Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-08-20
ECLIPSE Of SUN
over WAR AREA Of
EUROPE ON AUG. q
In the Past This Phenomenon
Would Have Been Believed
to Express Divine Dis
pleasure with Man.

A total eclipse Of the sun, which will
cast black band over a strip Of Russia
from Riga. on the Baltic to the Crimea,
and will plunge into partial shadow all
the section in which the present war IS
taking place, will take place Friday, Aug
ust p.
If the world were but q trifle younger
this phenomenon, happening when the
greatest war in the history Of mankind
has Just begun, would undoubtedly be ac-
ccpted as an extraordinary manifestation
Of Divine dspleasure It may be that
among the peasantry of Central Europe
and the serfs of Russia, drafted as they
have been for war the purpose of which
they cannot comprehend, the obscuring OK
the great lumnary, just around midday,
will excite Il feeling Of terror that may
have a disastrous effect upon the plans Of
the generals.
The eclipse will be the most important
one Of the year All Of Europe, a portion
Of Africa and of Asia. and a section Of
North America that will reach down
practically to New York city and include
all Labrador, Newfoundland, eastern Can
ada and New England will fall within the
shadow OF the penumbra or partial eslipse.
long ribbon, or strip, In which the
eclipse will appear to be total" will
stretch from the Polar regions of North
America around the earth through Scan
| dinavIa, Russia. Asia Minor and Persia
to finish in Bclochistan and Southern In
| dia.
Where the eclipse is but partial the disc
of the moon VIII creep across the face of
the sun little by little, but will never COM
pletely obscure the orb. But where to
| tality" occurs the sun, at a given mo-
mcnt, will he entirely obnterated and the
inhabitants of the region across which the
| black band will stretch VIII perceive the
most wonderful phenomenon known to
astronomers-the display of the corona"
Of the sun.
Great waves OF incandesrent gas, hun.
dreds Of thousands of miles long reaching
out from the sun into the ether, will be
| perceived. The countryside will take
sinister, nightgray color. and t!nts Of
nature will pale and deaden as at twilight.
the temperature will diminish sonsibiy
the birds. believing night has come. will
cease their song and seek their nests. A
person who has never seen this strange
manifestation Of nature cannot form any
idea of its awesome aspect.
This eclipse is a recurring phenomenon.
At the end of every period of IS years and
| II days the moon comes between the
earth and the sun at just such an angle
that the suns light is completely shut off
from a portion Of the world and partially
shut off from much larger part. The
eclipse Of July q. 1875 and Of August g.,
1896, happened in exactly the same manner
as will the one due August 81. 1914.
! In Russia the total eclipse will last for
two hours and fourteen seconds, but the
partial eclipse preceding and following to-
talty will cover almost two hours.
In France, Belgium and Germany. in
the sections where the war is at its height,
the partial eclipse will last from about
eleven O'Clock till 1880 midday.
In New York the partial eclipse will be
visible to those who get up at $50 in the
morning. According to astronomical cal
endars New York will be in partial dark
ness from 1914 a. m. till Sos a. m.