Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-06-10

ierested in the eclipse of the sun on the
2Sth OF last month and with as much
eogerness as the astronomer. VINO
sought to unravel the mysteries sur
rounding the corona, the shadow bands
and ether phenomena attendant upon
solar ccl.pses, L strove to see all that
could be seen and hear all that could
he holrd about this, the greatest
Astronomical event vi two decades.
Likewise, since the passing of the
eclipse. / have scanned newspapers and
periodicals to learn the common YER
dict OF Scientists, st,lr-S'azers, news
paper writer's and every day inGiVid-
uals. Tae former expected 10 tell what
| The corona Was-Whether 1t WAS cleo
Itrcal, gaseous, or magnetic; to i0ca5c
| Vulcan, the lost intra-nercuriai planet,
| to explain away the mystery OF the
shadow bands, ana pos.9!oly 10 make
eMirely new discoveries of untold sci
cWWfic value. They are not yet de-
ciGed as 10 the real discoveries they
maze. The returns are not yet in, as
We would say OF an election, and the
result is i'll doubt. The most delicate
mechanism which the handiwork Cf
man could evolve was employed TO rec
ord on film what the human eye could
not see, and the greatest expectations
Of the astronomers ana the men of sell
| encc may yet be fulfilled. The news
paper men-thcy of the fourth estate
trdhtod the event principally from q
spectacular srlndpCdnt-'ihey told hoN
| it looked, and tried to tell how it felt.
OF rather how these who viewed it felt.
Some Of the descriptive work done in
connection With the eclipse is equal to
| hugo. The newspaper men did their
part well. Their remaining work is to
worry the scientists until they learn
| the net resulte; of the observations
taken.
The every day individual, the last
class mentioned above, who viewed the
phenomenon through a smoked window
pane. had learned his lesson from the
eclipse the moment it WAS over. In
my cleaning from newspaper articles,
| Observed that the eclipse had two dis
Itiuct ana immediate effects. 1t brought
religion and science nearer to Il gen
eral reconciliation, ana 1t taught the
uniearned 4 practical lesson in astron-
Cmy. Scoifers are fewer because OF the
eclipse; the accomplishments of scicu
are more generally recognized ana APP
prec.ated. That was the net result Of
the eclipse. leaving out the scientific
equation.
The truly great scientists of today are
not sllepucs. The vision of the scion
list, generally speaking. is no longer
confused by partial knowledge. The
celilAse Of May 2Sth, 1900, will be mum
bered among the events which helped
to make this condition more general,
IL the sum Of The opinions OF this
eclipse published to date, is representa-
Tive. DR.. Ilepworth has said that there
was no real conflict between the Chris
tian religion ana science. lie believes.
with many Others that they Will final
~ completely harm0nizc when man is
more enlightened
When the w.erdness, the beauties and
the phenomenal of the recent eclipse
We're seen, man. be he learned or UNI
learned, could but conclude that verify
THE heavens declare the glory Of God
and the Armament shOWeth His handi
work"
y paladoXical situation is presented,
IN that the more man learns, the less
wise he is That is an cpigilmatic way
Of putting il, but il would be more
truthful 10 say that as the vision OF
man grows clearer in connection with
the plans cf the universe. the better
he realizes the falscless OF his views in
the past.
eriiT=se gfvr- rr,-ryry ,-
the he.plessness of man, and his con-
lsequent dependence upon a higher pow
or. Small incidents, unobserved by
many. impressed themselves with a
powerful vividness upon others.
In the Norfolk park Il wire was
strung from the ground into the air
a few yards. At the ground end was
attached ridiculous -loolling instru-
mcni Professors Fessenden. Very and
rhcaen. learned scientists emp oyed by
the United States Weather bureau.
stood around and anxicusy watched
the little instrument. their ears pruned
for the slightest sound. Not a mani
fes;atlon was observed while the moon
slowly hid the flaming sun and smut
out the light of day. leaving that dark,
ehadowy bizarre and unearthly light.
But when, With a siuddenness that was
staruing. the glorious lisht or the sun,