Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-01-24
The Total Eclipse OF the sn.
August, 1887,

As the time for the eclipse H..
near, the number of visitors In n
castle greatly increased. and the nv
partitions, extended through H..
weeks, received their final touches i
last the 18th of August dawned. -ot5.
great, the important day, "-usbsrss
in with the clearest of skies and Il.
most radiant of sunbeams. Twenee
or thirty of the guards, in SNOW,
dress, watched the castle and an +,
entrances, and none except n.
specially invited guests were admitte5
The Instruments were carefully adins
ed for instant use, and, in spite Of III,
torrid heat, we were all astir wifi
eager anticipation. The guests ouetIv
gathered in the open space below n.
instruments, and subdued hum !,
pleasant conversation filled the b@
noontide. The eclipse was to begin Al
thirty-seven minutes after two O'Clock
About an hour before this, delica, i
little white cloud foated up toward tbs
zenith and spread very quietly owe,
the bright, blue sky. until even Ii,
visitors began to look upward, with
some fear lest the afternoon might b |
only partly clear after all. And tia.
little white cloud not only grew ipto
great size itself, but it was Joined by
other and darker ones from all direc.
tons, which, as they seemed to gain
confidence from numbers and black.
ness, soon shut out the sun competely
and spread CONSERVATION over ever
face around us. The beginning Of the
eclipse was not seen at all, but We
caught a few glimpses of the sun after.
ward-a gradually narrowing crescent
As it became apparent that my part Of
the work which was to draw the lilmv
outermost streamers of the corona
could not be done, left my appointed
station and fastened to the upper
castle wall. Here, standing near the
instruments, l watched tie strange
landscape under its gray shroud
Even inanimate things seem endowed
at times with terrible life of their OWE,
and this deliberate, slow-moying pail
of cloud seemed a malignant power,
not to be evaded. At the instant Of
| totality darkness and silence like that
of death fell upon the castle and the
| town and all the world around.
Not word was spoken; the very air
| about us was motiOnless, as if all pa.
! ture wasin sympathy with our suspense
! The useless instruments outlined THEN
fantastic shapes dimly against the
massing clouds, and n weird chill fell
upon the earth. Darker aud still
darker it grew. Every trace OF color
fed from the world. Cold, dull ashen
gray covered the face of nature; and a
low rumble of thunder muttered
ominously on the horizon. Even at
that supreme moment my Thoughts
| flew backward over the eight Thousand
miles of land and stormy ocean already
! travelled, the ton Of telescopes brought
/ with such care, the weeks of patient
waiting at the old castle, - all that
long Journey and those great prepare.
! tionS for Just these three minutes Of
precious time, which were now slipping
away so fast-And already they wert
gone! One sharp, brilliant ray Of sun
shine flashed down upon us. Totally
was overland lost! This tiny rift il
the clouds showed the slender edg
of the sun for a second and was gone
And a profound sigh, as of great ner
vous tension relieved, came up iron
the great crowd below. The calamit
was too great to be measured at once
and it was some minutes before W
cared 10 speak We had trusted Ma
ture, aud She had failed u.s. and on
senseot hclplessness was overWhclmint