The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-26
BY CAPT. F. HELLwEG, U. S. N.



BY CAPT. F. HELLWEG, u. S. N.
Superintendent u. s. Naval Observatory
copyright. 1882. by United Press
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-Our
inimitable Will Rogers scored one
of his biggest hits as a result of an
eclipse. Thousands of Americans
have seen him in his representation
of Sir Boss in the Yankee in King
Arthur's court.
II it hadn't been for the eclipse
that occurred at the instant King
Arthur had been persuaded by his
court magician to burn the Yankee,
the rest of the story could not have
been told.
Eclipses always have thrilled the
world and frequently have terrified.
Prior to astronomical knowledge,
frightful acts of brutality urged by
ignorance, superstition, and fear
were not uncommon. If the Yankee
in King Arthur's court had not been
able apparently to blot out the
SUM- he would have been burned at
the stake.
Fear Brought Peace
Ancient history records that in the
midst of battle, an eclipse occurred
and the contending armies not only
stopped fighting, but declared peace
What must have been their fear?
In ancient China, where human
life always has been valued lightly
two astronomers were beheaded be-
cause an eclipse was blamed on
them.
Even today, although we know
what causes an eclipse, the most
phlegmatic person can not throw
off that awe, that overpowering APP
prehension when the shadow Of the
moon sweeps on him with such
frightful velocity.
It is small wonder that animals
in the field and birds in the air
think that night has come. The
animals either lie down in the fields
for the night or start for the barn,
and the birds, with little startled
chirps, fly to their nests.
Try This Stunt
Take an orange or a ball and
holding it in front of you at arms
length, shut one eye and look past it
at some large building in the dis
tance.
You will be surprised how much
of the large building is hidden be-
hind the orange or ball. That is
exactly what happens during an
eclipse. The orange or ball is the
moon, the distant building is the
sun, and your eye is the earth.
If you are in position on the
earth's surface where the eclipse is
total, the moon will blot out the
sun. It will eclipse the sun.
Owing to the relative sizes of the
sun, moon, and earth, and the dis
tances separating them, the path of
totality on the earth's surface is
relatively narrow. only about 100
miles when compared with ninety
three million miles, the suns dis
lance from the earth.
Easy to Understand
To continue the description of the
eclipse: Take the youngsters into
room, place an electric light at one
end of a table and hold the orange
or ball on the end of stick at the
other end. Have some one turn out
all other lights in the room.
Holding paper at arms length,
sweep it slowly through an arc be-
hind the orange. Note that as soon
as the paper is behind the orange,
the shadow of the orange can be
seen plainly on the paper.
That is all there is to a complete
understanding of an eclipse. If your
lighting and other arrangements are
correct, you can reproduce the varl-
Gus steps of the eclipse.
If you take a position more than
fifty miles to either side of the CEN
trail line of totality, you will see only
a partial eclipse.
The following approximate per-
centages of a total eclipse will be
seen at points stated
Indianapolis and Chicago, about
sc cent; New York, 95 per cent;
Boston, 80; Providence, r. l., SO;
Philadelphia, 90; Baltimore, 81;
Washington, 90; Richmond, 49,;
Tampa and Key West, Fla, SO; New
Orleans, so; Denver, so; Salt Lake
City, 40; Galveston, Tex, so; Seattle,
Wash, 40; San Francisco and Los
Angeles TX