Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-11-19
Above the Snow Clouds to See the
Eclipse.

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 dozen
friends We left the city about eight
O'Clock in the evening and, pressing up
ward through the fast-falling snow and
through the dense cloud-mass which we
entered on the upper slopes of the noun
tain, at ten o'clock we reached the top
most peak and stood above the clouds
and storm. 1t 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 upon
which we stood, little island some fifty
feet in circumference, measuring from
the flagstaff to the center Above the
full moon shone in full splendor and in
all quarters of the heavens the
stars twinkled brightly. The air
was keen and frosty, but we were
provided with blanket overcoats and
muffiers. For some moments after rising
had so long been enveloped our little
party stood at the foot of the flag
and gazed in speechless 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 1t appeared TO us, stretched a
smooth and level sea of pearl. In the
distance this was motionless, but nearer
4 oil clg
tically from west to east, while, at the
same time, peculiar swaying up and
down was seen as IL 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
sometimes see in meteorological All
this was very beautiful, but with 1t was a
sense of isolation from the world-a
feeling of loneliness that was most de,
pressing. 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 me, which before had
shown only the tints Of the pearl, now
took on the hue of amber but still floated
on and swayed up md down as had the
sea of pearl. As the observation pro-
crossed the more distant portions Of the
| cloud-sea changed in hue from amber TO
brown and this TO black, gradually clos.
ing in upon us from all sides. In our
immediate vicinity all had changed
I, ON amber to a deep burnt sienna tinge.
So deep and decided was this tint that at
one time it seemed to pervade the at
mosphere; our clothing partook OF it and
the tall flagstaff around which we stood
looked like great rod of rusty iron.
During this stage 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 (the eclipse being then nearly
totaD we were sometimes for minutes
left in midnight darkness; and but for
the lanterns we had carried in coming
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 more than two or three
minutes, and we had, from first to last,
a most magnificent view Of the eclipse.
1t is probable that total eclipse OF the
moon has never before been observed
under precisely such circumstances as
was this oil last night Dy our niue party.
As the eclipse passed off about the same
phenomena 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 OBJ
scured. Taking last lingering look at
ali about us, observing that our sea was
again assuming the aue OF amber, and
that the horizon was widening in all di-
rections, as the light spread abroad and
drove back the brown and the black, we
plunged down into the thick cloud.stra'
tum, and guided by the light OF our Ian
terms made the best of our way down a
huge gorge in the face of the mountain
and back into the city. Strange as IL
may appear, we found ii much warmer
in the midst of the clouds and Snow than
above on the peak Of the mountain. Not
one Of our party viii ever forget this
total eclipse of the moon as seen from
old Mount Davidson's topmost peak,
1000 feet above the level OF the sea-
Vtrginia City (NeU.) Eaterprtse.
THE disappearance Of Herbert A