The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-05-25

kSy fNl n VI INT CSLtFoC
k------1-.-~-~ss------
On the morning OF May %, when the
spring sun is riding high in the hcav-
ems, a strange thing will happen. The
moon, invisible, of course will get be-
tween the earth and the sun. Al
though the moon Is an insignificant
little ball when compared TO the sun,
it is so much nearer us that the great
orb of day will be entirely blotted out.
Reaching down through space will
dip, like great pencil, the black
shadow of the moon. This shadow will
draw across the face of the earth Il
broad black line. 1t will be a rush
| ing, sweeping stroke, that will swing
eastward at the rate of nearly 1000
miles an hour. This will be the path
of total eclipse. The line will be about
80 miles wide. 1t will cross Mexico
and strike the United States at New
Orleans. From there it will sweep
northeast to Norfolk, whence it will
pass out across Cape Henry and over
| the ocean.
SO from New Orleans TO Norfolk the,
eclipse will be total. This means that
| for the space Of about % seconds this
part OF the country will be in semi
darkness. All the rest of the country,
from Salt Lake City east, will have to
be satisfied with only Il partial eclipse.
| But this will be well worth seeing. If
you are anywhere near the line of total
eclipse, you Will see the greater part
of the day star obscured, as if 4 great
| hand were trying to shut cut the light.
Eclipss of the sun, as YOU know,
| are not everyday occurrences. Even
when they do come it often happens
that America is left out. The last total
eclipse visible in the United States
east OF the Rockies was in 1878, and
the next one Will not occur until 1916.
So if you are fortunate enough 10 he
within the path of totaiity during the
coming eclipse you should make the
most of it, for this is the chance of a
lifetime. The people who have seen
more than Cnc total eclipse are the
astronomers who have travelled to
the ends of the earth for that purpose.
But this is q popular eclipse. 1t is
not one CT those shy affairs that so
! off to inaccessible parts OF the earth
to be seen by the favored few. 1t will
come to thickly populated and easily
reached section of our own country.
1t will occur on time too. There is to
be no uncertainty about this phenome-
non. There will be no disappointment
as there was about the meteor showers
last fall. EclpScS are reliable. They
never cancel dates. Only cloudy OF
! stormy weather can obscure the show
The eclipse will go on, clouds or nc
| clouds, but unless there Is Il clear Sky
we cannot see it.
AS q spectacle q total solar eclipse
ranks among the most marvellous ever
| presented to the eyes Of man. The race
of the moon shadow across the face OF
| the landscape as the moment OF total
| ity approaches has always been de
| scribcd by observers as one OF th'
most staggering, awe inspiring scene!
that it is possible to imagine. Thei
come the obscurity, the disappearance
Of the sun, the strange chill Of unnat
ural d;e.k!lCss, the outburst of the won
dcrful coronal streamcrs around th
spot where n black hole seems sudden
4 ~ W nay tihclt tIc I)i1tCc VI tiic ouI
the red flames OF the prominences and
after one or two minutes Of awfr
pause and silence, the CLEAN Of the re
appearing orb and the swift flight @
the shadow castwal' d.
During most cclip ses that have her'
tOforc occurred asst onomers have lin
few eyes to assist tn cir own in showii
the picturesque fca lures of the ph
nOmenOn. We'll known astronomc
who have gone haff round the cart
to observe an cclips have come bat
acknowledging that they had not rea
ly seen it, because If ey had no time
look at It. Their attention was entir
ly absorbed by Il lc technical observ
tions. and only 4 dreamlike imprf
sion Of the real Tondcrs Of the see
had been made III ,on their minds.
On this occasion what has heretofc
been so seriously lacking will be ST
piled in hbundaI zee, and while astrt
omers are busy with telescope, sp'