europe will exterminate them4 ,there is one exception1 the ,african negro1 and no matter what you do to him he thrives under the treatment2 whether free or in slavery he multiplies and is happy4 ,strange that rum which kills the ,indian1 only makes him fat4 ,but the king of savages--the ,new ,zealander--has the fairest island1 in the most favored clime1 taken from him1 and civilization forced upon him4 ,there is no getting away from this civilization now4 ,but ,i am thankful to say that ,i was at ,san ,francisco before it arrived there4 ,when out shooting ,i saw the fresh foot-prints of a grizzly bear1 and did not know how far the gentleman might have been from me at that moment4 ,now1 ,i should like to know how far you would have to travel1 and how much you would have to spend1 before you could experience the same delightful sensation4 ,i have seen real ,indians with real bows and arrows1 in ,vancouver's ,island2 and the place where ,i then saw them1 now has become the head-quarters of the ,pacific squadron2 and the ,indians1 instead of flattening their heads1 no doubt have put on the ,grecian bend4 ,where is all this to stop8 ,it was pointed out to me that most of the telegraph-posts were struck by lightning2 no wonder2 for that king of natural forces1 that for so many thousands of years has reigned supreme-splitting the granite rock1 and shivering the mighty oak at his will--now to be brought into existence at the will of an apothecary boy1 placed in two cups and locked up in a cupboard1 and then made travel day and night1 over hill and dale1 and under the vast ocean1 to carry messages at the bidding of man1--no wonder1 ,i say1 that he should try and knock the whole concern into a cocked hat6 ,boonsboro6 twenty minutes for dinner66 ,now1 then1 we shall have something in keeping with the prairie1--,i suppose a deer roasted on a stake4 ,nothing of the sort4 ,i went into a nice dining-room2 saw a quantity of pretty girls1 or rather young ladies1 with short sleeves and low dresses4 ,soup1 sir6 chicken1 sir6 peas1 sir6 ,the station at ,rugby is nothing to it4 ,after twenty minutes of capital feeding1 we heard1 all aboard6 all aboard6 and as we left1 the father of these young ladies was standing at the door1 and obliged us by taking half-a-dollar1 a great improvement on the ,english system1 where1 on asking the waiter for your bill1 he asks3 ,what 'ave you 'ad8 and begins to add accordingly4 ,the next station was ,jefferson1 #a1cih miles from ,quebec4 ,here the boxes were again thrown out1 and the train left for ,san ,francisco4 ,the boxes were left at the station1 and we drove up to the hotel1 about half-a-mile from the station4 ,as this was ,saturday1 ,july #cast1 we had exactly a week to select a site and to build an observatory-mount the telescope and take preliminary observations4 ,the ,american parties were several weeks at their station before the day of the eclipse1 and found it not too long to prepare4 ,jefferson city is three years old1 has about eight thousand inhabitants1 and looks a thriving place4 ,the next day1 after church1 ,mr4 ,douglas and ,i rode across the prairie to a station situated about eight miles on the railway from ,jefferson4 ,as it was nearer to the central line of eclipse1 we wanted to see if it would do for the site of our observatory4 ,i forgot to mention that the day before ,i left ,quebec1 in pulling off my boot ,i broke the tendon of the plantaris muscle1 which made me quite lame4 ,however1 the six days' comparative rest made it much better1 but still it was far from well4 ,we started for our ride across the prairie about two o'clock1 and reached the station in about an hour and a-half4 ,we crossed several streams and some marshy ground1 and started several prairie chickens4 ,after examining the place1 and finding that it would be very inconvenient to get the material there1 we thought that it would be better to remain at ,jefferson1 and we mounted to return4 ,after we had left some time1 and as ,i was suffering from my leg1 and could not ride fast1 ,i persuaded ,mr4 ,douglas to ride on1 and get back before sunset to keep an appointment with a carpenter1 and not to mind me1 as ,i could ride slowly back4 ,he very reluctantly did so1 and when ,i was left alone1 ,i felt quite at home1 steering my horse across the boundless prairie by the setting sun4 ,now1 my horse had crossed many streams1 and soft wet places in going out1 so ,i took it for granted that he knew more about the prairie than ,i did1 and would not allow me to get into difficulties1 and consequently steered a straight course for that point of the compass in the direction of ,jefferson4 ,the sun had just touched the horizon4 ,i was crossing some marshy ground with reeds up to my shoulders1 when ,i saw my horse's nostrils distended1 and his ears forward4 ,i immediately put my helm down and brought him round1 and just as ,i had done so1 down he sank2 ,i found myself up to my ankles in mud1 and up to the calf of the leg in water2 the horse was fixed immovable1 no struggling1 but snorting and dreadfully frightened4 ,i have been in various situations of difficulty2 but when ,i looked up and saw the tall reeds far above my head1 and the sun setting1 ,i must confess that ,i thought my case a serious one4 ,i remembered the fate of a young ,french officer of the combined fleet that was at anchor at the entrance to the ,dardanelles1 who went on shore to shoot1 and as he did not return that night1 we landed in the morning to