The Washington times., 1925-01-23
D. c. TALKS.
ONL Y Of
ECLIPSE
HaIf-MilIion to Get Up Early
To Witness Phenomena
In Heavens

If a visitor from Mars should
volplane into the National Capital
tomorrow morning between 8 and
8 o'clock he will find practically
the entire half-million of Washing
tons inhabitants, from blear-
eyed ancients to precocious chill
dren with elliptical legs and swad-
ding clothes, cluttering the streets
and gazing with rapt attention
skyward.
He would find bewhiskered SCI
entists tearing through space in
airplanes, endeavoring to beat Old
Sol in the Celestial Handicap.
Fair Weather Decreed.
ErstwhiIe dignified lawmakers
will be found leaning out of the
Capitol windows, peering heaven
ward through smoked glasses, all
thoughts Of French indebtedness
and rental legislation forgotten.
In short all Washington is today
preparing for one OF the most stu
pepdous spectacles 1t has ever been
its lot to witness-the long.heraided
eclipse.
The weather gods decree. fair
weather tomorrow. From 1855 a. m.
until 9:04 the moon will edge across
nn nH In en- IN
o'clock the moon will be passing on
and by 1922 o'clock the eclipse will
have passed away.
The eclipse will not be total in
Washington, scientists declare. Only
95 per cent totality will be
reached here. In New York and
vicinity there will be total dark
ness. but in Washington and con-
tiguous territory the effect will be
like that of twilight.
How to See Eclipse.
Just what must Washingtonians
do In order to witness the eclipse
to the best advantage?" is the
widespread query in the Capital
today. Here are a few pointers:
Obtain piece Of ordinary win
dow glass or discarded spectacles.
Hold the glass over a match or
candle until the surface is thor
oughIy smoked. Then look through
the smoked glass at the phenome.
non.
Old Photographic films also can
be used to advantage by eclipse
gaZers. Each film should be bound
with cardboard and one or more
withdrawn as the sun is gradually
covered.
Washington optometrists today
sounded note of warning to per-
sons watching the eclipse. 1t is
easy, they aver. to seriously inn
pair the vision of the eye by look
ing directly at the eclipse without
the aid Of smoked glasses or some
similar device. Even with smoked
glasses care should be exercised
not to look at the sun too steadily
for any length Of time.
No Lights In ID. c. Streets
Washington police are not bit
alarmed by dispatches from New
York and Philadelphia to the eff
feet that authorities in those cities
are taking unusual precautions
against banditry and highway rob-
berry during the eclipse.
Lights will be turned on in New
York, but in Washington the
authorities see no need for street
illumination, inasmuCh as the
eclipse will not be total here.
Seven astronomers from the
United States Naval Observatory
are at I.akehurst today preparing
for an observation flight tomorrow
on the Los Angeles. The party is
headed by Captain Edwin r. Pol
took, superintendent OF the observa-
tory.
Others in the scientific party in
clude Captain +. b. Littell. mathe
matician and astronomer; Doctor
George II. Peters, astronomer and
authority on the suns corona, and
Doctor G.. w. Watts. astronomer,
all of the Naval Observatory; Doc
tor &. G. keiss, physicist, OF the
Bureau of Standards; Lieutenant
w. l.. Richardson. naval reserve
force, photographer of the Bureau
OF Aeronautics. and A. * Peter
son, chief photographer. e. S. NJ,