Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-02-15
WA; ehiha An ECLIPSE.


A Grand sDeesacis Witnessed In Japas In
Aaessf. 1887.
As the time for the eclipse drew
near, the number of visitors TO the cas-
tie greatly increased, and the prepa
tons, extended through long weeks,
received their final touches. At Last
the 18TH Of August dawned- 1.-THE
great, the important day -tshered in
with the clearest Of skies and the most
radiant sunbeams. Twenty or thirty Of
the guar1s, in snowy dresses, watched
the castle and all its entrances, and
none except the specially invited guests
were admitted. The instruments were
carefully adjusted for instant use. and,
in spite OF the torrid heat, we were ali
astir with eager anticipation The
guests quietly gathered in the open
space below the instruments. and
subdued hum of pleasant conversation
oiled the hot noortide. The eciips@
was to begin at thirty-seven minutes
after two o clock. About an hour before
this. delicate little white cloud foated
up. toward the zenith and spread very
quietly over the bright. blue sky un-
til even the visitors began 10 jock UP
ward. with some fear lest the after
noon might be only partly clear after all.
And that little white cloud not only
grew into great size itself, but it wa
Joined By other and darker ones from
all directions, which. as they seemed
to gain confidence from numbers and
| blackness. soon shut out the sun com
| pletely and spread CONSERVATION over
| every face around u.s. The beginning
| Of the eclipse was not seen at all but
| we caught few giimpses of the sua
| Afterwards gradually narrowing cres-
/ cent.
As ii became apparent that my part
| OF the work which was to draw the
hlmy, outermost streaners of the
corona-could not be done, | left ms
| appointed station and fastened 70 the
| upper castle wall Here, standing
near the instruments, | watched the
| strange landscape under its gray
| shroud- Even inauimate things seem
endowed at times with a terrible life
| of their own, and this deliberate, slow
| moving pail of cloud seemed maIig-
nant power. not to be evaded- A; the
instant of totality a darkness and
silence like that of death fell upon the
castle and the town and all the world
! around.
Not a word was spoken; the very air
about US was motionless. as if al
nature were in sympathy with our stls-
pense. The useless instruments out
lined their fantastic shapes dimly
against the massing clouds and Z
weird chill fell upon the earth Darker
and still darker it grew. Every trace
of color fed from the world. Cod.
dull-ashen gray covered the face o
nature and a low rumble OF thunder
muttered ouinously on the horizon
ETen at that supreme moment ms
thoughts few backward over the eigh
Thousand miles OF land and stormy
osssan already Travelled, the ton Of eeie
scopes brought with such care. tn.
weeks of patient waiting at the OLE
castle-an that long journey ans
those great preparations for just thes.
three minutes of precious time
} which were now slipping away 50 fast
And already they were gone, On,
sharp. brilliant ray of sunshine flashes
, down upon u.s. Totality was over
and lost. This tiny rift in the cloud
showed the slender edge of the sun 10
second and was gone. And pro
, found sigh. as of great nervous tension
, relieved, came up from the crowd De
low. The calamity was too great 70 b
measured at once. and 1t was som
minutes before We cared TO speak W
{ had trusted Nature, and she had failes
: us. and our sense of helplessuess Wa
overwhelming.
Every astronomical student nov
knows how the track Of this iIl-fater
eclipse was followed by clouds all alOn
y its course, and how totality and II
wished-for corona were hidden b
clouds from nearly all the eager eye
aud waiting instruments through il
L entire length. But an astronomer mus
be philosophic: and our astroHome
:, nobly displayed this quality.
And so. gradually. our visitors lei
US. and the sound OF denolishing an
packing was heard on the hill. III
: tents were folded. and the party dis
Il persed. Nae! L00Blis Todd, 81 5,
{ Nth.l1S.