by David Baron
172 sponsored by the Chicago Astronomical Society: Its activities were recounted in Denver dailies and in Chicago Astronomical Society (1878).
172 A rival team of Chicago astronomers: Chicago Times, Aug. 3, 1878, pp. 1–2. For background on the rivalry, see The Chicago Daily Tribune, July 23, 1878, p. 8; Chicago Times, July 25, 1878, p. 4.
172 evacuated the night before: Cleveland Abbe wrote of his evacuation from the summit and his activities at the Lake House in C. Abbe (1881:24, 43, 46–48) and Daily Gazette (Colorado Springs), Aug. 7, 1878, p. 4 [reprinted in Weekly Gazette (Colorado Springs), Aug. 10, 1878, p. 5].
173 “My Dear General”: Abbe to Myer, July 29, 1878 [WB NC-3, Entry 7, Box 359, Item 2054; also in C. Abbe (1881:31), with slight changes to wording and punctuation].
173 “[A]t last we were among the favored”: Georgetown Courier, Aug. 1, 1878, p. 3.
174 “Here ye are now”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 10.
174 “Portly bankers about to start for home”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 10.
CHAPTER 15: FIRST CONTACT
175 2:03:16.4 to 3:13:34.2 P.M.: Time of first contact as observed by Simon Newcomb, that of second contact as reported by C. G. Bowman, both in USNO (1880:108).
175 2:19:30.5 to 3:29:03.5 P.M.: Times of first and second contact as reported by Elias Colbert of the Chicago Astronomical Society party, Chicago Daily Tribune, July 30, 1878, p. 1.
175 the moment he saw the moon kiss the sun: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3.
175 By now a crowd had gathered: Among the onlookers was Ed Dickinson, division superintendent of the Union Pacific Railroad, who had graciously served as tour guide for the Draper party and was now joined by his family, from Laramie; see Omaha Daily Bee, July 29, 1878, p. 4.
176 Soldiers from Fort Steele placed sections: USNO (1880:111, 115, 118).
176 Culbertson’s nerves got the better of her: Footnote by Phebe Mitchell Kendall appended to Maria Mitchell’s account of events, in Kendall (1896:230). Mitchell does not identify the members of her party by name, but she does disclose their home states, which reveals which participant played which role on eclipse day.
176 “Between first contact and totality”: MMM Reel 4, Item 33. Transcribed in Kendall (1896:230).
177 two young men, who constructed a kind of easel: C. Abbe (1881:46) and Daily Gazette (Colorado Springs), Aug. 7, 1878, p. 4 [reprinted in Weekly Gazette (Colorado Springs), Aug. 10, 1878, p. 5].
177 dozens of tourists had arrived: Mary Rose Smith penned an extended account of her group’s activities on the peak for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 8, which provides many of the details here. A brief report by a member of a second group of tourists is in Illinois Daily State Journal (Springfield), Aug. 2, 1878, p. 1.
177 “no one not of the service”: Daily Rocky Mountain News (Denver), July 2, 1878, p. 4.
177 Mrs. Smith and her small party took a seat: Official reports by Mary Rose Smith (Mrs. Aubrey H. Smith) and two other members of the party, Edward Hatch and Charles B. Lamborn, are in C. Abbe (1881:39–41). Lamborn also shared his recollections in The Daily Gazette (Colorado Springs), July 31, 1878, p. 4 [reprinted in Press (Philadelphia), Aug. 6, 1878, p. 8].
178 It squatted and grinned: Smith’s published report in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 8, reads that the marmot “squalled” and grinned, an apparent typo. A clipping of this article submitted to Cleveland Abbe has been corrected—presumably by Smith herself—to read “squatted” and grinned [WB NC-3, Entry 7, Box 359, Item 2054].
178 painting the shape of a sickle: Daily Rocky Mountain News (Denver), July 30, 1878, p. 4.
