Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-11-07
Tie Eclipse Of the MoOa seen IRON
Above the ClundQ.

From the r1rgia,a Nee E..s1rieJ
Beng determined net to lose the grand sight
account Of the snow storm which prevailed. we
made the ascent of Mount Davidson, in order
to get above the clouds. Accompanied by half
dozen friends, we left tho city about eight
O'Clock in the evening, and, pressing upward
through the Installing snow and through the
dense cloud mass which we entered oa the
upper slopes OF the mountain, at 10 O'Clock
reached the to- most peak aud stood above the
cloud and storm. Il was one OF the grsndest
sights ever witnessed by mortals. As far as the
eye could reach, on all sides, stretched level
OF clouds. All the surrounding mountains were
shut Out-all of the lower world was hidden; al
but the extreme point of the peak on which We
stood, little island some fifty feet in circumfer
ence, measuring from the flagstaff in the center.
Above, the full moon shone In full splendor,
and all over the heavens the stars twinkled
brightly. The air was frosty, but We were
provided with blankets, ovsrcosts and mu fllers.
For some moments, after rising out of the sea
of clouds in which We had so long been envel-
oped, our little party stood at the foot of che
flagstaff and gazed in speeches. awe. 1t almost
seemed Tat we bad left the world. Our little
island seemed all that remained of the earth.
Hundreds of miles, on all sides, as it appeared
to us, stretched a smooth aud level sea OF pearl.
In tie distance this was motionless, but nearer
it all seemed moving slowly and majesticalIy
nom we1t to east, while, at the same time,
pecnliar swaying mp aud DOWN was seen it
passed along. On ana slsng the crests OF these
cloud-wsves. or rather cloud sEells, were seen
TO run and family flicker such tints rs we some
times zee in mother oi-pesrl. All this was very
beautiful, but with il was a sense of isolation
from the world, a feeling of loneliness that was
most depressing But a the moon began TO en-
ter the penumbra there were so many AMI such
sudden and wonderful changes in sll about us
that our loneliness and littleness were forgotten
The sea about Us, which before had Shown only
the tints Of the pearl, now took on tue hue OF
amber, but still foated on and sw8yed u . and
down as had the sea of pearl AS the ohscura-
ton progressed the more distant portions of the
clOud-sea changed in hue from amber 10 brown
and this to black, gradually closing in upon n
from 81 sides. In our immediate vicinity all
had changedfr from amber to deep burnt sienna
tinge. So deep and decided was this tint that at
one time il seemed 10 peryade the atmosphere;
our clothing partook OF 1t, and the tall flag staff
around which We stood looked like q great rod
ofrusty iron. During this stage q heavy breeze
sprung up, and the swells in the soa about US
rose higher waves thsD before. At times these
rose several feet above our heads, and (the
eclipse being then nearly total) We were some
times for minutes lett in midnight darkness;
and but for the lanterns we had carried In com
ing up the mountain, and which were stand
ing on the ground near by, we could not
have seen our hands when held before
our faces. But these waves of darkness
seldom lasted for more than two or three
minutes, and We had, from first TO last q
most magnificent view of the eclipse. 1t is
probable that total eclipse of the moon has
never before been obse. we'd under precisely
such CT cumstances as was this last night by our
little party. As the eclipse passed Oft, about
the same phenomena were observed above ami
ABOUT us as I'D its coming on. We left the ton
OF the peak, however, while fully half the face
of the moon was still obscured. Taking a last
lingering look at all about us, observing that our
sea was again assuming the hue of amber and
that the horizon was widening in all directions,
as the light spread abroad and drove back the
bro~n and the black, we plunged down into the
thick cloud-stratum and, guided by the light of
our lanterns, made the best of eur way down
huge gorge IN the face of the mountain and
back to the city. Strange as IL NAV appear we
found 1t much warmer in the midst of the clouds
and snow than above on the peak of the noun
tain: Not one of our party will ever forget this
total eclipse of the moon, as seen from old
mount DaVidson's topmost peak, 5000 feet
above the level of the sea,