The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-04
HISTORICAL DATA.

Ol ECLIPSE; IL is JnOugnJ 10 DC tlle solar
eclipse of October Is, 2l27 b. G. Dates of
eclipses preserved in ancient history are of great
value in enabling astronomers to fix important
historic epochs. Thus, more than one point of
doubt in regard to the motions of the moon was
partly settled by the eclipse of Larissea, which
Nenophon mentioned in the Anabasis as follows
This city, Larissea, when besieged by the
king of Persia at the time when the Persians
were wrestling the kingdom from the Medes he
could not make himself master of it by any
means, when it happened that the sun, obscured
by cloud, disappeared; and the darkness con-
tinued till the inhabitants being seized with
CONSERVATION, the town was taken"
Other eclipses of note in history were those
predicted by Thales, 5S5 B. c.; that connected
with the expedition of Agathocles against Car
thage, B. c. 80; and an eclipse which helped to
decide the battle of Stiliastad, in the Scandina-
Wan annals, August 81 1890. In modern
times we have often heard of the panic terror of
Ignorant populations; and there are even stories
that in the eclipse of 1907 persons here and there
thought the Judgment Day was coming
Important points in Egyptian chronology
have been settled by references to the eclpses,
which were recorded in imperishable hero
glyphs by that nation of acute observers.
OId-time Eclipses.
The early English chronicles contain nume-
rous passages relating to eclipses. William of
Malmesbury thus refers to that of August 2, 1888.
which was considered a revelation of calamity to
Henry 1.-THE elements manifested their sor-
row at this great mans last departure. For the
sun on that day at the sixth hour shrouded his
glorious face as the poets say, in hideous dark
ness, agitating the hearts of men by an eclipse:
and on the sixth day of the week, early in the
morning, there was so great an earthquake that
the ground appeared absolutely TO sink down:
an hOrrid noise being first heard beneath the
surface" The same writer speaking of the
total eclipse of March 90 1140 says:-"During
this year. in Lent on the 18th of the kaends of
April ut the ninth hour of the fourth day. of the
week, there was an eclipse throughout England
as have heard: with us, indeed and with all
our neighbors, the ObscuratiOn of the sun also
was so remarkable, that persons sitting at table,
as 1t then happened almost everywhere, for it was
Lent, at first feared that chaos was come again.
Afterwards learning the cause, they went out
and beheld the stars around the sun. 1t was
thought and said by many, not untruly, that the
King (Stephen) would not continue year in the
government"
Columbus made use of an eclipse of
the moon-whch was probably his only
means of determining his longitude, and
so the distance of America from Europe
which took place March l, 1894, to relieve his
fleet, which was greatly distressed for want of
provisions. As a punishment to the islanders of
Jamaica, he threatened to deprive them of the
light of the moon. At first they were Indifferent
to his threats but when the eclipse actually
commenced, the barbarians We'd with each other
in the production of the necessary supplies for
the Spanish fleet.
The total eclipse which occurred in England
on june II, 1888, was long remembered under
the name of the "Black Hour" that of 1898 was
equally imprinted on the memories of the pea
santry, and called to mind as the "Blacll Satur-
day;' while the total eclipse of 1862 is recorded
in Scotland by the name of 'Mrk Monday"
According to the testimony of DR.. HALEY to the
Royal Society on the eclipse of 17l5. the titles
were not misapplied. He says:-'I forbear to
mention the chill and damp which attended the
darkness of this eclipse, of which most specta-
tors were sensible, and equally Judges. Nor
shall l trouble you with the concern that ap-
peared in all sorts of animals, birds beasts and
fishes, upon the extinction of the sun since our-
selves could not behold it without some sense of
horror"
The Eclipse of IS96-A Graphic Description by
james FenimOre Cooper.
The interesting phenomena of the eclipse of
1906 are thus described by j. Fenimore Cooperin
nlentertaining whichwi be first published
in Putndm'S Magazine for September
When left the courthouse a sombre. vel
lowlsh, unnatural coloring was shed over the
country. A great change had taken place. The
trees on the distant heights had lost their YER
dure and their airy characters. they were takino
lhe outlines OF dark pictures craven upon an
unfamiliar sky. The lake wore a lurid asnect
very unusual. All living creatures seemed
thrown into state of agitation. The birds
were tuttering to and fro, in great excitement:
lhey seemed to mistrust that this was not the
gIaauai approach OF evening" and were unde-
clded in their movements. Even the dogs
honest creatures, became uneasy and drew
closer to their masters The eager look of in
terest and curiosity, which earlier i'm the morn
ing had appeared in almost every countenance
was now changed TO an expression of wonder or
anxiety or thoughtfulness according to the in
dividual character
=. every house now gave up its tenants. As the
HGht Ihled more and more with every passing
second, the children came hOcking about their
mot1ers In terror. The women themselves were
looking about uneasily for their husbands. The
american wife is more apt than any other to
turn with atfectionate confidence to the stronger
arm arm tor support The men were very generally
silent and grave. Many laborer left his en-
ployment to be near his wife and children, as
lhe dlmness and darkness increased.
once more took my position beside my father
'.nu @ my oI0Iners, before the gates OF our own
grounds The sun lay little oblquely to the
south and east in the most favorable position
possible Tor observation. | remember to have
examined, in vain, the whole dusky canopy in
search OF single cloud. 1t was one of those
eGhtlrely nnclouded days, less rare in America
lLlah @ III Europe. The steadily waning light, the
SIuuual approach of darkness, became the more
Impressive as we observed this absolutely trans
parent p state of the heavens. The birds, which
quarter OF an hour earlier had been tuttering
ABOUT % IN great agitation, seemed now con nVlnced
n lnaI hight i was at hand. Swallows were dlmly