look for him1 and not far from the ship1 we found him in a bog up to his waist1 his gun a few feet in front of him1 and he quite dead4 ,i knew that if a man once gets up to his waist1 it would be impossible to extricate himself2 however1 when ,i dismounted ,i sank up to my knees1 and although that was not the place to philosophize1 still ,i did so1 and ,i began to think what is the reason that a man in struggling works himself down1 and ,i immediately discovered that on raising the heel ,i produced a vacuum1 as the mud prevents either water or air getting underneath the foot1 and so with #ae lbs4 to the square inch1 in addition to your weight you soon disappear4 ,that being the case1 ,i did not attempt to raise the foot1 but moved it backwards and forwards in a horizontal position until ,i made the hole so big1 that water got under the foot1 when ,i could lift it up with the greatest ease4 ,after extricating myself ,i tore down some reeds and made a platform round my horse1 then ,i patted his neck1 and spoke good-naturedly to him1 and then went astern1 and by means of his tail worked him backwards and forwards with a rolling kind of motion to let the water well round his feet1 and lastly went ahead1 passed the bridle over his neck1 and sat down with it in my hands right ahead4 ,now1 then1 old boy1 up she rises1 the horse began to struggle1 ,i kept the head-rope taut1 and he was freeing himself bravely4 ,if ,i let go the bridle too soon1 he would go back2 if ,i held on too long1 he would be upon me1 and not only kill me but bury me1 so at the critical moment ,i let go1 and rolled over and over amongst the reeds1 and the horse floundered past me4 ,when ,i got on my feet no horse was to be seen1 but only the tops of the reeds moving as he was making his way out4 ,i thought ,i had not improved my situation much1 for with my leg ,i could not walk a mile1 and1 of course1 the horse had shaped his course for the stable4 ,however1 when ,i emerged from the reeds1 ,i saw the dear old fellow standing as still as if he were in his stable4 ,but now came another difficulty with my lame leg1 ,i could not put a foot into the stirrup1 perhaps he might have been in a circus and taught to lay down1 so ,i began kicking his forelegs and lifting up one and then the other--but no--he had no idea of it3 then ,i thought ,i would lash his feet together with the bridle and throw him down1 but there might be some difficulty in my remaining on his back when he floundered to get up1 well1 if the worst comes to the worst1 ,i will lash myself to his tail and make him tow me home2 but an idea struck me1 ,i lengthened the near stirrup to about a foot and a-half of the ground1 and then lengthened the other and brought it over on the same side1 and here ,i had a nice little ladder to walk up which ,i did1 and then knelt on the saddle and dropped into my seat4 ,i could not help shaking hands with myself1 and patting my steed on the neck1 ,i then commenced my journey home1 which ,i reached just before dark4 ,photograph3 ,,view ,,of ,,jefferson ,,city1 ,,iowa1 ,,from ,,observatory4 ,we had agreed to erect the observatory about half a mile from the station1 on a rising part of the prairie2 carpenters were engaged1 and an arrangement made with a lumber merchant1 who would supply what ,i wanted and take it back when ,i had done with it1 only charging us for the damage done to the stuff4 ,early on ,monday morning1 the instruments were carted out and unpacked2 and at sunset the four walls of the observatory were up4 ,now1 as we thought it not advisable to leave all these things open on the prairie1 it was agreed that some one should sleep there--and1 of course1 it was my duty to remain4 ,they sent down a mattrass1 pillow1 and blanket2 there was no wood to build a large fire outside1 but ,i collected some chips1 and lit a small fire inside1 and placed my mattrass alongside4 ,a little after sunset a musquito looked over the wall1 and then sounded the assembly2 on they came1 and ,i with my head in the smoke kept blowing the fire1 putting on wet grass to make a smoke2 but1 after half an hour at this work1 ,i found out the fact that man was not intended for a pair of bellows1 and although ,i assisted the action by compressing my sides with my hands1 still at the end of the half hour that ,i blew ,i found that ,i was blown4 ,when once my head was out of the smoke1 the musquitoes flew at me2 ,i stood up to fight them1 but in so doing ,i had to fight myself also4 ,now an army was drawn up in contiguous columns on my cheeks1 the skirmishers advancing through my eye-brows2 at their first volley ,i felt as if ,i was struck with a hackle4 ,i really think that they work their stings like the needle of a sewing machine4 ,maddened1 ,i struck myself a fearful blow with both hands in the face1 and had the satisfaction of making them leave that1 and so ,i fought myself and the musquitoes for some time3 still they attacked me with an impetuosity truly marvellous1 and where one fell two took his place4 ,i was getting weak2 a storming party had now taken possession of my right ear2 ,i clenched my fist1 and with a swinging blow1 cleared the ear1 but knocked myself down4 ,exhausted and worn out1 ,i put my hands into my pockets1 and gave them my head4 ,in that half-dreamy state1 the long1 long hours were passed2 and after they had breakfasted1 dined and supped1 they began to discuss me4 ,ah1 said one1 if you want a good drink1 strike between the corner of the eye and the