Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-05-12
TOTAL EcLlPSEs OF THE SUN.
Some Interesting Gossip About Those Most
Famous in the Past.


and even the terror which formerly
ACCOMPANIED it, great value in astro-
nomical circles is given to its recur-
renee. Unfortunately there is a doubt
as to the totality being visible IN
America. the leading astronomers
locating it in Spain, and naming 1925
as tbe date Of a total solar eclipse in
the United States. Be this as it may.
elaborate preparations are to be made
for the occurrence on May %, when the
Southern Railway will run an eclipse
train from New Orleans to Norfolk, and
another epoch will be accumulated by
progression in science. Among the
elegant modern distinctions of railway
travel smoked glass will be leading
feature, and the only drawback antici-
pated will be a cloudy sky or total
absence of the expected eclipse.
The earliest records of solar eclipses
are ascribed to Confucius, and of these
three were total, and they are not
mentioned as scientific facts, but as
bad omens. He recorded that the total
eclipse was greeted as such phenome-
ma is received at the present time by
the Chinese people, with the beating of
gongs, wild cries and a savage uproar
all of which is supposed to drive off
the evil monster who is 'eating up the
| friendly SUM-"
One of the eclipses Of antiquity was
| famous for two events. One was that
| it was foretold by an astrologer of the
philosophical school of the time, 5S5
B. c., and it's alarming appearance
stopped battle between the Lydians
and the Modes. The sudden darkness
| convinced the combatants that the
gods were wroth and they at once
| ceased fighting. The prophets took adj
vantage of their own ignorance and
| the terrors of the people to predict
| direful things, which in many. cases
| being the result of unfortunate con-
| ditions-took place, adding to their
terror of the sun and inspiring a new
reverence for the powers of the
prophet.
l Two famous eclipses occurred in Eu-
| rope during the ninth century. A total
eclipse in A. D. $40 frightened En-
peror Louis of Bavaria to death and
| destroyed his kingdom. Other eclipses
| had the same effect on rulers, which
was so disastrous that some wise men
| among those in power gave out the
| death Of the king as an event of such
| moment that the heavens, shocked at
| the suddenness of the fatality, went
| into mourning.
| In Ills. in May. an eclipse of the sun
was predicted in London by pamph-
| let. The Black Day, or the Prospect
Of Doomsday." Great preparation was
made for the unwelcOme shadow, and
it was related afterward that in spite
of the 'awesome dark" no one of
prominence died, nor did any public
disaster Overtake the country.
An eclipse of especial interest to
America was that of Oct 81, 1850, when
the first American eclipse ex-
petition was fitted out, des-
tined to be followed by many
and greatly improved solar fnstitu-
tons, securing results of wonderful
scientific accuracy and developing
much valuable astronomic material
Several eclipses of minor scientific i'm
portance We're recorded between 1885,
and 1889, but in the later year two APP
peared. The first ushered in the new
year and was visible from California
| to Manitoba. The weather was favor
able at all points along the line, and
many photographs We're made The
| second eclipse Of the year occurred in
| December and was visible in South
America.
| on more than one occasion in history
there is a record of the special dark
| ness which accompanies an eclipse
disclosing the presence of a comet, but
| the eclipse of 1882 was the first time
that comet was photographed by the
astronomers. This eclipse was OBJ
served by astronomers representing
| England, France and Italy
The total eclipse of May, 1888 had
| some special dramatic features about
it. To begin with, the duration was
unusually long, nearly five and a half
| minutes The greatest duration of
| totality was six and half minutes,
| recorded in Great Britain, Aug 90
| 1886. Another peculiar feature was
that this eclipse was only visible in
| the middle of the Pacific ocean. For
| tunately for the cause of science, a
| group of coral islands lay in its neigh
borhood America, England, France,
Italy and Australia were all repre-
sented. During the total eclipse of the
sun, Aug. Z, 1869, which was visible in
| Alaska. the Indians of the Chilkat
river were greatly alarmed. Professor
| Benjamin Price of the United States
coast survey had gone with a party to
| Alaska to observe and report the
eclipse and had warned the Indians.
i but they had refused to believe him
until the sun was half obscured. Then
they all disappeared and not a sound
was heard throughout their village.
They had made up their aboriginal
minds that the scientists were taking
care of matters-that the sun was
very sick and they had put it to
sleep"
Educated and intelligent people do
! not hesitate to express a dread of that
| solemn darkness which is unlike any
| other atmosphere, and in which all
nature appears overshadowed with ap-
preaching doom. One who has wit
| messed a total eclipse gives this
| graphic description:
'As much as five minutes before the
| total obscurity it may be possible to
| detect strange wavering lines of light
| and shade drawing across the land
| scape. Then, with frightful velocity,
| the shadow of the moon is seen APP
| preaching, tangible darkness advan-
| cling like wall. swift as Imagination,