179 “a gorgeous appearance”: Boulder County Courier, Aug. 2, 1878, p. 3.
179 called for a second jacket: Ryan (1879:30).
179 wrapped themselves in cloaks and blankets: Boulder County News, Aug. 2, 1878, p. 3.
179 “a very dark warm blue”: Penrose (1878a:189).
179 “strange, weird, grey light”: Standard (London), Aug. 16, 1878, p. 2.
179 “The light of the sun grew pale”: Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 8.
179 “which was shining brightly”: Ranyard (1881:219).
180 owls emerged: Daily Rocky Mountain News (Denver), Aug. 1, 1878, p. 4.
180 “all the cocks in the city”: C. Abbe (1881:80).
180 cows turned homeward: St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 30, 1878, p. 1; Colorado Miner (Georgetown), Aug. 3, 1878, p. 1.
180 pigeons went to roost: Denver Daily Tribune, July 30, 1878, p. 4; New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3; Colorado Weekly Chieftain (Pueblo), Aug. 1, 1878, p. 3.
180 Grasshoppers folded their wings: Cheyenne Daily Leader, Aug. 3, 1878, p. 4; Colorado Transcript (Golden), Aug. 14, 1878, p. 3; C. Abbe (1881:80).
180 the mayor stationed a police officer: Chicago Astronomical Society (1878:13).
180 “that if, during the totality”: Laramie Daily Sentinel, July 30, 1878, p. 4.
180 “The only place of disorder”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3.
180 began sweeping the heavens: USNO (1880:119), Watson (1878a:230–31).
181 “The light seemed no longer”: USNO (1880:104).
181 “They coursed after each other”: USNO (1880:152). Other accounts of shadow bands (sometimes called diffraction bands) can be found in USNO (1880:172, 176, 222, 224), Young (1878a:285).
181 “children ran after it”: Airy (1851:65).
181 the same that makes stars twinkle: Zirker (1995:129–32).
181 “visible wind”: Todd (1894:28).
182 explained by British astronomer Francis Baily: Baily (1836).
CHAPTER 16: TOTALITY
183 3:13:34.2 to 3:16:24.2 P.M.: Times of second and third contact as observed by C. G. Bowman, in USNO (1880:108).
183 3:29:03.5 to 3:31:44.0 P.M.: Times of second and third contact as reported by Elias Colbert of the Chicago Astronomical Society party, Chicago Daily Tribune, July 30, 1878, p. 1.
183 “I was once held in a drowning condition”: Copernicus (1869:112).
183 “The next morning, at the instant”: Arago (1858:362).
184 “In fact, the general scene”: Smyth (1853:504–5).
184 “darkness was like that of deep twilight”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3.
184 that job fell to Anna Draper: Barker (1878:112); Cheyenne Daily Leader, July 31, 1878, p. 4. Years later, Cannon (1915a:381) wrote that Anna Draper had been assigned “to count the seconds during the eclipse and lest the vision might unnerve her, she was put within a tent and therefore saw nothing at all of the wonderful phenomenon.” The claim, however, seems exaggerated. The Draper party possessed no tent, and in a letter penned in late 1878, Henry Draper suggested that his wife had gleaned at least “general impressions” of the eclipse despite her counting the seconds [Draper to Abbe, Dec. 7, 1878, CAP-JHU Box 1]. Anna Draper’s assistance during the transit of Mercury is described in the New-York Tribune, May 7, 1878, p. 5.
184 gave the duty to R. C. Lehmann: R. C. Lehmann’s travel diary, entry for July 29, 1878 [LFP Box 132, Folder 2].
184 Bisbee hammered against the round cover: USNO (1880:112).
185 hid the brighter, inner corona behind a circular screen: USNO (1880:103–4). Newcomb had tried the same technique during the 1869 eclipse in Des Moines but failed to execute the plan properly; see Newcomb (1869), Sands (1870:7–9).
