Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-24
Thousands from Outside Path Of
Totally Will Journey in Special
Trains to Watch the Solar ECLIPSE

Boston, Jan. 23-Hundreds Of sci.
entific observers and millions of New
Englanders were prepared tonight te
arise betimes tomorrow to view the
solar eclipse as the shadow of the
moon races eastward across the
northeastern territory and out into
the Atlantic. Scientists on land and
sea and in the air will view the
phenomenon should the promise OF
fair weather hold good.
With cloudy skies forecast for
other sections along the path of to-
tally, observations to be made in the
brief minutes of darkness in the
northeastern states. favored with q
prediction Of clear weather. have as
sumed heightened Importance.
Hours before the beginning of the
eclipse at about o'clock, Is special
railroad trains carrying thousands Of
passengers will have begun moving
toward points Of vantage within the
area to be darkened. Many other OBJ
servers using various other means
OF transportation will enter the re-
gioE to swell the numbers who had
stationed themselves along the route
of the shadow tonight. But within
the band of totality and outside from
Maine to Rhode Island watchers will
wait for the eclipse.
The Boston police department and
business houses throughout New
England gave recognition to the
eclipse. the former by issuing special
orders to safeguard life and property
during the excitement and the period
of darkness Just after 8 o'clock: the
latter by suspending the opening of
stores and offices until 10 O'Clock
when the suns face will again have
become almost wholly visible.
Westerly. II. l., will be host to thou
sands of visitors. Three hills in the
Rhode Island town have been selected
as observation points. Scientists, how
ever, will be spread along the entire
path of the flying shadow and even
will be offshore aboard the coastguard
cutter Tampa, where important expert
ments on the effects of light and other
forces as affecting radio waves will be
conducted. Two army airplanes from
the Boston airport have been ordered
carry HUH lhC AsAnSSa
chusetts Institute of Technology aloft.
Harvard astronomers and assisting
amateurs with and without the
shadow stripe will carry out observa-
lions with scientists from many other
educational institutions.
The aid of Boy Scouts has been en-
listed by scientists in seeking to de-
termine the exact edges of the hum
bred mile-w wide shadow.
Harvard scientists will especially
watch an exceedingly elusive phenom-
ena-the fash spectrum. TWO mani
festations, mysterious brilliant
flash. occur. The first comes as the
edge Of the moon begins to overlap
the edge of the sun. and the second as
the two edges separate. Two 16-1nch
telescopes and 24-inch telescope Will
be trained on the sun and moon at the
Cambridge observatory OF Harvard 10
gain some knowledge of the flash.
The Boston police department $
included the detailing or
zoo additional officers to patrol duty
during the clipse. At Westerly. Il.
T. the police force has been augmented
and the national guard enlisted to pre-
serve order Boy Scouts Will gulde
visitors as an aid to observers. Ihe
electric lights of the town Will not De
turned on.