New-York tribune., 1918-06-02
Indian Confronts
Eclipse With a Pistol

~AA>~AI<AA will OtltS
Eclipse With Pistol
One vivid description at hand bears
record of the effect of an eclipse on a
savage tribe-the Indians on Fort Sill
reservation during the eclipse of 1874
Some of the Indians" the account
says, threw themselves upon their
knees and invoked the divine blessing:
others flung themselves fat on the
ground, face downward; others cried
and yelled in frantic terror. Finally
one old fellow stepped from the door
OF his lodge. pistol in hand. and. fixing
his eyes on the darkened sun, mumbled
few unintelligible words and raising
his arm took direct aim at the
luminary, fired off his pistol, and after
throwing his arms about his head in a
series of extraordinary gesticulations
retreated to his own quarters" As it
happened, just at that moment the sun
emerged from its eclipse, and the
Indians firmly believed that the pistol
shot had done 1t.
The phenomena of eclipses are re-
counted in every popular astronomy
the waving shadow-lines that appear
upon the earth just before total dark
ness; the brilliant spouts of colored
flame which shoot from the suns rim
forming the corona; the huge spots
visible on the suns surface, Just be-
lore totalityI the molntains which can
be seen on the edge Of the moon: the
fascinating colors visible among the
clouds on the horizon; the strange
darkness which overspreads the earth.
giving to the faces of people a sickly
llvid hue, and the bright stars that an
pear in the heavens at midday.
The Eclipse and
Daylight Saving Clock
1t would be pleasant to record that
New YORK Will see some or all of these
sights. But, alas, they appear only in
the case Of complete totality. New
I fork will get out its smoked glass
iordinary glass with ordinary match
smoke) and will observe the passage of
the moon, obscuring 6s per cent of the
suns surface. But there will be no
trimmings.
However, this is sufficiently unusual.
and the hour and minute may we'll be
given. The first contact with the
moons shadow will occur at 6:32 D. m.
The eclipse will be at it's maximum at
1925, and the last notch of black will
leave the suns surface at 8:1e, shortly
before sunset These calculations
have been corrected in accordance with
the daylight-saving clock.
What will be seen by people fortu-
nate enough to be sojourning in
Denver or Jackson next Saturday IA
enough to make New Workers envious.
Your genuine eclipse fancier will get
him up on high mountain, where he
will have view of the country for
miles around. He will see the suns
surface notched by the edge of tho
moon, will see the shadow gain ground.
or sun; will witness the final approach
to totality Then, according to one of
the most vivid descriptions, "the actual
shadow of the moon is seen approach
ing lat rate of some thirty-five miles
second), a tangible darkness, advanc-
ing almost like wall, swift as
imagination. silent as doom. The i'm
mensity of nature never comes quite
SO near as then. and strong must be
the nerves not to CULVER as this blue
black shadow rushes upon the spec-
tator with incredible speed. A vast,
palpable presence seems overwhelming
the world. The blue sky changes to
gray or full purple, speedily becomes
more dusky, and death-like trance
seizes upon everything earthly. Birds.
with terrified cries, fly bewildered for
moment, and then silently seek their
! night quarters. Bats emerge stealthily.
An assembled crowd is awed into abso-
Lutte silence. Then out upon the dark
ness, grewsome but sublime. flashes the
glory of the incompatible corona, a
silvery, soft, unearthly light with
radiant streamers stretching at times
| millions of uncomprehended miles into
space, while the rosy. flaming protuber-
ances skirt the black rim Of the moon
in ethereal splendor. II becomes Curl
ousiy cold, dew frequently forms, and
the chill is perhaps mental as well as
physical.
Suddenly, instantaneous as a light
ming flash, an arrow of actual sunlight
strikes the landscape, and the earth
comes to life again"
Clearly, the savage may be excused
for believing the end Of the world has
come.
All these phenomena are confidently
predicted, for science has brought
these prophecies to the finest mathe-
matical point, except that
Oh. we forgot. II the weather is
cloudy, there won't be any show. The
weather man down on Battery Place
will not offer any assurances, except 10
say that 'the probabilities are reason
ably good" for clear weather.
So, if it is cloudy or rainy on Satur-
day afternoon we shall just have 10
grin and bear it, Put away your
smoked glass until January 24. io2S.
when the world will be In a more
peaceful frame of mind for eclipses
And if this turns sour, too, don't be
discouraged. Just wait till February
20, 1879.
| There will be dandy eclipse then