Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-11
FAIR LUNA HIDES HER FACE
THE MOON WAS IN TOTAL EcLrPsE
LAST NIGHT.
How 1t Appeared to Fort worth
some Moon and Eclipse History
Gotten Up ny the Lunar Editor'
The pnrIscy's Theory.

To the student of astronomy the
heavens presented an Interesting spec
tacle last night; to everyone 1t was
sight out OF the ordinary, and more
wondering eyes were cast upward than
for long months. The year 1895 VIII be
blessed with eclipses. There are
three partial eclpses of the
sun to occur and two to-
tai lunar obscuriues were scheduled by
those gentlemen with u love for figures
and penchant for using long eyes,
the disciples of Calico. Newton and
Flammarion. The next eclipse of the
moon will occur September and 4.
The eclipse last night was visible
largely to North America, wholly to
South America. and more or less to
Europe, Asia. Africa. the Atlantic and
Western Pacific oceans. The moon en-
tered Its penumbra or partial shadow
al three minutes before o'clock (New
orleans timey. The middle Of the
eclipse was reached at $3.50, and our
nocturnal luminary left penumbra at
twenty-one minutes past midnight, hav-
ing been five hours and twenty-four
minutes in passing through the earth's
shadow. Counting the moons diameter
at /. the magnitude OF the eclipse was
l62I, or about one and two-thlrds its
size. The tirst contact with the earth's
shadow was about 5O degrees south OF
the limb toward the east.
The whole heavens took ON a weird
appearance during the progress Of the
eclipse. Vivid flashes OF lightning lit
up all space-at least in north Texas
and light tieecy clouds rolled across
the horizon from the south. Even the
earth had an unnatural appearance,
and Fort WORTHLESS living in the full
lgnt Of the sun OF nineteenth century
science can well appreciate the feelings
OF the ancients, VINO regarded eCllpses
of all kinds as presages of dire events.
Al Rome ut one time it was considered
blasphemy and punishable by law for
one to say an eclipse was due to natur-
al causes. Even after the halo of mys-
ticlsm and doubt had been removed
from solar eclipses, those Of the moon
We're referred TO as being caused by a
supernatural agency. When Luna was
in eclipse the ancients considered 1t
evidence of the pains Of labor, and a
great noise was made with bra2en in
sruments, the idea being to give ease
The Chinese imagine eclipses to be
caused by great dragons trying to de-
YOUR the sun and moon. This supersti-
tiOn has been turned to good account
on several occasions. Through such
outcruppngs of benighted minds Thales
continued to bring peace between the
puguaciOus Modes and Lydians, and
Columbus procured food from the ma
tlves OF Jamaica by predicting an
eclipse unless his request was complied
with. The difference between some
residents Of christendom and those
named above is caused by research and
brains.
An eclipse OF the moon never hap
pans save at full moon.
The moons orbit is inclined to the
ecliptic on which the center OF the
carth's shadow moves at an angle of
near five degrees and nine minutes.
II the moon moved on the ecliptic there
would be an observation every full
moon, but from the magnitude of the
angle Of inclination of her orbit to the
ecliptic an eclipse can only occur when
the moon Is at or near one of her nodes
or the joints where her orbit intersects
the ecliptic. This is the explanation
of science. and a striking evidence of
the worlds progress in other ways
besides our whirl through space around
the son.
There were few people in Fort Worth
last night who did not see Fair Luna
hide behind her dark cloud, and fewer
still We're there who did not speak of
the matter TO some neighbor The aver
age American has not devoted more
than tlve years Of his life to the study
of astronomy, but he knows as much
about the moon and her eclipses as
did the most brilliant minds OF the
days before Calico. and will not have
to read great deal to understand as
much about many subjects as did that
great son Of South Europe. People re-
turning from church last night would
gaze into space, reflect upon the truths
they had heard from the pulpit and
marvel at the wondrous beauty of
Gods handlwork. Let he who saws
there is no God stand with me beneath
the stars tonight" said an old gentle
man.
There is still a tinge of superstition,
slight belief in the miraculous and
unnatural in the minds of the denseiy
ignorant even In America at this late
day. There are many who are unable
to explain anything out of the ordi-
nary. OF course they rarely anticipate
dire results. but still they look upon
natural causes and effects as some
telegraphy of mysterious being tell
Ing them something they cannot COM
prehend. A specimen OF this class. a
superannuated darby, looked at the
moon about half an hour last night
then turning to his wife said; 'ps
gwine to bet dat dere will be anodder
wah, for Jest befo' de last wah dere
wuz thing in hebben dat looked lest
precisely like de moon do tonlght.i
The reporter thought the old negro
should be sent to China, where he
would have company in his belief and
also where he would not lose his wages
Many persons remained awake TN The
moon emerged from penumbra. which
occurred few minutes after the new
day had begun, and when the sun of
night was riding at her highest noon"
There VIII be a partial eclipse of the
sun March 20, invisible to North Amer
lea west OF New Brunswick. The SEN
temper lunar eclipse will be visible TO
the entire Western continent