The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-03-13
THE ECLIPSE.
The Atmosphere Was Clear, md the
View Perfect.

The clouds cleared away Sunday night in
time for the moon 10 make its appearance
which opened the exhibition on schedule
time. The earth's shadow had just fell upon
the edge Of the moon as the church people
we're returning from service, and, for this reil
son, If no other, large number or persons
witnessed the in tereSting phenomenon.
The eclipse was total 1or about an hour
aud darkness covered the earth, almost as
com pletely as If there had been no full moon.
Before the eclipse has passed quite away the
air became haZy, and IL was not long until
thin clouds were overhanging. IL seems that
the atmosphere cleared away just IN Time fol
us to see the eclipse, and then Immediately
resumed its cloudy condition.
WHAT WE KNOW OF THE MOON.
The discovery of the mountains on the
moon by Calico were among the first results
OF The invention OF telescopes A very ordl-
nary modern glass reveals them and u Lele-
scope OF four or five inches Aperture shows
them in much detail: an endless delight tor
the observer, Over thirty thousand OF them
have been charted on maps or the moon!
Nearly all OF these mountains have riuglike
form, with the central area depressed, often
TO lower level than the surrounding c0un-
try, as is known by the relative length OF the
internal and external shadows. The diane
ter of the rings varies greatly, some OF the
larger being fifty, one hundred and nifty miles,
while the smaller look like little dots In large
telescopes. Their height above the surround
log plains may be as much as three or l0uf
miles this being less than the highest OF ter
restail but greater in proportion To The size
OF the moon than any OF our mountains are
TO the earth. On account of the resemblance
of these ring mountains TO certain terrestrial
volcanoes, 1t has long been concluded that
they were produced by volcanic aclion, al
though no certain sign OF volcanic ACTIVITY
has been detected by direct observation. This
conclusion is very generally accepted; yet
there are reasons for questioning 1t, or at least
Tor holding an open mind with regard 10 the
origin of the rings and craterS OF The moon.
In the first place, nearly all the volcanoes
of the earth have large cone and relative
ly small crater, while the reverse Is true oi
the moon. 1t is true that in certain terrcS.
trial volcanic districts the upper portion oi
the cones has been in some way destroyed
blown Off or fallen in-leaving broad aud
deep depression, called Il caldera, enclosed oy
ringlike walls. For example, in Italy SeVeral
such calderas contain lakes or roughly clrcu-
lar outline. Similar basins occur on the
Azores, In Sumatra, and elsewhere; out by
far the greatest number OF terrestrial V0ca'
noes are of the largecOne and Snall-craler
variety. Hence If the ring mountains on the
moon are OF volcanic origin, they represent
phase OF volcanic activity that Is exceptional,
and not prevalent on the earth.
There Is one very curious thing ABOUT the
movements of the moon. Although IL goes
around US once monitor moonth, as IKE
10 call--we see only one side OF ii. The other
side is entirely unknown, as 1t is always turn
ed away from the earth. Some persons argue
from this that the moon does not rotate on lts
axis but such an opinion implies wrong
understanding OF rotation. Rotation CONSISTS
in turning so as to face invery direction sue
ceSSivey all around the compass. The moon
certainly has this motion, Tor during the
period OF u moonth, while IT Is moving
around the earth, II turns It's visible slue To-
ward us from all directions.
The curious point here involved is not tnat
the moon does not rotate but that IL rotates
on its axis in the same period as II revolves
around the earth.-flarper's Young People.