The Washington times., 1925-01-24
jabbering excitedly to their neigh

jabbering excitedly to their neigh
bors.
In the negro district of Harlem
AxcitAr1ent was intense among the
superstitious and there were some
who actually thought the lend or
1 the world" was coming. In oIqen
DAVIS before science gave the ex-
nlanation. men killed themselves
| in eclipse time to propitiate what
was thought to be the wrath or
the gods.
Strikingly spectacular methods to
obtain scientific Information were
brought into play. At 5:40 O'Clock
| the giant naval dirigible Los An,
eeIes took off from her hangar at
If,akehurst, N. J., with the greatest
fIvinr scientific laboratory ever
nlaced on board an airShip to view
fha eclipse and take photographs at
as close range az possible, g height.
VI 1 0,USV before o'clock planes
took the air from Mitchell Field.
Here thirty-five army planes, the
greatest concentration Of fighting
aircraft since the war, had waited
ali night for a favorable opportunity
to take the air.
Scientists Are Busy.
Thirteen astronomical laboratories
lying in the path of the black
shadow trained telescopes, spectre
scopes and other scientific instru-
ments on it. Scores of expeditions
viewed it from improvised labor
atories.
Scientists from all parts OF the
globe were at the Yale ObServa-
q n.
Gated In the direct center or the
path OF totality. Great crowds
hacked the Yale campus land en-
virons. Similar conditions prevailed
at Poughkeepgie, N. Y, also in the
center OF the totality belt.
Many scientists. students and
laynen scaled the famous Mount
Beacon, $500 feet above sea level,
to see the spectacle.
Fifteen airplanes left Mitchell Field
shortly before o'clock with OBJ
servers, and others were leaving
every few minutes. 1t was ex-
pected that at fewest fifteen more
would take to the air. These army
planes carried motion pictures and
still camera photographers and
newspaper writer's.
Interference on Radio.
Some OF the radio broadcasting
stations in New York and Newark,
N. T., reported inability to pick up
signals from the dirigible Los
Angeles, because Of the dominance
of their waves by more powerful
stations.
It was 5 below zero when the
Los Angeles left its Lakehurst
hangar. The scientists, photog-
raphers and others privileged to
make the trip were dressed for
the occasion. The ship was cast
off by a ground crowd OF 800
marines and sailors.
The ship headed northeast and
was barely visible in the morning
murk. 1t was planned to fly over
Lakewood, Asbury Park, and up
the coast for thirty miles, then out
over the ocean toward Nantucket
lightship. The temperature at
4 600 feet which was the normal
cruising altitude, was Is below
zero when the vessel got away.
Forty-two persons were aboard.
AS the hands of the clock turned
toward o'clock those viewing the
spectacle in New York could see
the moon gradually blotting out the
sun.
Slowly Blotted Out.
Slowly but steadily the black
cut into the sun became larger,
and at 9 o'clock the sun was dimin-
ished to a glowing white crescent
embracing the dead blackness of
the moon.
1t was a beautiful sight, a, pic
ture worthy of the hand of the
greatest artist. Frequent express
sions of awe apd amusement went
up from the assembled throng
gazing upward from the earth at
the great celestial drama that was
being played by the sun, moon and
stars across the heavens.
At OIL the eclipse had reached
totality in upper New York. An
eerie darkness shrouded Manhattan
above 10th street, in which the
throngs of watchers appeared as
smudgy black masses, hushed and
intently alert to the rare spectacle.
The period Of total eclipse passed
quickly as the moons shadow raced
eastward.