nose4 ,no1 no1 said a large party2 if you want a draught of good sparkling astronomer1 sink your pump in his temple4 ,you are wrong1 said a dissipated old fellow with frayed wings2 just creep up his cuff1 and harpoon his wrist1 and there you will drink until you lift yourself off your legs4 ,then they sung the following ,,song4 ,the blood of the ,indian is dark and flat1 ,and that of the buffalo hard to come at ,but the blood of the astronomer is clear and bright3 ,we will dance and we'll drink the live-long night4 ,chorus3-,how jolly we are with flights so airy2 ,happy is the mosquito that dwells on the prairie4 ,and then they quarrelled and fought with each other1 and made speeches1--and so the dreary hours dragged along2 but when the eastern horizon was tinted with beams of light1 they staggered off to their respective marshes-some to die of apoplexy1 others of delirium tremens4 ,verdict--served them right4 ,from dawn until six1 ,i had a refreshing sleep1 and when my relief came1 ,i awoke up1 and began to think whether ,i had heard all this1 or only dreamt it4 ,i suppose ,i dreamt it4 ,the work now made rapid progress3 doors with locks1 dark room settled1 platform for telescope support firmly laid4 ,the next day1 began to mount the telescope1 but when we came to screw in the object-glass1 we found out that the brass seat in the tube had been pressed into an oval4 ,what was to be done8 ,no one in ,jefferson that knew anything about it2 too late to send it anywhere2 here was a great break-down4 ,however1 a ,mr4 ,kelly said he would try2 and after some hours' hard work1 he got the object-glass screwed home1 but could not be unscrewed2 so the flats that hold the bolts that secure the object-glass to the telescope could not be put on1 but we secured it as well as we could4 ,it is important to mention that before arriving at ,jefferson1 we made the acquaintance of a ,mr4 ,vail1 from ,philadelphia1 who was going to ,des ,moines to observe the eclipse1 and as ,i had a #db-;inch telescope by ,dolland1 without an observer1 ,i asked him to join our party and observe the eclipse with it1 which he kindly consented to do2 and his report is of the very greatest consequence1 as it confirms1 in a most striking manner1 the details that are seen in the negatives4 ,by ,friday night1 all preparations were made1 and we retired to rest with great doubts about having a fine day4 ,photograph3 ,,clear ,,for ,,action4 ,however1 ,saturday came at last1 and the morning was hazy and overcast2 but about eight1 the clouds began to break and ,mr4 ,vail and ,i took some observations for time4 ,the afternoon was cloudless2 but still a haze near the horizon4 ,at half-past three1 we ,beat to quarters4 ,mr4 ,douglas shut himself up in the dark room2 ,i took charge of the telescope2 ,mr4 ,stanton1 with a light cloth1 covered and uncovered the object glass2 ,mr4 ,vail had his telescope nicely adjusted2 and ,mr4 ,falconer was seated in a very good position to observe the dark shadow crossing the country1 and to note any other phenomena4 ,at #c;h4 #chm4 #djs41 local mean time1 the first contact took place1 and the first photogram taken1 shewing a slight indentation on the sun's limb4 ,we took the partial eclipse with an eye-piece1 giving a #c-;inch picture but as it was hazy1 ,i removed it before totality1 and took the photograms in the principal focus4 ,i may remark that no one could have had a better view of the eclipse than ,i had4 ,as ,i stood in rear of the telescope1 ,i had only to count the double beats of the pendulum of the ,driving ,clock1 which ,i did without taking my eyes off the moon4 ,i exposed the plates of totality for ten seconds1 then withdrew the holder1 and handed it to ,mr4 ,douglas4 ,we took several photograms of the partial eclipse before totality1 four during totality1 and two after2 but the weather had become so hazy1 immediately after the sun made its appearance1 that we could hardly get a picture4 ,as all the reports are published1 it only remains for the ,jefferson party to give theirs1 and the eclipse of #ahfi can be fully discussed4 ,there are one or two points that the negatives of our party will throw a light upon4 ,with regard to the bright band on the sun1 bordering the moon1 in the pictures of the partial eclipse1 it is well known that1 there is nothing surrounding the moon that could produce that effect2 and also1 that the photograms taken at ,burlington1 shew1 beyond a doubt1 that it is no optical illusion4 ,dr4 ,curtis has suggested that it is caused by diffraction2 still1 ,i very much doubt if diffraction could produce such a uniform dark broad band1 so well defined1 as is seen in those photograms4 ,one of the photograms of the partial eclipse that we took before totality1 shews the cusps and edge of the moon to be double1 giving the appearance of a band surrounding the moon4 ,this is caused by the reflection of the moon from the second or underside of the glass1 which happens when the sun is not in the centre of the field2 and by holding the negative of a partial eclipse so that the light will fall obliquely on it1 you will see a dark band surrounding the moon's limb1 from the same cause4 ,,bailey',s ,,beads4 ,in the eclipse of #ahfj1 ,i had the honor of being attached to the ,american ,expedition that went to the coast of ,labrador4 ,professor ,alexander1 ,dr4 ,f4 ,a4 ,barnard and myself1 who were observing with telescopes1 all exclaimed at the same time1 ,bailey's ,beads6 ,it is very true1 that at ,otumwa a picture at the last instant1 just before totality1 was taken1 shewing the sun's edge cut by the peaks of the lunar mountains into irregular spots2 but these were not the ,bailey ,beads that ,i saw in ,labrador1 and ,i am confident that neither ,professor ,alexander nor ,dr4 ,barnard will accept that solution4 ,in the report of ,mr4 ,w4 ,s4 ,gilman1 junr41 who observed the eclipse at ,sioux city1 ,mr4 ,farrel gives a description and drawing of ,bailey's ,beads2 and what he saw in #ahfi1 ,i saw in #ahfj1 the film of light broken into rectangular pieces1 which appeared to swim along the edge of the moon like drops of water4 ,a crowd had followed us from the town1 and took a position near the observatory1 as1 no doubt1 they thought that we would select the best place for observing the eclipse4 ,on the last glimpse of day-light vanishing1 the crowd never fail to give expression to their feelings with a noise that is unlike anything else that ,i have ever heard4 ,it is not like the noise that a crowd makes on seeing a lovely rocket burst1 or that which they make on seeing some acrobat perform a wonderful feat4 ,no2 there is an expression of terror in it4 ,it is not a shout2 it is a moan4 ,before giving a description of the photograms of the ,total ,eclipse1 it will be necessary to refute some opinions that have gratuitously been given respecting them4 ,after ,i had carefully examined the negatives1 and made drawings1 ,i had the drawings and the negatives compared by ,mr4 ,langton1 who expressed his opinion that they were faithful copies2 and when ,i found that it would be many months before ,i could get funds to print my ,report1 it was agreed upon1 after consulting some friends1 that the negatives of totality should be sent to ,england4 ,unfortunately1 ,i selected ,mr4 ,de la ,rue as the fittest person to examine them4 ,he never acknowledged the receipt of them1 and1 after many months1 ,mr4 ,falconer1 who had returned to ,england1 sent me a copy of a letter to him1 from ,mr4 ,de la ,rue3 ,,the ,,observatory1 ,,cranford1 ,,middlesex1 ,dec4 #bgth1 #ahfi4 ,my ,dear ,sir1-,i am very sorry to have caused any uneasiness to ,commander ,ashe2 but one circumstance and another have delayed my writing to him4 ,i have received his papers1 which ,i sent to the ,astronomical1 and later on1 the original negatives1 which arrived safely1 although ,commander ,ashe had neglected the precaution of protecting them with a covering of glass4 ,there is evidence in these negatives of the telescope having moved1 or1 perhaps1 followed irregularly1 during the exposure of the plates1 and this renders the dealing with the negatives very difficult2 moreover1 it contradicts the theory set forth by ,commander ,ashe in respect to a certain terrace-like formation in the prominences1 and also the rapid shooting out of a certain prominence4 ,the ,american photographs are very much more perfect than those sent by ,commander ,ashe2 in fact1 they leave nothing to be desired4 ,to correct the defects of duplication in ,commander ,ashe's photographs1 would entail some expense1 ,i understand that ,mr4 ,de la ,rue has spent #cjj pounds1 in patching up ,major ,tennant's photograms4 and much trouble2 and it would be necessary for hint to re-write his paper4 ,i have only returned to my house 7after an absence of a year7 a few months ago1 and have had ,major ,tennant's paper to see through the press2 so that my correspondence has fallen greatly into arrears4 ,wishing you the compliments of the season1 ,i am1 with best regards1 ,yours sincerely1 ,,warren ,,de ,,la ,,rue4 ,alexander ,pytts ,falconer1 ,esq41 ,bath4 ,here is a very serious charge4 ,i am accused of foisting on the public a marvellous account of the eclipse1 which my own negatives contradict2 but ,i shall have no difficulty in shewing conclusively that ,mr4 ,de la ,rue has made a blunder1 when he says that there is evidence of the telescope having moved1 or1 perhaps1 followed irregularly4 ,it would have been better had ,mr4 ,de la ,rue produced his evidence before he takes upon himself to assert that the negatives contradict my statements4 ,but the crimes ,i am charged with are1 that on the #gth of ,august last1 some person or persons did1 accidentally or maliciously1 disturb the telescope1 during the exposure of plates ,nos4 ,,iii4 and ,,iv41 and that the said plates mislead1 and are not faithful representations of the phenomena seen and also1 that they contradict the statements of ,commander ,ashe1 with regard to the rapid shooting out of a certain prominence4 ,in clearing myself of these heavy charges1 ,i shall divide my evidence into two parts-negative and positive4 ,in the first place1 the telescope was firmly placed upon a platform made by the heavy sleepers borrowed from the railway station1 and surrounded by boards1 as may be seen in the photograms2 and ,commander ,ashe has been too long at sea to travel #acih miles with a heavy telescope1 and then not to be able to give it stability4 ,there were four persons inside the building--,mr4 ,falconer1 seated some distance from the telescope1 observing the general appearance of the eclipse with the naked eye2 ,mr4 ,stanton upon a platform1 ready to uncover and cover the object-glass with a light cloth2 ,mr4 ,douglas in the dark room1 and myself at the telescope1 which was firmly clamped in hour-angle1 and declination4 ,the people outside were at a distance upon an elevation1 and were quite still4 ,the telescope1 if it moved1 must have moved