The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-11-19
SEEING THE ECLIPSE.

HOW PARTY CT NEvADIANs WENT UP
ABOVE THE CLOUDS, AND VIEWED THE
GRAND SPECTACLE FROM THE NOUN
TAIN TOP.
From the Virginia City CNov.) Enterprise,
Oct. IS.
Being determined not to lose the
grand sight of the total eclipse of the
moon last night, on account of the snow
storm which prevailed, we made the
ascent of Mount Davidson, in order to
get above the clouds. Accompanied by
half-a- dozen friends, we left about 8
o'clock in the evening, and pressing
upward through the falling snow, and
through the dense cloud-mass which we
entered on the upper slopes of the
mountain, at 10 O'clock we reached the
topmost peak, and stood above the
clouds and storm. It was one of the
grandest sights ever witnessed by mortals.
AS far as the eye could reach, on all
Sides stretched level sea of clouds.
All the surrounding mountains were shut
out - all of the lower world was hidden,
all but the extreme point of the peak
on which we stood, little island some
fifty feet in circumference, measuring
from the flagstaff in the center. Above
the full moon shown in full splendorand
in all quarters of the heavens the stars
tWinkled bright. The air was keen and
frosty, but We were provided with
blan kets, over coats, and mufFIers. For
some moments after rising up out of the
sea OF clouds in which we had so long
been enveloped, our little party stood at
the foot of the flagstaff and gazed in
speeches. awe. 1t almost seemed that
we had 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 smooth and
level sea of pearl. In the distance this
was motlonless but nearer it all seemed
moving slowly and msjestically from
west to east, while, at the same time,
peculiar swaying up and down was seen
as it passed along. On and along the
crests of these cloud waves, or rather
cloud swells, were seen to run and
family flicker such tints as we some
times see in mother-of-pearl. All this
was very beautiful, but with it was a
sense OF ISOLATION from the world "a
feeling of loneliness that was most
depressing. But as the moon began to enter
the penumbra there were so many and
such sudden and wonderful changes in
all about us that our loneliness and
littleness were forgotten
The sea about rs. which before had
shown only the tints of the pearl, now
took on the hue of amber, but still
foated on and swayed up and down as
had the sea Of rearl. AS the obscuras
ton progressed the more distant portions
of the cloud-sea changed In hue from
amber to brown, and this to black
gradually closing in upon us from all
sides. In our immediate vicinity all
had changed from amber to a deem
burnt sienna tinge. So deep and
decided was this tint that at one time it
seemed to pervade the atmosphere our
clothing partook of it, aud the tall
flagstaff around which we stood looked
like great rod of rusty iron. During
this stage heavy breeze sprung up, and
the swells in the sea about us rose in
higher waves than before. At times
these rose many feet above our heads,
and (the eclipse being then nearly total)
we were sometimes for minutes left in
midnight darkness; ard but for the
lanterns we had carried in coming up
the mountain, and which were standing
on the ground near by, we could not
nave seen our hands when held before
our faces. But these waves of darkness
seldom lasted more than two or three
minutes and we had, from first to last,
most magnificent view of the eclipse. It
Is probable that total eclipse of the
moon has never before been observed
under precisely such circumstances az
was this of last night by cur little party. !
AS the eclipse passed of, about the same