The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-29

equal number %; seconds before 4, ends curious
bnnd Ike shadows are seen chasing one another
across any light-co!ored surface that may be
spread noon the ground. At the Yerkes.
Smithsonian and Princeton obseryatories and
by the side OF the ~ten-foot platform on Carr's
Mount which Prof. Phillips. PRINCIPAL Of th'
Normal school at IVES, Chester. Pa. and
Prof Gu nby OF Philadelphia had erected, white
strips of canvas were stretched on the ground
and an observer was stationed y 'hrin 10 note
the shadows, the time they began, the time
they ended and particularly their direction. In
speaking Of the result Of these observations
Prof Quinby said:
About the only interesting visual obscrra-
tons that were clearly defined wore OF the
shadow bands. and curiously enough nj every
place where they were observed they wcr" di'-
ferent, that Is to say. they moved In different
directions"
This queer result YVES attributed 10 tho wind,
but Just how the wind made 1t was not made
quite clear 10 the lay mind. But the people.
who were looking nj the eclipse az they would
at q yacht race, were not Interested In shadow
bands or Coronal streamers or reversing layers
or my OF the other technical mysteries. They
want d to see ,he. little black spot come on the
northwest corner of the sun. 10 see II grow TO a
dark crescent, 10 see 1, eat its way through the
sun until the sun itself became a mere sllvery
thread Of q new moon crescent and then finally
disappear as a shining disk altogether. They
wanted to see the strange uncnrthly darkness
settle down upon the land. to iecl the creepy
chill in the air that came with the gradual
shifting off of the suns ", rming beams. 10 SEQ
the chickens crow and go TO roost for n minute
and 4 half and then get up. with the roosters
growing 10 greet tho dawn OF the new day that
followed n night whic.I was sure 10 go down in
chicken annals rs a record breaker for short
ness.
THE CROwDS OF VISITORS.
That Is what the people wanted to see and
hear and feel, and it was W o Cars Mount
that they went TO do il, In addition TO Prof.
Phillips and Prof Quinby there were on this
hill also the nineteen mcmbers of the senior
class Of the South Cdrolina state Military
Academy, who. with Prof Bond in charge, had
come all the way from Charleston to observe
the eclipse. Fine brown-chcotcd "oung fellows
they we're, too. and as erect ana trim and
neatly dressed in their gray blonsos and white
duck trouscrs rs the Wes' Pointers themselves,
IL IliN IOli4lllR 10 10 Win lDf "'NfI'tA ~ i'lNl'N
aspect Of the suns occul,ation, but IL nay =
well be mentioned. perhars, that there were a
score or SO Of girls up on Cars Molnt also.
They had come over on the big excursion from
Charlotte and were altogether so blooming ana
80 radiant in their bright nOwer-bedecltcd
spring attire that their prettinoss In several
distinct Instances approached "a point where
really it was not quite fair for thcm TO I've
around where trim manly young fellows had
10 be squirting through telescopes and doing
mathematical things with square roots and
cubes and the Greek letter riwitha microscope
or two hanging on its starboard quarter. II
was, iLteed, quite a study in contortion OF the
faCinl muscles 10 note how those young men
gimleted one eye into the little end Of a tcle-
scope and tined 10 make the other have some
sclf-respect aud quit squirting after those in
s~olontly pretty Charlotte girls.
As matter Of fact, one reason why the ex-
cursionists went to Carr's Mount to see the
spectacle was because they WERE shut of from
anywhere within gunshot OF the Princeton,
Ycrkrs and Smithsonian ooscryatorics. Even
the streets leading toward the places where the
learned men were az work were barred TO all
lettering curiosity seekers and the scientists
were absolutely unhnmpered and freed from
even the annoyance OF being stared At as they
worked.
But upon the hill with its splendid panorama
spread ont in a great circle from sixty 10 eighty
miles in diameter It was free for all II was the
orchestra and dress circle of the big show. The
ob-ervatOrieS we're tn private boxes. There
was o reverse order OF things 20 far "a the gal
lprv was concerned. Instead Of being above, II
was down below at the foot Of the hill where
the darkie. gathered in groups Of men. women
aud pickanlnnies and took observations on
their own account. Many Of them had
smoked glasses, although there was not enough
contrast 10 make the fact apparent when they
held hem up to their fsors. In Wadcsboro the
materialists among he darki,s. made so by con-
tact with modern science during the two weeks
that the professors have been here. now control
the situation. The utter failure OF the Day OF
Judgment to be- an appendage to the eclipse ex-
hIbi, has not left those who held out for that
doctrine n leg to stand on. The only plank left
In the platform of the latter Is that the capeI
Gu, up 10y the sun and moon means "anothah
wah." They all Of them took in the show from
their gallery seats without a trcmor.
SIGHTS NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN
Upon the hilltop more than two hundred per-
sons were assembled, most OF them intent upon
seeing the shadow Of the totally and the ensu-
Ing path Of light IA the first bright e ge Of the
sun was uncovered This is usually one Of the
most impressive features of a total ec!iFS SO.
II can only be seen for an instant. for the
shadow moves at the rate of i,5oo miles an
hour. Where the observer commands a
wide stretch Of country, as was the case here.
this Nying wave OF darkness IL described as
creating an impression overwhelming and un-
canny enough 10 hush even he most frivolous
observe. But even the shadow of totally
failed US here Az least nobody saw II. although
hundreds were strGining their eyes toward the
southwest, whence II was due To come. Either
the haze that hung low down upon me surface
Of the Garth IN that direction or some peculiar
ity of atmospheric conditions prevent d its
appearance. Neither was tn incoming Hight
wave observed.
This WINS in keeping with the entire character
of the eclipse. II was n tam" one for the OBJ
server With either the naked ~" or a telescope.
and yet even a tame cclipS" j. soruCthing not 10
be forgotten. Tho two observers, Prot. Phillips
and P:of Ouinby. made a littlc speech to the
people gathered in tho vicinity OF their raised
platform on the hill They earnestly requested
thai nobody talk durinH IN" interval OF ~totality
as it would disturb them in Their observation, ).
The reau, 81 was unnecessary. Nobody waited
To talk or did talk save In subdu"d nwci tones
during the solemn interval Of strange, unratl-
raj tw Hight while the ninety-onr second. of
total observation were counted out
The silence had grIwn iron the people with
the gathering darkness. The air for fifteen