in hour-angle1 or declination1 or in both2 if it moved in hour-angle1 the endless screw must have tripped upon the driving-wheel1 which it could not do without making a noise1 which would have been heard by me4 ,if it moved in declination1 ,mr4 ,stanton must have moved it in uncovering the object-glass2 but in so doing1 he must have given the telescope a pretty hard blow1 of which he must have been aware4 ,but neither ,mr4 ,stanton nor myself are aware of any disturbance of the telescope4 ,there was no wind1 which would only have caused a vibration1 and given a blurred image4 ,in examining ,nos4 ,i4 and ,,ii4 photograms1 the limb of the moon may be clearly traced1 and there is not a shadow of suspicion of any relative motion in the telescope4 ,here we have proof that the driving clock was performing its duty well for the first half of totality2 and no one will have the hardihood to say that it altered its rate in the next minute and a-half4 ,in looking at ,no4 ,,iv4 photogram1 we see that a point of light is double4 ,now1 we will suppose this duplication was caused by the telescope receiving a smart blow2 then1 by drawing a line through the two positions of the same object1 we get the direction of the motion4 ,now1 look to the right and we see a protuberance with a triplicate form4 ,here1 then1 the telescope must have received two blows2 and by drawing a line along the top of the three figures1 we get the direction of the motion1 or disturbance2 and on looking at the different directions of the two motions1 we see that the telescope moved two ways at once1 and also1 that one part of the plate was disturbed once1 whilst another part of the same plate was disturbed twice--which is absurd2 and lastly1 ,mr4 ,vail who had not seen the photograms when he wrote his report1 gives a description of certain lines and cracks that are to be seen in the negatives when they are examined by a lens4 ,how is it possible to get over this8 ,here1 an ,american gentleman sees with a telescope exactly what is photographed4 ,but this is negative testimony2 ,i will now prove1 conclusively1 giving geometrical evidence1 that ,mr4 ,de la ,rue has made an egregious misstatement4 ,the reader will have it in his power to corroborate this testimony4 ,place a piece of paper behind the photograms ,,iii4 and ,,iv4 7taken in the principal focus71 and with a needle make holes in four or five different places1 taking care not to mark the bottom of a protuberance1 which is a notch1 but where you can see distinctly the limb of the moon2 then remove the paper and find the centre of three holes1 and draw a circle through them2 and if it passes over the other holes1 you have positive proof that the centre did not move during the exposure4 ,now1 look at the lithograph1 and you will see a circle drawn through five marks made upon the limb of the moon of ,no4 ,,iii41 and through four marks made upon the limb of the moon of ,no4 ,,iv4--,q4 ,e4 ,d4 ,photograph3 ,,iv4 ,having proved that the very remarkable photograms taken at ,jefferson are correct representations of the phenomena seen at that place1 ,i will proceed to describe the details of the four negatives that are to be seen when examined with a lens4 ,the moment the sun disappeared1 out flashed the corona1 which resembled an aurora1 and no doubt belongs to the sun1 and not to the moon4 ,no4 ,i4 shews the continuous mass of red matter with the flame-like appearance of the so-called ,ear of corn2 a little to the left are seen two detached red lumps1 like glowing coals2 and underneath is seen the slightest trace of a prominence that is to play a conspicuous part in the eclipse4 ,no4 ,,ii41 the limb of the moon1 is seen completely round1 and a little more is seen of the prominence underneath4 ,now1 it is time to remark that the flame-like mass in ,no4 ,i41 and the detached prominences in ,nos4 ,i4 and ,,ii41 appear to cut in upon the limb of the moon4 ,dr4 ,curtis1 after trying several experiments1 is firmly convinced that this appearance is entirely due to a photographic effect1 by excessive overexposure of the plates4 ,i have to remark1 that nothing was more conspicuous than the indentations of the glowing masses upon the limb of the moon4 ,remember that these protuberances were not dazzling lights1 but could be contemplated with the greatest comfort2 and the eye is so fastidious1 that in running round the limb of the moon1 it immediately detects the sudden break in the circumference4 ,but ,i have a theory1 and it is dangerous to trust the eye of a man with a theory1 without good support4 ,directly after the eclipse1 some of those outside joined us1 and the conversation was upon the extraordinary shooting-out of the prominence1 which they were all describing4 ,in the midst of the conversation1 a carpenter touched me on the arm1 and said3 ,but what were the notches on the moon8 ,now1 this is conclusive evidence1 and would be taken in any court of law4 ,remember1 the word notches1 7the language of a carpenter7 is his own1 and no other word do ,i think so applicable4 ,i answered that ,i did not know1 and that nothing puzzled me more4 ,on examining the negatives with a lens1 ,i saw the limb of the moon distinctly through the prominence2 and further1 that the part on the moon was a similar and inverted figure to the upper part1 and ,i was convinced that the notch was caused by reflection of the protuberance on the surface of the moon4 ,let ,b ,f be the height of the protuberance1 and ,l ,b the line