The Washington times., 1925-01-24
SCIENTIST AND LAYMAN
ALIKE ARE AWED
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19A6 Su
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the United States from Redwing
Mimi, to the Atlantic Ocean. II
began at o'clock, when the moon
first nibbled at the suns disk
reached the point of a total eclipse
in New York at GIL, plunging the
slowly passed eastward toward the
! Shetland Islands. At 1929 the last
vestige OF black left the sun end
the eclipse was over.
The most spectacular point OF
this most remarkable drama OF
modern history was seen in New
6 York city at GIL for a period Of
thirty seconds, when the dead
blackness OF the moonS coming be-
tween the sun and the earth, blot
ted the sun from view and turned
day into night.
Z Stars Shine Out
As the crescent OF the sun disap-
peAred from view, faint lights be-
gan to twinkle. They were, scien-
fists said, from the planets Venus.
{ Mercury and Jupiter.
Directly above the crescent APP
peared the star Altar. To the
south OF Affair could be seen Vega
and to the north Of Vega was
Deneb.
Stars could be seen piercing
through In many parts OF the sky.
The heavens for brief half min
ute were enblazoned like q moon
light night. Beads Of light from
the sun shot out for q second o.
two over the mountainous valleys
of the moon.
Finally the last beads Of light
from the sun winked out and the
total eclipse set in for its brief
period.
Scientists ana laymen viewed the
scene in awe. The scientists, with
TIL cir Photographic instruments
capable Of making accurate CO.
servations and records, spent
crowded, nervous few minutes.
. Get Photos In Air
Airplanes, high In the sky. gave
other scientists and newspaper men
q chance to make closeup" photo
graphs OF the phenomena.
Laymen gazed at the astral spec
tacle in establishment. They turned
to each other, passed smoked
glasses about and commented in All
excited fashion. Most Of them
frankly admitted they did not I'M
derstand it from its scientific
standpoint. but they were unani-
NOUS In voting it great show"
Scientists, eager that the layman
be not left in the dark-except, of
course, for that wonderful minute
or two-delivered talks to them
through the radio broadcasting sta
lions and they were listened to with
al much attention as q world series.
Crowds Gather Early.
Every hamlet. town and city in
the belt Of totality was choked
with dense crowds OF enraptured
sky gazers long before 8 o'clock
this morning when the black pen
cil'' began its spectacular sweep
across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Mich
to the ocean.
At gil o'clock the total eclipse OF
the Sun began, for New York City.
And New York, no less than else
where, was athrob with expectancy.
Business was practically at a stand
still. Many stores were closed.
Traffic just crawled along. The
populace, thrilled at the prospect OF
seeing this great spectacle that will
not be witnessed here again until
2024, virtually declared a forepoon
holiday Even the staid New York
Stock Exchange delayed its tiD1e7
honored hour Of opening so that it's
bulls and bears would not miss the
phenomena Of seeing night in day
time.
City of Darkness
At Oil most Of New York City
was plunged into absolute darkness
for about thirty seconds when the
moon passed directly between the
Sun and the earth. The length OF
the total eclipse at any point in the
shadow area depened upon the dis
lance Of the point of observation
from the center OF the 100 mile
strip. New Haven, Conn. at the
center, was to have two minutes Of
absolute eclipse: New York City at
thu northern border about 30 seconds.
The first nibble at the suns disk
was visible in New York city at
o'clock. It was a small nick in the
upper right-hand corner.
The weather at that hour was
clear and cold. about five degrees
weather conditions generally we're
favorable for Witnessing the eclipse,
with khe East experiencing some
what clearer conditions than cities
further west,
AZ o o'clock the sun was we'll up
over the clouds, almost red in hue.
Then slowly 1t turned to its natural
color of bright silver.
Men, women and children In
crowds thronged points Of vantage
20 view the spectacle. They went
to tops of high buildings. bridges,
to the decks Of ships in the harbor,
to the tall cliffs and the heights
in the environs of the city. Some
OF the most adventurous even
climbed telegraph poles.
ThrOngs in Streets.
Those unable to get good seats"
TO see the great drama that was
being enacted, stood in great
thronRs in the street gaping up
ward through smoked glasses. and