185 John W. Hoyt: USNO (1880:103); H. S. Miller (1970:167–69); Scientific American Supplement, July 22, 1876, p. 469.
186 “Was disappointed in not finding”: Newcomb diary, entry for Aug. 7, 1869 [SNP Box 1].
186 announced the elapsed time. Ten seconds: Exactly what Bisbee announced on every tenth beat is not clear. At this point in his counting, he may merely have said “ten,” not “ten seconds.” See more at USNO (1880:103).
186 Watson pointed his telescope at the sun: For details of Watson’s sweep for Vulcan, see Watson (1878a), USNO (1880:119–20).
187 “The most singular thing”: Airy (1852:32).
187 “Totality had brought with it”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3. See also Fox (1879:452), USNO (1880:376).
187 phototelespectroscope: Draper (1878b); New-York Times, Aug. 8, 1878, p. 5.
187 “The amount of light”: Barker (1878:111).
187 “were in excellent working order”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3.
187 a gap finer than the breadth of a hair: Daily Graphic (New York), July 19, 1878, p. 1 (vol. 17, p. 121).
187 Watson was making his fifth sweep: Watson to John Rodgers, Aug. 13, 1878 [original in USNO-NA Entry 18, Box 8; published in Astronomische Nachrichten 93 (11), Sept. 22, 1878, pp. 161–64]; also Chicago Times, Aug. 6, 1878, p. 5.
188 At almost the same moment: Watson wrote that he found his mysterious object “about a minute before the end of the total eclipse” [Detroit Post and Tribune, Aug. 8, 1878, p. 1]. Edwin Marshall Fox noted that Edison finally concentrated the sun’s rays on the rubber strip of his tasimeter “just as the chronometer indicated that but one minute remained of total eclipse” [New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3].
188 it shot off the scale entirely: Edison (1879:54); New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3; World (New York), Aug. 27, 1878, p. 1 [TAED SB032075a]; Daily Graphic (New York), Aug. 28, 1878, p. 3 (vol. 17, p. 399) [TAED MBSB10858].
188 Edison was “in ecstasies”: Standard (London), Aug. 16, 1878, p. 2. A colorful story, told in later years, claimed that Edison’s observations had been disrupted by chickens returning to the henhouse as darkness set in, but this tale appears apocryphal; see Eddy (1972:176–78).
189 “It is of course now”: USNO (1880:105).
190 “Those who have seen a locomotive approach . . .”: Scientific American, July 27, 1878, p. 49. The original quotation, in French, is in Forbes (1843:367).
190 “a solid, palpable body”: C. Abbe (1881:41). Also in Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 8.
190 “an angry black cloud”: C. Abbe (1881:39).
190 “cheer after cheer echoed”: Denver Daily Tribune, Aug. 2, 1878, p. 4.
190 “[W]hen the total obscuration was reached”: Chicago Times, Aug. 3, 1878, p. 1.
190 “It permeated everything”: Chicago Times, Aug. 3, 1878, p. 2.
190 Perceptions of the corona are remarkably subjective: See, e.g., USNO (1880:288): “Drawings of the corona made by different persons frequently bear so little resemblance to each other that it is difficult to believe them representations of the same thing. Even in the plainest details there are almost incredible differences of position and direction.” Also Upton (1879:64): “It is singular that the corona should appear so differently to different observers, even if they are at the same station and view it under similar conditions.”
191 members of the class could not agree: Chicago Astronomical Society (1878:11).
192 “If I have the good fortune”: Ranyard (1881:235). See also Chicago Times, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 3.
192 The women saw Mercury, Mars, and Venus: Kendall (1896:232) [original in MMM Reel 4, Item 33]; Scientific American, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 113.
192 “an attraction to the gaping”: Inter Ocean (Chicago), July 30, 1878, p. 1.
192 “[W]omen of low and high degree”: Cincinnati Commercial, Aug. 16, 1878, Supplement, p. 1. See also Woman’s Journal, Aug. 17, 1878, p. 257.