of sight1 tangent to the point ,b1 and let the lines of sight1 both direct and reflected1 be considered parallel to each other2 now1 through the point ,d draw a tangent1 and let the incident ray1 ,f ,d1 and the reflected ray1 ,o ,d1 make equal angles with it2 then1 the exterior angle1 ,o ,d ,c1 is equal to the angles ,d ,,ac and ,a ,c ,d2 take away the right angles1 ,d and ,a1 and we have the remaining angles1 ,o ,d ,e and ,c1 equal2 and ,b ,a 7the depth of the notch7 is equal to the versine of the angle of reflection4 ,illustration3 ,fig #a1 ,fig #b1 ,fig #c ,in measuring the enlarged photogram1 ,b ,c was #a4hg inches1 and ,b ,f1 #j4jg inches2 and as ,b ,c1 the moon's semi-diameter on the #gth ,august1 subtended an angle of #af'4bi a4 ,let ,c ,f subtend an angle y4 #a4hg cot4 a ' ,then cotan4 y ------------- #ag4ed y4 #a4id #af4bi a4 ' ,angle subtended by protuberance #a4be4 ,as ,mr4 ,douglas had no one to help him in the dark room1 there was some delay in getting ,no4 ,,iii4 plate2 but whilst ,i was waiting for it1 out shot an enormous flame from the bright point before mentioned4 ,it shot out in about three seconds1 not unlike a jet of gas from a coal in the grate and when it reached its greatest height 7about one-third higher than that seen in photogram71 it was blown off to the left1 just like a flame acted on by a blow-pipe1 and came to a point4 ,the part blown off was a bright white flame4 7,see lithograph47 ,now1 as my veracity1 after ,mr4 ,de la ,rue's letter1 is doubtful1 and as this phenomenon was not seen any where else besides ,jefferson1 ,i must substantiate the fact1 ,mr4 ,falconer1 in his report to me1 gives a drawing which is very similar to fig4 ,no4 #b2 he says3 ,it assumed the shape of a red-hot crooked bar of iron2 this1 resting on the dazzling silvery coronal light1 gave a strange and wonderous addition to the glorious scene we now beheld4 ,but it was seen by all1 and can be attested to by hundreds4 ,when ,no4 ,,iii4 plate was ready1 it had lost about one-third of its height1 and its flame-like appearance4 ,when ,no4 ,,iii1 plate is examined with a lens1 all the lines that are shewn in fig4 #c are seen2 and here ,i must make an extract from the report of ,mr4 ,vail1 who was observing the eclipse with an excellent #db-;inch telescope1 by ,dolland1 and who made his report long before ,i had examined the negatives with a lens4 ,in speaking of this protuberance1 he says3 ,its outlines were perfectly well defined1 and were not curves1 but rather irregularly broken straight lines1 and throughout it seemed marked by similar lines4 ,it reminded me of the appearance one sometimes sees on the face of a cliff1 where the rock is broken by horizontal and vertical lines4 ,now1 it is most evident that ,mr4 ,vail saw with a telescope what ,i photographed2 and further1 it would be impossible to have these delicate lines in a photogram1 if there was any relative motion4 ,without entering into any discussion about what the protuberances are1 or are not1 ,i will only say that when the flame burnt out1 the residium was a cinder1 and which is shewn in photogram ,no4 ,,iii42 this quickly tumbled down into a great heap1 as seen in ,no4 ,,iv4 ,but the fault of the ,canadian party consists in not having photograms similar to those of the ,american astronomers1 which all more or less agree with each other4 ,this is extremely hard1 and although ,i congratulate those gentlemen on their well earned reputation1 still ,i trust that our photograms1 instead of contradicting one another1 will be found consistent4 ,i believe that ,jefferson ,city was the most westerly place where photograms of the eclipse were taken1 and directly totality finished with us1 it commenced at ,des ,moines1 so that the photograms taken there must be compared with ours4 ,there is a general belief that the protuberances do not change their form1 at least but slowly1 so it is of great consequence to substantiate my statement1 which is1 that whilst waiting for ,no4 ,,iii4 plate this protuberance shot out1 and when ,no4 ,,iii4 photogram was taken it had lost its flamelike appearance1 and about one-third its height4 ,no ,,iv4 photogram shews the great prominence much reduced in height and increased in breadth1 as if it had tumbled into a heap of burning matter4 ,i cannot say whether all prominences are formed by the shooting-out of a flame1 and then tumbling into a heap1 but ,i do say that the great protuberance was formed in that manner4 ,in looking at the ,des ,moines photogram1 taken near the end of the eclipse1 7,i don't mean the engraving17 you see a great heap1 not very unlike that seen in ,no4 ,,iv42 and ,dr4 ,curtis remarks that there is the same appearance of vast volumes of matter tossed up into an irregular heap by the ejecting force1 and sinking back again4 on all sides in long vertical rolls4 ,this is a very good description of what actually took place4 ,unfortunately1 the long exposure of sixty-six seconds gives a softened appearance1 and what should have appeared as a heap of cinders1 now looks like a fluid4 ,photographs3 ,,ii1 ,i1 ,,iv1 ,,iii ,i now come to the most remarkable photogram that has ever been taken of an eclipse4 ,no4 ,,iv4 was taken as near the limb of the sun as it is possible to take one1 for on shutting down the slide1 out burst the sun4 ,in this photogram you can see two luminous concentric bands running from ,a to ,e1 separated by a dark space1 or rather a dark band1 which takes its origin on a part of the