The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-15
WAS GREAT SIGHT
Rev. H. A. OFT Writes of the
Suns Eclipse.
He Went All the Way to Colo
RADIO To Sec 1t.
WRITES VIVID DESCRIPTION
Topeka Minister Says Spectacle
Was Worth Trip.
Even Snow Mountains Dark
ened Under the Shadow.
WRITES VIVID DESCRIPTION
BY REV. H. A. OFT,

l..
1t is not often that one has the priv.
lege of sitting in the very, center OF
the dense shadow of total eclipse of
the sun and intently watch the accom-
panying phenomena. 1 cannot re-
member of ever having witnessed such
an eclipse. 1 made a special trip to
the Rockies last, week, following up
a love for astronomy which dated
back to my high school and college
days, that 1 might be in the path of
this sixty mile-wide shadow when the
suspicious minute and a half came.
during which the sun would absolute
ly disappear behind the moon!
You have read all kinds of descrip-
tions of this eclipse, but permit me to
relate the story of how I saw 1t at
the foothills of the Rockies in Colo.
RADIO. The succeeding phenomena
leading up to the total eclipse and de-
parting from it, were precisely such
as seen in other parts of the land
where the eclipse was only partial.
There was the first point of contact;
the dent in the surface of the sun;
the gradual pushing of an immense
dark body over the face of the king
of day. etc, and all this was common.
Darkness Came Rapidly.
But to me the total disappearance
of the sun was the desideratum. This
moment was timed in the neighbor-
hood of Denver at 5:23 p. m. By S
o'clock the deep shadows were creep
ing on. The pail of night came on
with such rapidity that made it rather
srewsome- The stiffness of the mo-
ments was being disturbed from sew
eral directions by either defiant or
alarming crows of ROSTERS.
In T 10 cvroa
Continental Divide. reaching north
and south as the Snowy Range, fully
sixty miles away. At this season, the
hoary peaks before me. Gray's, Tor
covered with immense banks OF snow
looking like mighty glaciers spread
ing here and there over reaches. larger
than a dozen quarter sections OF land.
These magnificent monsters stood out
on the skyline in great splendor, and
the rays of the sun shining on them
made them look sublime indeed. At
this moment, hanging over the Snowy
range was a beautiful cloud, balanced
there as If held in the hand Of the
Almighty, and all over its fleecy sur
face was the supreme whiteness of
the suns rays shining on and thru it.
I picked out these distant objects as
those upon which / would fix my
gaze as the great shadow would sweep
from the northwest to the southeast
across Colorado, and approach the
spot from which 1 held the vantage
at a speed of forty miles minute!
now believe this to have been a better
point of view than that up at George
town, where the evening before 1 had
watching the sinking sun. At any
event as the inspiring moment ap-
proache1. 1 kept my eye on my watch.
which L had carefully regulated, and
those distant peaks.
Was InspirationaI.
Presently l saw the great shadow
approaching. 1t was inspirational
cannot tell you just how it looked. 1t
did not look" at all; for first, l saw
the white clouds 100 miles distant melt
away from my view, as If they wer2
blotted out. There flashed thru my
mind the description of Isaiah touch
ing Gods forgiveness of sin: Il have
blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions." Then the great peaFs
and the massive snowbanks lost their
glitter and they too melted away. Now
there only remained that immense
cloud, over the range still all aglow
with light, for it was nearer than six
ty miles away. But 1t, too. in less
time than 1 can tell you, lost its lus-
ter, and absolutely disappeared from
view. Then 1 realized that the mar
Vellous shadow would be over me in
less than ten seconds. In a moment
like this one has to think with
lightning speed in order to take in the
surroundings. This was simply impos-
sible. In one hand 1 held at piece of
smoked glass or an exposed photo
graphic film. How I did long, at that
moment, for the privilege of viewing
the ragged edge OF the moon thru
big telescope, as outlined there in the
shadowy sky, now with its mountains
plainly visible thru the glass. The
great flashes of fire. shooting out from
the surface of the sun, looking, ike ten
thousand CLEANS of a fiery aurora
horealis, was a magnificent sight 10
behold. 1t remains for the astrono-
mer to analyze these fire-flashes: seen
SO maEniffcently during this eclipse
However, let US look around about
rs at this specific moment. All ma
ture seemed suddenly willing to sue
cumb to II e gloom OF night. In the
distance could be seen the twinkle OF
the electric lights in the city beneath
us. The darkness about me was tina
common at present IN Topeka at from
to $50 D. m. In the distance one
could discern buildings only in dim
outline The silence of the moment
was oppressive. The voice of the cock
was now stilled in awe. The dogs
howled and sought the companionship
of man. The entire brute creation
grew nervous, and even men felt
somehow that the world was akin to
the time OF the. first resurrection!
Then the Light Returned.
In a moment or two there comes
the welcome change of a returning
day First, I saw one hundred miles
away, a faint streak. ike a line of
molten silver. just at the edge of the
horizon. 1t was the reflection from
the clouds of the returning rays of
the sun falling beyond the moon, and
painting The clouds with Hight. Then
the great mountail peaks lifted their
heads aloft and the immense banks of
snow began to CLEAN out afar. Pres
emily. my great cloud bank began to
be resvrrected and snatc1es of light
were seen reaching the foothills, and
to speed down over the plains. The
great shadow, sixty miles across. had
rushed by me, and was on its 5000
mile journey to the Florida coast and
the Atlantic, which it would reach in
an hour and twenty minutes.
With a SIGH arose from the around