The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-29
VIEWS
Taken Of the Eclipse Were & n
orally Satisfactory.

WASHINGTON, MAY 2S.-Advices re-
ceived at the naval observatory from it's
agents i'm various points In the South
show that favorable weather prevailed
for observing the suns eclipse today,
that the contact occurred very close to
schedule time and that the program ar
ranged was carried out without a hitch.
Three parties were sent out from the OBJ
sevatory viz: One to Pinehurst n. c.,
in charge of Prof. Aaron n. Skinner; one
to GAINESVILLE Ga, i'm charge of Prof.
Milton Updegraff, and enc to Griffin,
Ca. in charge of Prof Stimson ]. Brown.
Supt. c. Fl. Davis, of the observatory
was in communication with these officers
by telegraph and during the day he re-
csived the following advices
PINEHURST, N. C.-Sky clear and fa-
vorable permitting successful obserVa-
tion Of the eclipse. All seventeen instru-
ments successfully operated. Contact oc-
CURED very close to predicted time. Coro-
ma very fine. Mercury only star visible
Prof. Updegraff at GAINESVILLE, Ga, and
Prof. Brown at Griffin, Ga, merely re-
ported that their observations were sue
cessful.
In Washington the weather was slight
ly cloudy. which somewhat marred the
opportunities for getting satisfactory OBJ
servation of the eclipse The trained star
gazers claim that the contact came from
five to ten seconds before 1t was due,
but the difficulty Of telling just when the
actual contact began was so great be-
cause of a cloud which passed that even
they can't quite agree among themselves.
They do agree, however. that 1t was one
of the most remarkable predictions In
the history OF astronomy, ii being doubt
full If ever before the time Of the arri-
val Of an eclipse was so accurately an
nounced in advance. The first contact
was scheduled to take place forty-four
minutes and two seconds past seven
o'clock, meridian time, which is eight
minutes and seven-tenths seconds faster
than Washington time. A few seconds
before that time the edge of the sun and
moon were in contact, but it was several
seconds later before the naked eye look
ing through smoked glass could tell that
the eclipse was actually taking place
From the moment of first contact until
the period of the nearest approach to
tOtdlllN, AT exactly nine tlOOh' tIlS HSilt
faded gradually until the city was in a
condition OF hazy twilight.
The watchers at the observatory gazed
at the phenomena through a twenty-siX
inche and twelve inch equatorial tele-
scope while another official used a com
ct finder There were no attempts at
photography as all the instruments for
such purpose had been sent South. The
only object of the watchers in Washing
ton was to catch the record the time Of
the first and final contact and the exact
moment Of the nearest approach to total
ity At exactly nine o'clock, ninety per
cent of the suns face was obscured. The
final contact was scheduled for sixteen
minutes and fifteen seconds past ten
o'clock Each Of the three watchers got
a different time. One of them recorded
sixteen minutes and ten seconds, another
eight seconds and the third seven sec
onds, the discrepancy being due probably
to the strength of the instruments. The
phenomena of the moons shadow bands,
which was promised as an accompani
ment for the eclipse was not observable
here. Mr.. Boeger, who watched through
the twenty-sx inch instrument took par
ticular pains to see whether the other
phenomenon promised, that caused by
the suns ray falling through the leaves
Of trees, was present and he was re-