The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-08
ON MOUNT CATO.
How Prof Compton and HE students Watched
tho Eclipse from n Coign of VANTAGE.

MOUNT Casio near Central City. Col, July
29-A sky az blue as sapphire. as Transparent
as crystal. and without fleck OF cloud dispcllcd
tho fears and unwrlnked the brows OF the Wis.
itng astronomers. Days and weeks Of cloud
and rain had made them very anxious.
Prof. Alfred q. Compton Of the New York Col
lego. with five students. arrived hero on July
q. and Immediately wont into camp and got to
work An observatory was erected and tho In
strumcnts placed in position. Rev. Father Lis
tint and Rev. Father DcRni, Professors Of As
tronomy and Mathematics In the Woodstock
Catholic College. Maryland. arrived fow days
later. and wero soon followedby the Rev. Father
Ryan. Professor OF Physics and Mathematics In
the Catholic College Of Georgetown. ID. c. Prof.
Holden Of the Naval Observatory at Washing
ton arrived about tho same time and took up
his quarters at the Teller House He had six
assistants with him from the Naval Academy at
Annapolis. Tho time UP to this morning was
occupied making observations with the sex
tant noting tho temperature. tho velocity OF the
wind. Sc. All these observations have boon
carefully recorded. the observers often working
far into the small hours.
To one who had never visited the camp OF q
sct0ntinc party tho scene on tho summit OF
Mount Casio on Monday morning last was one
Of deep interest. Imagine q steep mountain,
without vestiRc Of shade. barren craggy. and
PERCEPTIONS on every side. On its Highest point
Il "A small cabin Of rough pino boards Further
TO the southwest flaps the white wings OF II
snowy tont. You see five or six young men.
with bronzc1 faces and tan colorcd hands bus
thing about. They are clad in blue shirts, rough
trousers, and SLOUGH hats. Tho smallest OF tho
party wears an old ncglig6 shirt and brown
linen trousers. His keen gray eye Is every
whore ut the same time, His 1.-the. why form
Is almost rs ubiquitous. me little man IL irof
Compton. and the young aids are the students
in his charge. The cabin contains all the treas
urcs Of tho expedition. An immense Alvin
tplpspOllp = "A
another; here the chronQgraph. with its mo-
notonous tick, and there the mysterious square
box that supplies the current. In n dark will
low frame il u chronometcr. Arranged along
the wall are hand saws. hammers. bits. sorrows.
hOlta. drills boxes Of colorcd crnyons. sketch
books. bottles of oil. ink. and acids, a thormom-
ctcr, barometer, poariscopes. boxes 81 lead
pencils, and bottles of mmcilage. Scattered
around are numerous small instruments and
electric wires. Without. the telescopes arc
mounted already at IN" focal length. Beside
each telescope arc rough hewn chair and dos
At o'clock precisely the observation began.
mud tho students took their places. J. j. Nc
Gowan. past graduate IN civil engineering. Il
q. c. HOllerith. 81 tho same class took the soc
ond chair; Wnli,m \ Shumway class 81 20.
snt fow feet distant with Addison Brown. his
ass slant at nm adjoining table. Young Octa-
Viu- Davis stood NJ the chronograph IN the little
cabin. and called ont tho seconds Mr.. Brown
used Lin III telescope Of tho Avian Clark pat
torn. Prof. Compton 3-inch Grigg. and the rest
Of the rnrty instruments Of nearly equal power.
~
written directions rs 70 what Ia do and when 10
do H. Tackled Just above the directions were
SQUARE sheets 81 drawing payer ono DARK an
other white, and another Of slate color, In
smaller racks above the paper were coored
rrayens 81 orange. indigo. white. black. and
red. lur skrl'hlng ne corona az the moment Ut
second contact, The circle had alrendy been
drawn on each sheet Of pHpcr. an inch and II
gupNer IN dmmrter In iront oil the desk n
ta'hed IN such n T. sition Hs 10 he seen IN tho
centre ot the moons disk. lighted lantern
90. F fNftlf . e ia D
, Nhauc your rye7 VOL called out THO Pro-
iesSpr. ana turn your back~ 10 the sun. want
- n"Ne your cycS a. sens iiiNe a. possible. As
waited.
me s'enc ~ this moment was particularly
inlor,.t'ns, Aaboss VI drep raNlne 10 the east
tqIl cnimneys cnvcl9ping It like great storm
c'oul. 70 inc south lhy the great Hregury
tains OF yellow min raj laden with gold. In
i"n W'st. toward lhe SNOWY mountain range.
lh1 Mihh wPs nl,wins strong from Inc wcsi.
nnh t.' emu told YOU thiu you were ~ least
~" icSt above me SEA level ma 1000 feet
n,gmur .lah li" melrnn.n- 81 NE STATE. me
lheimomelcr mnrErd % ana the ilcecy clouds
lual hnh hpp'nrci IN INC western horNnn. mar
ring ring thH LbriSht hlYe gathered IN dIslnietng
n.i.7. ~ ~ ulr III ltpEIhIh was NC
Ii,S H'u ~ u n'll.. SaN" ~. Win Tustlhg !hc
iunNHs OF INC uWWleu COTTONWOOD lrocs III INC
Eu,,n ',-,c, 10, .. III F. =, ~
49, 49," ', ,h I'm. ~ ir"ii tio ~
i'S'or slht'en the stu tents from thelr semi
~ tl'Y' ~ p.Hl ivN@; y f"Ht' tntouEl inc
WNn ~. 9huWou n Hhtk iihr on the northehSt
I,nn,, ~ ,ne sun 3uhi. shouted the trot''-
Hu' y" H"NlH AT lh' .hI9nosIhpl, hii'l ShhrpN
H. Wv, "I W. '"ulH '"e '.e. ,Wo, uIe'; FOUR
iN'' 7iN s'N'H; 'lEhi. hlhr' zen. repeated UNI
ln" W,nuio. OF cnh'.t Wrrr noted stop
~ i'N ,oinllnii' mn t'h me Gun ended, ana
w puiS .Nalu'n ur sec. hu coiiA'l. or me be-
n'nnlIiT oi ulIU{' IN ms ln'rrim ciayons
WIII. s,"I pen,,' VIZ l'n''rh7 Wrrc son o. NE
i",.'ui i4ri w J." IlV ul'ihi'lnl"t was Wtl'!;
MIN m, ~, t ,,''' , s i've h
i'' -, X ~ go, a. = il''f. 7''t.. "ll w, l"i
n,n VIZ - llliit hhl D''h 'r'sp,hE lenlpusy
,3N.in ,l, auh .1N" vn irlns'H oi url'Ale pnf-
pr nnl SUI EIAl w hlih,-pN'I' over NC
s,I,MSss tiu-I niu,I,u -, IN ninprt nu"; near lne
i,",' H. ~ ~ ~ N,.ro ui Elr hSil ErHl
InW dr"i'H Mni,' a. "a. HppnrehL WiliEli
w. ~ m tuAl h"i hiaiN'u " al noon.
MN '..' a. % u,-r','7ii ,,... 49,, #,