The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-13
THE ECLIPSE.
observations Mt Springfield, Ill.-Crnnd Sights
a Halo Around the MOOn-The Peculiar
Llkht-EIects on the AnimnI Crentinn.

uay made glad the hearts of thousands.
What has well been called one of the most
imposing spectacles of nature has been wit
messed under the most propitious clrcum-
stances. The city of Springfield, by reason
OF its favorable location in the very central
line of the eclipse, attracted numerous
visitors from all parts of the United
States, and even from Europe Pro-
fessor Peirce, of the Coast Survey, was
here with a corps of assistants and an i'm
posing array of instruments Numerous pho
tographs were successfully taken. and no
doubt many important telescope and spectre
scopic observations made which will be of
great value to astronomical science But while
these learned men, with their powerful
glasses, were investigating the chemical COM
position of the suns atmosphere and the
height of the mountains of the moon it may
not be uninteresting TO know what was seen
and what was not seen with the unaided eye
Of an unscientifc observer.
All descriptions of total eclipse of the
sun which / have read seemed indefinite
and unsatisfactory. l have no doubt the
following account will appear equally so to
others. But the fact is, the phenomenon is
so peculiar and 50 out of the line of all ordl-
nary experience that it is impossible with
words to convey an adequate idea of its
character.
Ny point of view, in common with hun
dreds of other observers, was the elevated
mound of the reservoir about a mile and a
half northeast of the State House, and but a
sholt distance from the station of the Coast
Survey. There are unfortunately no hills in
the vicinity of Springfield but the top of
the reservoir commands a fair view in all
directions and overloolls a stretch of several
miles of open prairie to the east and south.
Up to the time of nearly complete obscura-
tion there is of course nothing to distinguish
the appearance of total eclipse from that of
NIlir nor al A CnnC1Iln T1nlp11-
ton of light and a deepening blue in the
heavens are the only noticeable phenomena.
But as the crescent of light upon the eastern
edge of the sun grew smaller and smaller,
the general gloominess rapidly increased,
and the sky overhead, and particularly in
the northwest, became strangely dark and
foreboding. Now the crescent is but a
thread and as every eye watches eagerly
the small glisten and dazzle of expiring sun
light, it is suddenly transformed into an in
describably beautiful halo or corona wholly
surrounding the dark body of the moon,
and remaining there during the whole total
phase of the eclipse. This halo is not a band
of light as has been sometimes pictured and
described, but a white radiating glory bright
est next to the edge of the moon and gradu-
ally diminishing into a fine and almost imper-
ceptible nimbus at the distance of about the
moons diameter from the moon itself, and
bearing a striking resemblance to the light
which painters draw around the heads of
saints. Beyond this, however (and nearly or
quite in the directions of north, east, south,
and west), were four projecting beams or
pyramids of light, having their bases in the
principal corona, but shooting out far be-
yond
l said the corona formed suddenly. 1t did
not, however, become visible instantane-
ously, but the light of the corona began to
appear on the west edge of the moon before
the sunlight had absolutely disappeared on
the east edge-the whole transformation oc-
cupying perhaps two seconds of time. So
strange and beautiful was the appearance of
this bright corona, that eXclamations of sur
prise broke involuntarily from every lip. 1t
was the grandest sight of a lifetime. And as
it hung in the sky contrasted with the dark
ness of the earth and armament, feeling OF
awe and dread crept over the beholder The
wind which had been blowing quite a breeze
suddenly died away, and the stiffness added
to the impressiveness of the scene. | nc
longer wondered that the ignorant in times
gone by had viewed the same phenomena
with terror and dismay.
In regard to the degrees of darkness during
the total phase was somewhat disappointed
But few stars were visible. Venus was dis
tinctly seen by shutting off the light of thu
sun from the eye, five or ten minutes befOr
the beginning of the total observation, anC
shone out with great brilliancy after the SUM-
rays disappeared Mercury also snoue VIII
unexpected brightness Mars, in the south
shone dimly Saturn was too far in tn
southeast to be visible; at any rate l did no
see it, The only fixed stars l observed wer
ArcturusV over head, Lyra in the northeast
and Regulus about midway between Venu
and the sun. The first two of these tiXe
stars could be seen at glance. Regulu'
however, was dimly visible. Other stan
might perhaps have been seen by Garrett
searching.
There was no difficulty at any time durin
the total observation in reading ordinal
print. But the light did not come from IL
halo around the moon That gave but
small light compared with ordinary moonlgh
| could read as well with my back to II
eelipse as with the halo shining on the pape
The LIGHT came from the illuminated sky
tbe northeast and southwest horizons. ]
understand this it must be recolected tn
fine eclipse occurred at o'clock in the atte
noon. and that the cone of the moons shade
struck the earth obliquely, extending perha
twice as far from northwest to southeast as
did from northeast to southwest. Hence
either side of the path of the eclipse the su
LIGHT shone upon the atmosphere near enout
to be visible to us as q twilight, while IN t
height of totality the shadow reached so
ahead and back as to cut off all illuminate
in those directions This explains why
darkness was so deep overhead, and eXten
inc to the northwest and southeast, VIII
upon each side (that is to say III the norl
east and southwest) the horizon was OF
BRIGHT orange color, lighting up the eal
with. so to speak, two twilights. These "
liobts together gave so much more light tn