The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-08-16

ers of heaven shall be shaken.''
The EcIipse---An Experiment to de-
eide the Scientific Question whether
Chickens go to Roost during an
Ecfipse---"F. G.. W." goes to Spring
field and makes Observations with
n Game-Cock---ResuIt.
The correspondent Of the Chicago Jour-
nal heard that in an eclipse the chickens
90 to roost when darkness appears, and the
roosters crow when daylight returns. He
concluded to test the matter. He writes:
will be wiser tonight than was this
morning; and if q look through the tele-
scope cannot be had, can buy rooster,
and take observations from him. 4 chicken
fancier is soon found, and deposit of
| thirty-fve cents secures the use of his game
cock g General Grant" He is fine bird,
| thoroughbred, head erect, beautiful plu-
| mage-the victor of many o hard-fought
battle, and loser of none. He is also aged,
and goes to sleep very easy; is also very
tame, and pays but little attention to what
goes on about him. 1 was happy as fast
encd him to the corner of the fence
with string, after arranging comfortable
roost for him and n seat for myself on the
fence near the Observatory, from where I
could watch his every movement and note
the exact time when he mounted the roost
and when he heralded the return Of day
light. At first he seemed uneasy, and I re-
GREETED not leaving him at home among his
associates Soon, however, he struts about
like well-bred rooster, and commences
picking up the pebbles from the ground,
and | am encouraged. His eyes show in
telligence, and imagine he begins to real
ze the important part he is playing with
the great eclipse of 1869. a crack in the
fence allows him to jump outside the field:
and am obliged to stop it up, so as to OBJ
serve him more closely. The crowd is
pressing through the gate near by, which
disturbs his lIighncss, and he shows his in
dignation by frequent cuck-a-caws." BY
the aid Of small boy, however, we keep
him composed, and l take courage. Surely
he will behave in manner becoming his
present dignifed position.
At 4 o'clock the suns face is about
half obscured by the moon, and the at
mosphere presents hazy, sombre appear
ance. The walks around the western slope
of the reservoir are crowded with thousands
of ladies and gentlemen looking " through
| IluSS ddIhlS. MY ldltlll vi IUOclcl slIulS.
and little imagines how soon darkness will
cover the face Of the earth. \ small boy
peers through fence and asks me " If the
people came here to see q cOck-fght, and if
| | don't look out my rooster will get whip
ped" Cut-a-caw," says General Grant
in rcbuke of this silly remark. At exactly
1855 the sun is thrce-fourths obscured, and
darkness begins to appear, but still my
rooster struts. \ gentleman in a buggy
near by says my rooster is getting ready to
roost, Us he has stopped eating and begins
to look hcarcnwad. This, however, |
think, is simply following the example Of
the people ali around him.
Three minutes before 5 o'clock not more
than onc-cighth Of the suns face is visi
bic, and my rooster has certainly stop
ped eating, preparatory to going to roost.
How wonderfully grand as the total
eclipse approaches. The situation is pccu-
liarly impressive, and my rooster is surely
getting ready to 20 to roost.
At ten minutes after 5 o'clock the SUMS
face is entirely obscured. Three stars ap
pear, and for two minutes exactly by my
watch the scene is awfully grand and i'm
| prcssive. Ny rooster retires to the fence
corner, shuts his eyes, but seems to have
no idea Of flying on the roost. For the mo-
ment am entirely obliyious to my rooster,
| and watch with intense interest the scene
| around me- Silence reigns supreme; the
| thousands around me are quiet as the grave,
and speak only in whispers. To attempt
anv description of the scene would be use
less. No pen could picture the sensation
that fills the thousands of people who are
impressed to perfect stiffness. Mercury
and Mars appear in rear of the sun. The
gentlemen at the telescopes and photograph
ing apparatus arc busy, and all is breath
| less quictness. The cause OF science is ad-
vanced by cloudless sky and favorable
| weather for making observations.
The photographers are getting some we'll
executed impressions, but my obscrva-
tions are not to be successful. / ap-
proach my rooster, and hope to induce him
| to go to roost Surely he will not decline
| now. He is master of the situation, how
ever, and although evidently drowsy, and
thinks it bedtime, yet stubbornly refuses
| to 90 to roost. One minute passes, and only
single moment of darkness remains, ac-
cording to astronomical observations. You
must be busy, General" if you get to
roost beforcmorning. Count the seconds as
they pass, and pray for chicken tongue to
| ask what he is waiting for. Thirty seconds
more, and still he remains quiet in the
fence-corner. Thirty seconds more are
ticked into the past, and then the other
side of the suns face is visible, and day
light appears. My rooster picks up his
head, and | am waiting to hear him crow,
but he is evidently not in Il growing mood,
and soon goes to picking up food from the
grass around me.
MY observations are a failure, and the
world is not yet enlightened on this i'm
| portant fact. am told that about the city
the chickens actually did go to roost, but of
this | cannot say with certainty. My
rooster did not, neither did he crow, and |
returned him to his owner. He may be
success as game-cock, but for the cause Of
science is not. In fact, I incline to the
opinion that spring chickens are better
both for domestic and scientific purposes,
and at the next eclipse l shall not try
game-cock. They are too intelligent, and
cannot be fooled to any such device. Sadly
| return the General " to his owner and
coop. The boy asked me how he answered
my purposes. Not at ALL: said l, g he
cannot be coaxed to roost.'' "To roost"
exclaimed the boy; he don't 20 to roost-
too DID," ''How does he Sleep" said |.
"Why, he squats. 1t would take morc'n
forty eclipses to get that rooster to fly on
roost.'
Whether this was spoken in jest or
not, l am unable to say but | am certain
that he " squatted " AL the time during the
total eclipse of August 7, 1869, and when
| rext T attemnt m observation Of this kind