Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-01-24
NOTABLES WATCH
COMING OF WEIRD
ECLIPSE TWILIGHT
Continued from First Page.)


before any one except the Astronomers
knew it.
If some one had pushed a dark pur-
pie piece of cardboard, with round
corners, over the end of the telescope.
the effect was almost the same. One
or two Of the observers saw the object
crawl into view and began feverishly
working the mysterious instrument
controls, thinking they had somehow
thrown II out of focus. They forgot
that they were seeing the moon as It
is. a cold. lightless. dead planet, when
deprived of the light of the sun.
Comes at Snail Pace.
At snail pace the darker object
overcame the light one in the big
telescopes, while feet began to freeze
and noses turned blue in the face of
the singing temperatures nature
hurled at the observers, for all the
world as though she would drive
them from the scene of the complete
humiliation of her greatest master
piece known 10 mantle sun. But
the watchers were adamant and suf-
fered in consequence.
When. at about $40 o'clock the
sun began to show like a quarter of
an orange Prof. Halls pilots began
to ask when IL would start to get
dark. There was no perceptible
change in the degree of light prevail
ing. 1t was not until perhaps 15 min
utes before the 95 per cent of totality
had been reached. however, that the
difference was noticeable.
Light Fails slowly.
Then the light slowly began to fail.
Turning from their Instruments the
watchers at the Observatory looked
from their high perch down upon
Washing ton: Long shadows Were
distant buildings and a peculiar.
weird light instantly began to seize
everything in sight. The minute of
Washington's closest approach to to-
tally was near at hand
1t came with the same effect one
might notice by slow dimming an
electric light. Just as the dusk reach
ed the point where II was expected
to suddenly turn into true night, the
scenes We're shifted again the
shadows began to retreat, the houses
OF distant Washington were slowly
assuming their more natural hues--
the eclipse was passing, the moons
victory was brief, and in a few min
utes the sun would once more be
master of the earth
All Are Silent.
Whatever Disappointment might have
resulted from Washington's inability
to see the suns corona because of
Its geographic position was almost
made up by the thrill of that minute
and a half when one did not know
whether to hope II would get darker
or lighter The impressiveness of the
phenomenon in the heavens sileQced
every. voice at the observatory, and
eyes were kept fixed on the scene far,
far above.
The dimness did not become more
acute than the semi darkness that
precedes a severe thunderstorm in
the Summer time. The light, how
ever was so peculiar that 1t drew ex-
clamation from nearly every one on
the observatory roof. With the
eclipse past it's peak and the sun
rapidly emerging from behind the
moon, the visitors lost no time In
getting back to earth and left the
astronomers to complete their own
important work.
Wait for Results.
What scientific benefits might have
been derived from the eclipse will not
be known for hours, at least, and
perhaps several days. The corona
OF the sun, visible only in the area
Of complete totality. is expected to
furnish any new revelations that
might have been possible. and these
will not come to light until the thou
sands of photographs that were made
are developed.
Scarcely had the eclipse passed it's
maximum here before the observa-
tory began receiving Geographic mes
sages from the stations lying within
the shadow of totally. The first of
these was from the dirigihle Los An
geles, while still 5000 feet in the
air taking observations with mem
bers of the observatory stan. The
message announced that the observa-
tions had been completed and that
ideal atmospheric conditions had pre-
vailed.
Although conditions here were ex-
cellent for observation, it was not
until the last phases that the Naval
Observatory experts were able to OBJ
tain photographs. The sun was 50
low that their instruments which had
to be mounted close to the ground,
were INSTRUCTED by trees and shrub
berry. Messages from northern sta
tions reported excellent conditions.
however, and scientists are waiting
anxiously for the results.