The evening times., 1900-05-28

Washington was enveloped in the shad-
ow of the moon today. The shades Of even
ing fell in early morning. The sun, which
lights all things in life and paints color
in the flowers, was overcast, and shroud
Of grey was thrown about the city. a
band OF black, fifty m.ies wide, swept
across the country from southwest to
northeast. The shadow east by the moon
in its passing between the earth and the
sun began, so far as this world is con-
esTHed, away out upon the Pacific Ocean,
and rushing onward in its northeasterly
course as the sun sped westward and the
earth whirled eastward, crossed diagOnally
through Mexico and entered the United
States in southwestern Louisiana. Nov
ing forward at thirty miles minute, the
black shadow rolled over southwestern
Mississippi, southern Alabama, central
Georgia, central South Carolina, eastern
North Carolina, darkening the extreme
southeastern points in Virginia, and swept
cut into the Atlantic Ocean. Thence it
passed through Portugal and Spain, and
crossing northern Africa entered Egypt
and was lost in the Red Sea, three hun
OF the shadow from end to end OF its jour
rey occupied three hours and twenty min
utes and its transit of the United States
was accomplished in a fraction less than
twenty-five minutes.
The solar eclipse Of 1900, foretold fer
many years, came and went as astron-
Omers said it would.
Washington lay about $50 miles north
Of the central line OF the path Of tCtaliJy
ard in what is called the penumbra OF the
moons shadow. To Observers in this city
eleven-tWelfths of the suns disc was OBJ
scuTed- The phenomenon WIS watched by
thousands of persons with awe. Through
smoked glass they studied this unusual
manifestation Of the great power which
holds countless worlds in their orbits and
swings them through space. Ii was one
Of Natures greatest sermons
The sun rose al 4.3O. The orb OF Cay
glowed red au9 gave promise Of brilliant
morning. As he rolled upward in the east
and faded from orange to sold and then
10 bright and shining silver. mist sprale
up and lines Of thin, cumuius cloud ap-
peared low down in the east. a faint
moist breeze blew out OF the southeast
II was just strong enough to fiutter The
topmOst foliage Of the trees and swerv.
the pale blue smoke that lazily rose f.ol
the breakfast fires of the city As tn,
cloud bank asCended in the east the symp,
toms Of rain grew more pronounced, aCd :
ghostly grey haze yeiled the blue Of tn,
morning sky.
The silver NAPLES Of the parks ant
streets began TO fiutter and display the
ashen green of the neither side OF theiI
leaves. The dark, thick leaves of the lin
den rustled and the higher branches Of tn,
oaks, elms, and poplars swayed softly anC
idly. The breakfast smoke cIung NOR;
closely 10 the hOusetops and the signs o.
rain multiplied. Sparrows that had been
chirping and hopping on the ground wen
aloft into the trees. Servants passed OF
10 their work, and after them came labor.
ers, and behind these were mechanics
Despite the impending eclipse. the great
mass Of school children and Government
employees did not appear upon the streets
earlier than usual though a fair percent
tage Of them peered skyward through
open windows. To those who looked ou
upon the city at o'clock the prospect O
seeing the moon throw her black forr
across the burning face of the sun, wa,
poor The clouds in the east were steadi
ly rising and the haze that overspread the
SKY was thickening- To citizens east OF
the Capitol the sun was shut out by clouds
al a few minutes after o'clock and "a
citizens west of the Capitol a few minutes
later. No view of the orb could be had AZ
the moment Of contact. IA
At that time the soft breeze that had
been coming out OF the southeast fell to a
mere damp draught and began to veer "a
the south, finally reaching around to the
southwest and breaking riffs in the clouds
AT O'Clock the sun burst through and