protuberance ,a4 7,see fig4 #c47 ,these bands are crossed by numerous bright rays1 all parallel to themselves and to the protuberances ,a and ,e4 ,there are two bright beams1 and both1 together with the bright rays1 are divided by this dark band4 ,at ,e is seen the protuberance with a triplicate form1 and appears to be three parallel planes of light2 upon the upper one there appears a dark line1 similar to those seen upon fig4 #c4 ,now1 on looking at the ,des ,moines photogram1 you actually see the stumps of these three parallel planes2 could anything be more satisfactory8 ,i will leave it to others to discuss these various phenomena1 which will throw much light on the physical constitution of the sun1 but will recapitulate some of the facts deduced from our observations4 ,the corona belongs to the sun1 and not to the moon4 ,some of the protuberances are formed by the shooting of a flame1 which burns out1 leaving something that looks like a cinder1 which crumbles into a heap1 and then retains that form for some time2 that there are luminous gases that surround the sun in concentric strata divided by a non-luminous layer2 that the notches on the limb of the moon are the reflections of the upper part of the protuberances from the surface of the moon2 that at a great distance from the sun there is a violent current of gas in an opposite direction to the motion of the sun upon its axis2 that the light band surrounding the moon's limb in photograms of the partial eclipse1 may be caused by the reflection from the second or under side of the plate4 ,in conclusion1 ,i congratulate those gentlemen who so kindly assisted me on our complete success1 especially my dear friend and old ship-mate1 ,professor ,stephen ,alexander1 without whose assistance no ,canadian party would have been formed2 and also1 ,mr4 ,vail1 of ,philadelphia1 who kindly joined our party1 and whose annexed report gives such ample proof of the value of our negatives4 ,e4 ,d4 ,,ashe1 ,commander1 ,royal ,navy1 ,director ,observatory1 ,quebec4 ,june #bbnd1 #ahgj4 ,,report ,,of ,,mr4 ,,vail4 ,,boston1 ,august #ba1 #ahfi4 ,commander ,,ashe1 ,quebec ,observatory4 ,,dear ,,sir1--,i owe you an apology for not writing earlier1 and communicating my observations on the eclipse2 but since ,i parted from you at ,detroit1 ,i have been so constantly on the move1 as to seem to have no opportunity4 ,i will now state briefly a few phenomena that ,i noticed at the time of the eclipse1 most of which ,i think were communicated to you verbally before4 ,after the clouds that partially obscured the sari on the morning of the #gth had passed away1 ,i observed that though the atmosphere was hazy1 and the sky by no means blue1 there was an unusual stillness and freedom from agitation in the air1 so that the outlines of the spots on the sun were clearly defined in the small ,dolland telescope that ,i had under my charge1 and this satisfactory condition of the air for telescopic observation continued until after the end of totality4 ,the first contact was at #c;h4 #chm4 #ajs local time4 ,it was probably about #cs4 after this1 before you were notified that the eclipse had begun1 two or three seconds being lost in determining whether it was the limb of the moon1 indenting the edge of the sun1 or not4 ,your first photograph was therefore probably five or six seconds after the beginning4 ,the passage of the edge of the moon over the larger spot on the sun1 ,i noted as follows3-- ,h4 ,m4 ,s4 ,contact with the ,penumbra44444444444444444 #d #c #cd ,umbra44444444444444444444 #d #c #ef ,complete obscuration of ,umbra4444444444444 #d #d #cd ,the time both of the beginning and end of totality1 for reasons verbally stated to you1 ,i failed to note4 ,of the phenomena during totality1 those which ,i most noted were1 first1 the disappearance of the last rays of the sun in an irregular broken line of light1 succeeded at or near this point by a band or corona of a silvery white light almost as bright as the face of full moon4 ,this though much wider at this point than elsewhere1 was soon observed to extend in an entire ring around the dark body of the moon2 from this luminous ring1 rays of light seemed to shoot out at right angles on every side1 diverging as it were from the centre of it4 ,in some places they seemed to extend out nearly half the diameter of the moon from the bright ring2 in others1 not one fourth so far4 ,but the most remarkable appearance of all1 and that which attracted the attention of every one who witnessed the eclipse1 whether seen with the naked eye or with the telescope1 were the red protuberances that shot up immediately on the disappearance of the sun1 from various places1 on the edge of the moon2 their position your photograph will fix better than ,i describe4 ,the largest was on the lower edge of the moon1 and was by my estimate1 when highest1 not less than two minutes in altitude from the edge of the moon1 or about #ee1jjj miles4 ,its colour was a bright pinkish red1 its outlines were well defined1 and were not curves1 but rather irregularly-broken straight lines1 and throughout it seemed marked by similar lines4 ,it reminded me of the appearance one sometimes sees on the face of a cliff where the rock is broken by horizontal and vertical lines4 ,the same or nearly the same appearance would be presented if one were to view columnal basaltic rocks1 from a point where the rocks in the rear would rise above those in front4 ,i would therefore suggest whether these lines