193 joined by Denver’s bishop: Ryan (1879:29–30).
193 “Women are not needed as men”: Machebeuf (1877:8).
195 “I became perfectly convinced”: C. Abbe (1881:47). See also Daily Gazette (Colorado Springs), Aug. 7, 1878, p. 4 [reprinted in Weekly Gazette (Colorado Springs), Aug. 10, 1878, p. 5].
195 “No red color in corona”: C. Abbe (1881:35).
195 used an improvised photometer: USNO (1880:211–15).
195 sketching the corona while viewing it with the naked eye: USNO (1880:207–8).
195 a secret wish—“to see the eclipse”: Langley to Abbe, June 17, 1878 [CAP-LOC Box 8].
195 “I once experienced an earthquake”: Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette, Aug. 13, 1878, p. 1.
195 Samuel Langley cried “over”: C. Abbe (1881:39).
196 “Then every tongue was unloosed”: Colorado Miner (Georgetown), Aug. 3, 1878, p. 1.
196 “The shadow! The shadow!”: MMM Reel 4, Item 33. Transcribed in Kendall (1896:231–32).
196 “looked like a black carpet”: Freeman (1937:492).
196 “a rounded ball of darkness”: USNO (1880:216).
CHAPTER 17: AMERICAN GENIUS
197 “[T]here were thousands of ignorant people”: St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Aug. 6, 1878, p. 5.
197 Chicago, Boston, Salt Lake City: Sunday Telegraph (Chicago), Aug. 18, 1878, p. 3; Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug. 19, 1878, p. 5; Boston Daily Globe, Aug. 15, 1878, p. 2; Boston Post, Aug. 15, 1878, p. 4; Salt Lake Daily Tribune, Aug. 28, 1878, p. 1.
198 “Professor Watson Finds Vulcan”: Laramie Daily Sentinel, July 30, 1878, p. 4.
198 “A new planet discovered”: Sioux City Daily Journal, Aug. 2, 1878, p. 4.
198 “[L]ittle doubt remains”: Daily News (London), Aug. 20, 1878, p. 6 [also in Nature 18 (460), Aug. 22, 1878, p. 432]. Also see Lockyer interview in Washington Post, Aug. 9, 1878, p. 1.
198 in private conversation, questioned Watson’s discovery: S. W. Burnham to Edward S. Holden, Aug. 12, 1878 [USNO-NA Entry 18, Box 8]: “I wonder if Watson really saw anything but a star.” Holden to C. H. F. Peters, Aug. 31, 1878 [CHFPP Box 0000.123.2.3]: “I talked with Watson—he seems confident of his observation, but I can’t help thinking he might have mistaken a star for his planet.” Watson quoted in Chicago Times, Aug. 6, 1878, p. 5: “Some of the other astronomers out in the mountains were skeptical as to my discovery, although most of them have since become convinced.”
198 “a thoroughly competent and trustworthy observer”: Boston Daily Advertiser, July 31, 1878, p. 2.
198 “the most noted astronomical observer”: Laramie Daily Sentinel, July 30, 1878, p. 4.
198 “He is the Edison of astronomy”: Cheyenne Weekly Leader, Oct. 3, 1878, p. 4.
198 “What were the circumstances”: Chicago Times, Aug. 6, 1878, p. 5.
199 a handicap—called a discount: Phelan (1858:68).
199 “The success of this party”: Sun (New York), Aug. 4, 1878, p. 2.
199 “Recently, here in our midst”: Daily Rocky Mountain News (Denver), Aug. 4, 1878, p. 2.
199 “the most distinguished lady astronomer of the age”: Daily Rocky Mountain News (Denver), July 28, 1878, p. 1.
200 “when [the king] found that she was doing”: This quotation comes from a previous lecture [New-York Tribune, Jan. 15, 1873, p. 4], but Mitchell likely made a similar remark in Denver. For more on Caroline Herschel, see Hoskin (2011).
