The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1900-04-18
ECLIPSE OF TIE SUN.

ECA&E Oh Vc 4G0 DUN.
Interesting and Instructive Notes On
the Coming Event.
DR.. Jas. q. Carlisle, Of Wcford col
lege, has sent the following notes on
eclipses of the sun, especially the one
about to take place, to the News and
Courier:
Louis XIV Of France (1710-l774)
asked or commanded one Of the French
astrononers to fDd out when he could
hore to see total eclipse Of the sun.
A list Of eclipses was laboriously pre-,
pared. If the King had lived TO this
day in Paris be would never have had
the coveted privilege. The coming
eclipse will not be total in Paris. In
ls47 central eclipse passed over Paris,
but the disk Of the moon was too small
to hide ell the face Of the sun, 1t being
only sn annulsr eclipse.
Will some of the oldest residents IN
Charleston tell Of the total eclipse in
1884, November 80? A reference to
the fles of the Charleston Courier
might be of interest. The present gen
Grafton will soon have the rare privilege
of being pleased and startled, eyen
awed, by this great object lesson. The
moons dark shadow will cross our state
May Is, in path about fifty miles
wide, nearly parallel to our seacoast
and little above the middle Of the
State. Take 8 map Of South Carolina,
lay q ruler touching Newberry AID
Winnsboro. Draw straight line be-
tween these TIVE towns, prolonglDg the
line each way to the edge Of Georgia
and North Carolina. The centre of
the moons shadow will move very
nearly sleng that line, passing over
Lancaster. Draw line on each side
of that line parallel to it about twenty
Ave miles distant. That belt will very
nearly cover the section on which the
eclipse will be total. 1t is striking to
see how many towns will be covered.
TIE upper line runs very near Able
vile, Laurcns, Union, Yorkville; the
lower to Edgefeld, Lexington, Colum-
bia. Camden, Bennettsvllle.
This total belt will be prolonged to
the old werld, ending in northern
Egypt near the Bed Sea. It is safe to
predict that this eclipse will be honored
By q more numerous company Of expert
gazers than ever studied any similar
phenomenon. In the TIVE minutes OF
the total eclipse many questions will
be asked Of the sun and moon. Some
will probably be answered and yet shc
answers will suggest rev questions,
TINS illustrating the saying that as We
Large the circle Of light we only en-
axe the surrounding circle OF darkness.
Tne newspapers, our great public eouca-
tsrs, will prepare old and young to
look intelligently on the wonderful
spectacle. Our ohclals in the national
observatory have issued an instructive
pamphlet with maps.
The following description Of a total
eclipse Of the sun, by Prof. ]. Russell
Hind, of the Royal Astronomical So
ciety of London, is worth quoting Just
loW:
During the eclipse Of 1s42 nearly the
whole population Of some Of the prlnel-
pal cities of Southern France and Italy,
which were upon the central line, turn
ed out to view the rare phenomenon OF
total deprivation Of the SUNS light in
the day time. At Paris Mr.. Bailey
says, there was an unusual shout,
which made the wclkin ring" at the
conclusion ofthe eclipse; and NJ. Arago,
who observed at Pe-piguan, says: Near
ly twenty thousand persons covered the
terraces, rampsyts and other eminences
about the place and that an astounding
shout from the mult;tued announced
the extinction and reappearance of the
suns rays At Milan, Padua, etc., the
excitement was eqally great. "Long
live the astronomers was the cry when
the rose eolorod flames burst forth on
the bright ground Of the corona, dur
ing the total obscsration. Two hun
dred ysars previously many of the IN
habitsnts Of Paris hid themselves IL
caves on the mere announcement OF IN
eclipse Of the sun, which was total Ia
that city. 10 July, 1912, in the south
of France, horses attached TO vehicles
came to decided stand, and no exer-
items Of the drivers, though backed by
the whip, could induce them to pro-
ceed until the sun had again appeared.
Cattle iu the fields oongregated together
immediately after darkness came on, as
if in apprehension Of an attack. Dogs
in particular appeared to have been
sensible Of some unnatural event, howl
ing piteousiy during the deprivation Of
the suns rays, or hastily seeking some
place Of safety. y The birds
in the trees, near Lodi, suddenly ceased
singing at the moment when the total
observation came on. At
Milan the bees quilted their hives IN
great numbers soon after sunrise, but
returned to them in haste Immediately
the last rays of the sun had vanished.
The astronomers who can predict an
eclipse a hundred years in advance,
cannot tell whether little cloud may
net suddenly form a half hour before
the thrilling moment hiding all the
wonderful spectacle from their eyes.
Man is strange eonpoucd Of wisdom
and ignorance, Of strength and weak
ness
":Alss the human minds at fault,
For still by turns it claims,
A noh}er. : hat may e1ait,
a littleacss hat shaR,es.
Of strength and weakness till combined,
Compounded Of the mean and grand,
And triass thus may shape the mind,
That could tempest stand!
Woford College. J. H. G..