The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-05-16

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up the suns outside envelope. Much
OF our solar know ledge has reCn :Aus
gathered painfully in the fe" leYtiug
minutes OF observation m0dU pUsGib.e 9
| by successive total eCtipseS. Tacn il
| Is that we see great red ilamCs Il iAshing
hundreds OF th0usanGs OF miics out
into space Curling, int2rlaCiug, ever
changing, veritShlo CluudbursLs Of
living lire, these arc proofs OF the
power and violence OF nature's hidden
forces.
EclipsCs of the SIM as Viewed in
| CORNER Times.
Chicago 'iimes-iicrald.
A total eclipse Of the sun is an
nOunced rs the most important culns.
tial phenomenon Of 1900, and uichongh
the frequency With Thich solar tOtality
occurs and our preseno scientific know
! ledge have robbed it Of the mystery
and even the terror which formerly
accompanied Il great yalucln as ,rouOm-
icai circles Is given 60 it's recurrence.
Unfortunately there is a. uuubt Us 70 The
totality being visible in America, the
leading Astronomers locating il in
Spain, md namiug 1925 rs the date Of
a total solar eclipse in the United
States. BE this as IL may, elaborate
| preparations ere To be made for the oc-
cnrrGnce on May 18th, when the South
ern railway will run an eclipse train
| from New Orleans TO Norfolk, and
another epoch will be acccnlnated by
progression in science. Among the
| elegant Lnoderu distinctions Of railway
travel smoked glass will be q leading
feature, and the only draw back anti
cipated will be a cloudy sky or u total
absence OF the expected eclipse
The ea.iiHst records Of solar uclipses
are ascribed TO CUn.ucius, ara Of these
three were total, und they are not
mentioned as scientific facts, bu: rs
bad omens. He recorded that the total
eclipse was greeted ao such phenomena
are received az tho urcscnt .jSne bv
the Chinese people, with the BeaLlug
OF gongs, wild cries and s1v8ge up-
roar, all Of which is supposed 10 drive
ell the evil monster who is eating up
the friendly sun"
| One OF the eCllpSeS OF antiquity was
famous for two events. One w"s that it
was fOretold 10y an astrOloCcr OF the
philosophical school Of the time, $50
Is. c., and its alarmirg appearance
stopped n battle between the Ly iuns
and the Mcdes Tue sudden darkness
convinced the combstants that the
gods were wroth and they at once
ceased lighting. The prophets took
advantage Of their own ignorance aud
the terrors Of the people 10 preoic;
direful thiuga, which, in many cases
being the result Of unfortunate condi-
tions--took plnce, adding to their
terror Of the sun and inspiring new
reverence inr the powers OF the prophet
Two famous Gctlpses occurred in
Europe during the ninth century. y
total eclipse in 4. -. $40 frightened
Emperor Louis Of Bavaria to death
| and destroyed his kingdom. OtiiCv
eclipscs had the same effect Cn rulers
which was SO disastrous that SGmc wise
mex among those in power gave out
the death OF the king as 8u event Oi
such p2Oment that the heavens, shocked
1T the suddccncss of tho fatality, went
into mourning.
In l7l5, in May, ar eclipse OF the
sun WAS predicted in London by q
pamphlet THE Black Day, or Lhr
Prospect Of D0omsday," Great pre-
paration was made for the unWo.cOmC
shadow, and IL WAS related afterwards
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 u
America was that Of October u, 1850
when the first American eclipse eX
pedition was lifted out, destined TO hC
followed 10y many and greatly i'm
proved solar instituti0ns securing re
su!Ls OF wonderful scientific accuracy
ana developing much valuah!e nStro
nomic material. Several eclipses OF
minor scientific impOrtance were re
corded between 1888 aud 1899, but il
the latter year tgO appeared. Inc
first ushcroG in the new year and WAS
visible from Cali 10 MunitUha
The weather was favorable at al
points along the line, and many photo
graphs wcce made. TIE second eclipse
Of tne year occurred in Dcccmbur aEt
was visible in South America
On more than one occasion il his
tory there is Il record Oi TIE speCi3
darkness which accompanies an eclipse
disclosing the presence OF " C@nIet. hu
the eclipse Of 1882 was ibu Gc,t timi
that comet was photographed Dy th'
astronomers. The eclipse WA. oos"rV
ed by astronomers representing Eng
land, France and Italy
( The Il al eclipse OF May, 1888, ha,
, some epecial dramatic features Hb0u
1t. To begin with, The duration wa
unusually long: nearly live and hal
minutes. The greatest duration q
| LOCALITY WAS SiS buu "a Dhti minutes. re
corded In Grcat Britain August %
: 1886 Another pecul ar feature wa
/ that this eclipse was only visible il
, tho middle OF the Pacific ocean. FOrtu
, nately for the cause OF science, Is grou
. Of coral islands lay In its neighbor
!. hood. America, Engiand, Frarce, ltai
and Australia ~cre represented.
= During the total eclipse OF the sun
August /, 1863, which was visible i
Alaska, the Indians OF tho ChilKa
3 river were greatly alarmed. Pro
= fessor Benjamin Price OF the Unite
States coast survey, had gone with
4 party to Alaska to observe and rcpor
| the eclipse and had warned the IL
-. dians, but they had Refused 10 bcliev
q him until the sur was half obscuret
/. Then they all disappeared and not
a sound was heard throughout thei
village. They had made up their aoC
g rig inal minds that the scientists wer
\ taking care OF matters-that the gu
n was +" very sick and they hal put
: to sleep"
q Educated and Intelligent people d