The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-07-30
LUNA AND THE SUN.
THE ECLIPSE YESTERDAY AND THE
SCENES ATTENDANT UPON IT.

programme was not carried out and expecta-
tions we're far from realized.
The eclipse came on all right and started of
with every indication of being all that every
body anticipated IL would be. but between If
teen and twenty minutes after the first contact
and Just as the moon was becoming clearly
visible to the many gazers through smoked
glasses. a large black cloud which had all the
afternoon been banked up in the east rolled up
and spred ITSELF and eclipsed the eclipse.
Some moments previous to the time set for
the flrst contact representatives OF the DEMO
CRAT took their stand at the telescope OF Prof
fh he instrument Watched and waited. At the
very moment Of contact he shouted time" and
the watch held by tho other was stopped. Its
seconds past o'clock, New Orleans time. Five
minutes after this,
THE CLOUD ABOVE
spoken of began to ascend, and ten minutes
after that 1t had Swallowed the sun, and the orb
so slowly crossing its disc,
Further observation of the phenomena after
this was out Of the question. :,
10 say that people were disappointed, but
mildly expresses their feelings. The event had
been looked forward to with so much interest
and so many expectations ms to effect and result
were based upon 1t that when the cloud came
up and ended It, all the general feeling was one
which can hardly be described.
It was one of disappointment mingled with
considerable regret and some little disgust
Everybody seemed to have an idea that they
had been in
SOME MANNER DEFRAuDED.
and were unhappy because they did not know
who TO blame, and, like any other crowd that
believes it has been taken In and has no one to
get mad with, and no absolute reason to get
mad al all, the crowd in the streets INDUCED In
funny remarks, sarcastic expressions and prao-
Even as regards the darkness ut the date of
greatest observation people were disappointed.
Something entirely out of the common was
expected. but as 1t was. the gloom was but little
than H. has hppD MANY aDpthnr m
M1er evening when 1t was brought on by nothing
more than an ordinary thunder storm.
cordng TO calculation, the cloud moved of, sank
below the horizon, and the sun shone out as
bright as II had even shone before and 1t sank
obscured.
About one hour before the time fixed for the
event, peddlers appeared on the street with
stacks OF glasses of all colors, framed and plain
square, round and diamond shape. and found
ready sale for their ware at prices ranging from
five to fifteen cents piece.
Smoked glass was also In demand and was
used and preferred by many to the colored ar
Prof Parker's telescope was an attraction and
was surrounded by large crowd even after all
hopes of seeing the phenomenon had assed. |
Canal street and others were lined with people |
and on the roof Of the Orleans Club building
quite d number Of Iadies. guests of the members
the club. were assembled.
A reporter of this paper was stationed on the |
helfry of the salvage corps In order to observe |
the gradual obscurity which would envelop the
that elevated position, fully $50 feet from the |
ground, magnificent panorama of New Or
Il was exactly / O'Clock. The moon had |
hardly begun to touch the suns disc. which was |
still shining in all Its brilancy. The city; with
its countless housetoDs, chimneys and church |
spires stretched on all sides as far as the eye
could reach.
The sky was beautiful. In Its picturesque
robe of fieecy clouds eastward, slowly sailing
in the ether; to the south long bands Of ciTri |
stood immovable and lowering, giving signs of
III the south threatening cu7nstK frowned In |
their dark gray mantle freighted with the |
dreaded lightning; southeasterlY, beyond AL |
giere, q light shower was falling In obiique col |
umns OF white spray.
AT HALFPAsT FOUR
no sun was visible; large dark cloud came be- |
tween the sun and the reporters visual ray
and hid the eclipse. In vain he waited patient
iy for welcome breeze to blow away the OBJ |
nox3as mpednpt IN ya1 ne E waited f9r
ing, throwing mantle of gloom over the dis
BIZ this time the atmosphere was getting
cooler, o light but steady southeasterly breeze
was blowing, and slowly but perceptibly the at
mosphere was assuming yelloWish tint, which |
fell like a sullen mantle over the distant north |
The blue spaces left between the clouds |
assumed fainter tint which appeared to the |
Observers eye like the heralding Of an unnat-
As he minutes flew by the obscurity became
more and more apparent; the clouds towards |
the south frowned darkly and g0omiy. and
seemed to approach the earth. Slanting col,
umns of rain began to descend from them, but
the shower was confined in that direction and |
did not approach the city.
FINDING IT USELESS
to serve himself of the bit of smoked glass he
ed IN his nands eur put + bcb aP ba
scanned the surrounding country.
Away towards the woods long stretch OF
meadow land was discerned, with here and
there a tuft of yapory smoke ascending prob
ably occasioned by the burning OF dry weeds.
OK t9war9 5he ieT ne STeSceas
steamships we're ranged alongside the wharves
at irregular intervals. and doomed over the tur-
bid yet maiestically flowing Mississippi. Count
less factory chimneys emitting dense volumes
of smoke stood in almost every direction where
the reporter was gazing toward EAR, the river
blast furnace was at work. and from its twin
chimneys. luridy red, yellow and blue flames
leaped and danced as Ii famed by gigantic
bellows.
LOOKING NORTHEAST.
through the glass. the reporter, plainly dis
cerned the form and outline of the Jesuits
Charity Hospital, the Hotel Dieu. and numer-
GUS buildings familiar to the New Orleans
Satisfied with gazing at The sky, the city and
the housetops. our reporter indiscreetly low
cred his glass and took furttve peep at the in
certain yard horse was peacefully munching
grass, while next to him little moke, with
ragged garments, uncovered bead and naked
In another yard couple of boys we're fight
Ing and pitching into each other. and an elderly
man was looking on. pipe in mouth. as If en-
Dying ike scene.
lite nearer, within the court yard of an
other building. tai! woman. sleeves rolled up.
was vigorously rubbing some linen (probably |
her good mans shirt ~ against washbQard.
On the gallery of the same house two little
girls we're demurely sweeping the floor, and
stopped from time to time to exchange few
renewed ardor. On the veranda of house
NOT A THOUSAND YARDS
from St. Charles street, two young ladies were
trying to get peep at the long expected
eclipse; but they seemed quite discouraged at
the advent of that naughty black cloud, already
spoken of.
What our indiscreet reporter saw besides
what has been said what pretty sights were re-
vealed to him by that obltging feld-glass, will
not be mentioned. for there are some things
that In the words of the immortal poet, can
better be imagined than described.
ALI that can be said more Is that the reporter,
after carefully slowing away the field glass, got
down the 1899 steps of the belfry and wended his