may not have a similar origin1 and each be the outline of a vast column of luminous matter thrown up above the atmosphere of the sun4 ,there was a constant fluctuation in the height of these coloured protuberances during the total eclipse2 the large one was the only one that was seen throughout the whole time1 and that remained visible for some time after the edge of the sun appeared4 ,the general phenomena1 such as the darkness1 the shining of the stars1 c1 ,i had less opportunity of noticing than yourself and others1 who were without a telescope1 and will therefore say nothing about them4 ,i have made no attempt to put my observations into any regular form1 but have hastily written such as ,i thought might be of use to you1 leaving it entirely to you to make any use of them4 ,very truly yours1 ,,hugh ,d4 ,,vail4 ,,mr4 ,,falconer',s ,,observations4 ,to ,captain ,,ashe1 ,r4,n41 c41 ,observatory1 ,quebec3 ,dear ,sir1--,as requested by you1 ,i now give you the results of such observations as were made by me on the #gth of ,august last1 during the progress of the eclipse4 ,the limbs of the moon could be clearly defined beyond the ,s4 and ,s4,e4 limbs of the sun4 ,shortly before totality1 there appeared on the sun's northern limb several watery-looking globules1 which merged into each other as they passed from ,west to ,east1 and then disappeared4 ,at this instant1 also1 appeared distinct long1 brilliant1 yellow1 rays of light1 running ,east and ,west1 and far away1 and as straight as if ruled2 others again ran ,north and ,south1 and reminded me of the glory ancient painters depict around the heads of ,saints4 ,on the ,southern limb appeared1 just at totality1 a large circular opening1 or ring of bright silvery light1 which assumed the shape of a red-hot crooked bar of iron4 ,this1 resting on the dazzling silvery coronal light1 gave a strange and wondrous addition to the glorious scene we now beheld4 ,several constellations shone brightly fourth1 and a star or two low down on the ,western horizon4 ,i must not omit the strange protuberances seen at this moment3 on the ,eastern side was one like a tongue bent upwards1 with streaks of a reddish hue2 the others the shape of knobs1 dark and colorless1 and rugged in outline4 ,i now come to the general appearance of the land and sky1 and the changes that took place over the vast prairie1 stretching far and wide1 upon which you had erected your observatory4 ,it was long before any appearance of gloom or darkness occurred1 not till #d;h4 #bim41 when a hazy gloom gradually spread over the broad expanse which surrounded us4 ,at #d;h4 #cdm4 was seen a dense cloud approaching from the ,n4,w4 and ,s4,w41 rolling along in its course and obscuring everything around4 ,indeed1 it had the appearance of a coming storm1 and seemed in part to issue from the prairie4 ,it did not reach or envelope the observatory4 ,in front of this was a lurid1 unearthly glare1 clear and bright1 of a greenish tinge2 the dense prairie grass around might have contributed to this effect4 ,presently1 when totality took place1 all became comparatively dark2 every tongue was hushed amongst the groups of persons who had come out on foot1 or were seated in their waggons1 from ,jefferson and the country around4 ,and what did they behold8 ,a wondrous sight6 ,at the moment of totality1 burst forth the beautiful coronal light of the brightness of burnished silver6 ,upon the ,southern portion of this ring of light1 rested that curved1 elongated protuberance1 of a fiery redness1 rendered more ruddy in contrast with the dazzling silvery light of the corona4 ,several constellations shone bright and clear2 several stars also were observed above the ,western horizon4 ,all these gave the scene a magnificence and grandeur4 ,wonder and admiration sat upon every face uplifted to the sky4 ,every voice was hushed4 ,sublime1 indeed1 was the scene presented4 ,in reverential awe the groups stood mute4 ,each one seemed to ponder within himself over the glorious scene in front of him4 ,presently1 the light of the sun suddenly bursts forth2 the clouds which covered the vast prairie lift1 and gradually roll away4 ,then along the ,western horizon are displayed long bright streaks of light1 as seen at the approach of coming day4 ,the purple hue upon the distant prairie vanishes4 ,the stars also disappear1 and the momentary night is turned into day6 ,a murmur is now heard1 and voices arise1 proclaiming the sublimity of the scene they had just witnessed1 one of the most wondrous and imposing sights presented to the human eye1 in the firmament of heaven6 ,the words of the ,psalmist involuntarily fell from the lips3 ',the heavens declare the glory of ,god1 and the firmament sheweth his handiwork4' ,at the approach of totality1 the station-master informed me his poultry quietly went to roost4 ,in ,jefferson ,city1 the swallows flew down upon the ground1 amidst the granite boulders1 and remained till the light returned1 when they arose and flew wildly about4 ,it remains only for me1 in conclusion1 to thank you and ,mr4 ,douglas for inviting me to join this highly-interesting expedition1 and to congratulate you and ,mr4 ,douglas upon the great success which attended your photographic operations4 ,i have to thank you for beholding the wondrous and vast prairies west of the ,mississippi4 ',haec olim meminisse juvabit4' ,i remain1 dear ,capt4 ,ashe1 yours very faithfully1 ,,alex4 ,,pytts ,,falconer4 ,,glenalla1 ,,quebec1 ,august #bhth1 #ahfi4