Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-09
.OMAHANS GET
fine VIEW OF
sun ECLIPSE
Celestial Phenomena Arrives
on Schedule Time, at 5:19
P. NJ Scientists Climb
High for Photos.
Continued From Page Oneo
people have had to observe the phe-
nomena in, the last 18 years.

Continued From Page One)
people have had to observe the phe-
nomena in, the last l8 years.
Favorable for Study.
The United States this time was
especially favored by being able to
study and photograph the phenomena
from the many degrees of altitude and
the divergent atmospheric conditions
that prevailed from Aberdeen, Wash
to Orlando, Fla. This line of totality
was so miles wide across the CONT
nent.
Photographing of the eclipse by
scientists was hampered by the fail
ure Of some of the best apparatus that
this country can boast being shipped
here from Russia, where it had been
taken for previous observation.
1t had been shipped to Vladivostok,
but before it could be loaded on a
vessel for the United States the boil
sheviki staged an eclipse of their own
with the car for the sun and this
caused delay.
Probably the most interested group
of observes of the eclipse in the world
were the scientists stationed at the
observatory of the University of Den
yer. This was under the direction of
Prof. Edwin B. Frost of the Yerkes
observatory.
This was the first time in the
worlds history when an observatory
equipped with powerful telescopes
was in the path of totality.
Pho ographs Of Corona.
Prot. Frost delegated to Prof. Paul
Bieheld of Dennison CO., university
the work of taking photographs of
.the suns corona, only visible during
eclipses and for the first time at
tempted. -..-.....
For this purpose 2l-inch telescope
was used and $1,000 was spent in pre-
pairing for the expedition and con-
structing special apparatus with
which to do the work of photograph
ing.
Another party of astronomers, for
emergency and as precaution
against cloudy weather, was stationed
at Green River, Wyo., to take similar
observations.
The scientists at Denver were dis
appointed, for heavy clouds obscured
sthe eclipse during the hours of total
sity. The men of science made the
best of it and went out to watch the
color effect on the clouds of ap-
preaching darkness. A sepulcher- like
pailor spread and a brilliant electrical
storm visible in the mountains many
miles to the southwest made up a
scene so uncanny as to seem unreal
At Baker, Ore, scientists were
Smore fortunate. Twilight set in at an
5untimely hour and this was followed
zby a deeper darkness, which caused
chickens to 60 to roost, birds to seek
their nests and twitter uneasily be.
cause Of the turning of day into night
Electric lights had to be turned or
indoors and street cars and automo-
biles had to have their headlights
burning. The darkness was as dense
as is usual at 10 o'clock at night.
Daylight Rapidly Restored.
Within few minutes after the
eclipse at Baker, which occurred
about 2::55 p. m, and passed a given
point in 120 seconds, daylight rapidly
returned.
Astronomers trained their glasses
and telescopes ON the phenomena in
an effort to read the riddle of the
{ heavens and to study and photograph
the suns corona and spectrum. II
{ will be days before the results at
tanned will be available for public in.
formation.
The eclipse touched the earth first
in the Pacific ocean south of Japan
South Bend, Wash, had the longest
period of totality in the United
States, the moons shadow there be.
ing &c miles in diameter and taking
two minutes and one second to pass
given point. The shadow became
smaller and relatively swifter as il
came inland and at Orlando, Fla.
where it left the United States, il
4 only took so seconds to pass given
point.
80 Towns in Path of Eclipse.
There were about 80 towns within
20 miles of the central line of totality
At Los Angeles, Cal, and Washing.
ton, D. c., extreme points far away
from the pathway of totality, the
moon covered three-fourths of the
suns disc.
At Baker, Ore, the color effects
were wonderful. The glowing ant
pulsating light threw crescent shaped
shadows OIL the earth and where
cloth was spread on the ground mys.
terious and unexplained shadow band.
were seen.
Scientists say the Baker eclipse
conditions were better than thos.
during the Sumatra eclipse, but no
so good as in Spain.
Hammond, of the naval observa
tory at Washington, D. c., flashsf
the time of the first contact report
ed from the five inch equatorial a
46 minutes and As seconds after
O'Clock. This revealed an error as i
was FIVE seconds earlier than figured
the mistake being due to slight or
ror in the computation of the moons
position.
Women Assist in Observations.
! Drs. Mary Murray Hapkins ant
Harriet Bigelow, of Smith college
were the only two women scientist.
who assisted in making observations
DR.. George H. Peters, of the nava
observatory, who has travelled all owe
/ the world studying eclipses, saw on'
for the first time in his life at Baker
On previous occasions he had to op
crate instruments in dark rooms.
Edward D. Adams and Kemptor
Adams of New York, and Howart
/ Russell Butler of Reno. New, paint
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