The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1878-08-02
THE SOLAR ECLIPSE.

Punctually to the minute the solar
eclipse set down by astronomers and
| the aimanacs for Monday, made its adj
vent here. The enterprising people of
Monroe, approaching the exhibition
which was free-were promptly in
their places on the sidewalks and
streets and in the back-yards, and We're
all provided with improved telescopes
made of little bits of glass, smoked
over candle, a lamp or a pine splin-
ter. DeSiard and Grand streets were
crowded. Various reports of the affair
have reached us, no two Of which
agree, except that all the observers
were looking heavenward, some of
them for the first time in their lives.
It is said that the earth got between
the sun and the moon, and that that
caused the eclipse. The Parish Coro-
ner told US he could see the moon dur
ing the eclipse, and several people
were certain they could see stars. But,
the most learned Observers we have
found are the young gentlemen who
smoke cigarettes on the back streets
and call their fathers ssthe old man."
What they do not know, cannot be ex-
planned.
Discarding all these reports, so wide
apart are they, we shall accept our
own, since that, we believe, is reliable.
It was calculated that the eclipse would
begin ut New Orleans at 81 minutes
after 8 o'clock. 1t began here, accord
ing to our observation, exactly min
utes sooner. A light cloud was pass
ing over the sun at the time, but a
small obscured spot on the SUMS limb
was perceptible. The little cloud
passed off, and in two minutes, the be-
ginning of the eclipse was plainly to
be seen. Fortunately, the sky was
clear, although the horizon in every
direction was packed with heavy
clouds. The moon, now new, las it al
ways is in solar eclipses,) sailed
stealthily along between the sun and
earth, and the limb of the sun became
more and more obscured. At Is min
utes after 4 O'Clock, the sun appeared
as well-defined crescent, tho horns of
which were pointing downward and
towards the place of rising. Rapidly,
then, the SUMS disc became obscured,
and at 4:4O there was but a small
bright crescent LETT. Three minutes
later, this bright crescent shifted to the
top of the sun, the ends, or horns, be-
coming blunt. The sunlight was now
dim, like twilight. The cocks crew
once, twice and thrice, and the
chickens, guine:as and other fowls
sought their roosts. The little boys
and girls who fill their mammas' bas-
kets with fresh eggs, know all the old
hens by name, and take core of the
little chicks, were tickled to death to
see the chickens going to roost. But,
there was still good light, and lamps
were not needed.
At 4:46, the SUMS bright crescent
again shifted and to the south, and the
eclipse, only partial here, began to
pass off, ending we do not know when,
as our interest in it ceased when the
nearest approach TO totality was over.
The difference in the temperature Of
the atmosphere might have been felt,
and certainly was, from the reports we
have received, but the thermometer
failed to record it. In one hour the
change was only one degree, and this
happens every day.
And now, it is our melancholy duty
to announce that there will not be
another solar eclipse, visible here, dur.
ing this century.