200 “were as peculiar and as plainly marked”: Daily Rocky Mountain News (Denver), July 31, 1878, p. 4. She made the same points, using similar language, in M. Mitchell (1889:908).
200 an elaborate flower arrangement: Denver Daily Tribune, July 31, 1878, p. 4; Denver Daily Times, July 31, 1878, p. 4.
200 symbolizing sunrise through the pall: Ellis (1961:17).
201 “The observation of the eclipse”: New York Herald, July 30, 1878, p. 3.
201 “Edison’s experiments with the tasimeter”: New-York Times, July 30, 1878, p. 5.
201 “Edison’s trip to the west”: Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), Aug. 1, 1878, p. 2.
201 “His plan is to adjust his tasimeter”: New York Herald, Aug. 1, 1878, p. 7.
202 Scientific American praised the concept: Scientific American, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 112 [TAED MBSB10830X].
202 “The meeting here, will I fear”: Newcomb to his wife, Aug. 21, 1878 [SNP Box 9].
202 “Edison is undoubtedly the ‘big gun’ ”: St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 2.
203 “I haven’t written the paper yet”: St. Louis Evening Post, Aug. 22, 1878, p. 4. George Barker helped E
dison prepare for the talk. See Barker to Edison, July 12, 1878 [TAED D7802ZSG; also in TAEB vol. 4, p. 393], and lecture notes in Barker’s handwriting, Aug. 20, 1878 [TAED D7835L].
203 “I believe that is all”: Missouri Republican (St. Louis), Aug. 24, 1878, p. 5.
203 “reflected glory upon the progressive genius”: St. Louis Evening Post, Aug. 23, 1878, p. 1.
203 THE GREAT EDISON. THE SCIENTISTS WELCOME HIM: Boston Post, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 2. For more on Edison’s attendance at AAAS, see Missouri Republican (St. Louis), Aug. 23, 1878, p. 8; St. Louis Evening Post, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 3; New-York Tribune, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 2 [TAED SB032055c; also in TAEB vol. 4, pp. 439–41]; Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 3; Cincinnati Daily Gazette, Aug. 24, 1878, p. 1; Sunday Telegraph (Chicago), Aug. 25, 1878, p. 5 [TAED SB032088c]; New-York Tribune, Aug. 26, 1878, p. 5; AAAS (1879).
203 “Why, Dot, is that you?”: World (New York), Aug. 27, 1878, p. 1 [TAED SB032075a].
203 Several journalists had come: Daily Graphic (New York), Aug. 28, 1878, p. 3 (vol. 17, p. 399) [TAED MBSB10858]; Sun (New York), Aug. 29, 1878, p. 3 [TAED SB032060a]; New York Herald, Aug. 29, 1878, p. 4 [TAED SB032059a].
203 “Did you get any new ideas”: World (New York), Aug. 27, 1878, p. 1 [TAED SB032075a].
CHAPTER 18: GHOSTS
207 the era that created the America we recognize: Nevins (1927), Goldfield (2011).
207 outperforming Britain, France, and Germany: Bairoch (1982:296).
207 “It must be acknowledged that”: Tocqueville (1863:40).
208 “In other intellectual nations”: Newcomb (1876:118).
208 “It is good for our general culture”: Christian Union, April 17, 1878, p. 328.
208 “When the time of our late eclipse”: Inter Ocean (Chicago), Dec. 2, 1878, p. 2; also in Swing (1889:19–21). More at Newton (1909).
209 “Colorado has . . . furnished”: Colorado Banner (Boulder), Aug. 1, 1878, p. 1.
209 “It is thought that the results”: John Rodgers to R. W. Thompson, Dec. 12, 1878 [USNO-NA Entry 2, vol. 3, p. 567].
209 General Myer assigned Cleveland Abbe: Myer issued his order on Aug. 13, 1878 [WB NC-3, Entry 43, vol. 6, p. 187].