Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-12-02

Eclipse ofthe MOON from Above
"a the Clouds.

made the ascent of Mount David
son, in order to get above the
clouds. kreompanied by half a
dozen friends, we left the city about
s o'clock in Intervening, and, press
ing upward through the dense
cloud mass which we entered on
the upper slopes of the mountain,
at 10 o'clock we reae he'd the top
most peak and stood above the
clouds and storm. 1t was one Of
the grandest sights ever witnessed
ny mortals. AS far as the eye
could reach, on all sides, stretched
level sea of clouds. All the sur
rounding mountains were shut out
all of the lower world was hid
den; all but the extreme point Of
the peak on which we stood, lit
tie island some City feet in circum-
ference, measuring from the flag
staff in the centre. Above the full
moon shone in a its splenfor, and
in all quarters of the heavens the
stars twinkled brightly. The air
was keen and frosty, but we were
prepared with blankets, overcoats
and mufflers. 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 flag taft and gazed in
speechless awe. 1t almost seemed
that we had left the world. Our
little island seemed all that remain
ed of the earth. Hundreds Of
miles on al sides, as it appeared tc
us, stretched a smooth and leveI
sea of pearls. In the distance this
was motionless, but nearer it al
-
seemed moving slowly and majestic
" from west to east, while at the
same time a peculiar swaying up
and down was seen as it passed
along. On and along the crests Of
these cloud-waves, were seen to run
and fairly flicker such tints as we
sometimes see in mother-of pearl.
All this was very beautiful, but
with it was a sense Of dissolution
from the world-a feeling Of lonli-
ness that was most depressing
But as the moon began to enter the
penumbra there were so many and
such sudden and wonderful changes
all about us that our loliiress and
littleness were forgotten. The sea
about us, viii b be ore bad shown
only the tints Of the pearl, now
took on the hue Of all Der. but still
foated on and swayed up and down
as had the sea of pearl. AS the OBJ
scuration progressed the more dis
tant portions of the cloud-sea
changed in hue from amber to
brown, and from this to black,
gradually closing Upon Is from all
sides. In our immediate vicinity
all had changed from amber to a
deep burnt sienna tinge. So deep
aud decided was this tint that at
one time it seemed to prevade the
atmosphere, our clothing partook
of it and the great flagstaff around
which we stood, looked like a great
rod Of rusty iron.
During this stage a heavy
breeze sprang 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 1.-THE eclipse being then nearly
totaD we were sometimes for min
utes left in midnight darkness ;
and but for the lanterns we had
carried in coming up the mountain
and which were standing on the
ground near by, we could not have
seen our hands when held before
our faces. But these waves oil
darkness seldom lasted more than
two or three minutes, and we had
from first to last, most magnificent
view Of the eclipse. II is probable
that total eclipse Of the moon ha'
never before been observed under
such circumstances as was this by
our little party. As the eclipse
passed of, about the same phe.
nomena were observed above and
about US as in its coming on. We
left the top of the peak however
while fully half the face Of The
moon was still obscured. Taking 4
last lingering look at all about ss
observing that our sea was assam.
ing the hue Of amber and that 80
horizon was widning in all dirsc
tons, as the light spread abroa1
and drove back the brown and n,
black, we plunged down into th'
thick cloud-stratum, and guided b,