The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-09-01
CLOUDS RUIN WORK
| OF MANY OBSERVERS
AS MOON Wells SUN
'0ne important Radio Discovery
and Queer Experiences
Are Recorded
TWO PERSONS FRIGHTENED
Cows Come Home For Milking
in Some Areas, Excited
Birds Go to Bed

Boston. Mass. Sept. l. = (P - Ono
important radio discovery. several new
scientific feats, and some queer human
experiences summed up Thursday the
accomplishments Of the So total
eclipse expeditions.
Clouds completely ruined the work
of more than half the largest expe-
ditions. but few had perfect views
Two persons were reported so fright.
encd at Island Pond, as to require
medical attention.
A disguised sightseer at another big
eclipse expedition camp, where clouds
dimmad the corona. dropped his eye
shield and worked cross word puzzle
during "totality."
The "cows came home" for milking
at number Of farms. FlocIls OF birds
got wildly excited then Gained down
and diyed from sight, evidently put
ting up, bird fashion. for the night
The radio discovery throws new
light on the invisible layer of electri-
fled air---the Kennedy -Heaviside layer
which reflects radio waves back tc
earth. AS the sun passed completely
from sight. radio reception on special
setups changed abruptly to sunset con-
ditions.
Then for the minute and half
while the sun was completely dark
ened. the test radio waves behaved
almost precisely as If it were night
Their action showed that in the dark
ened sky the waves were ascending
much higher before being reflected
back to earth. 1t was announced this
showed the invisible layer had alb
ruptly retreated much higher under
cover of darkness.
Temperance Brings Change
When the sun reappeared, the radio
reception changed back to daytime
conditions. as it does at sunrise. The
layer apparently had been forced
down closer to earth.
The miracle" of all observations
was reported by Prof S. L. Boothroyd
director of the Cornell university ex-
petition, stationed at Newport, VT, in
the midst of hopelessly thick clouds a
small hole appeared for two minutes
And in that hole was the total eclipse
r. c. Williams of Cornell forthwith,
made the first test of new process
he developed with G. B. Sabine Of
Cornell. He evaporated chromium tt
produce special mirror for observing
spectroscopically the invisible ultra
violet light from the corona.
| Fate was kindest of all to the Jap
aneSe expedition from the Tokyo i'm
perial observatory, under Prof. Okurof
Ottawa. They came the longest dis
| lance of any expedition and selected
Bartlett, N. H.. for their site.
But bad luck prevented them from
reaching Bartlett, so they scttlet
down at Alfred. Me. There the see
ing was perfect, while Bartlett wa
in the middle of the cloudy belt wher
numerous important expeditions hal
their hopes wrecked. In brie
statement after the eclipse the direc
tors described the Japanese work a
"eminently satisfactory"
Find 'Puddles' in Air
Evidently there are "puddles" in tn
air. Some astronomers reported tn
shadow bands were entirely miss
ing while others sighted them clearly
These bands are shadows ripplin
over earth during a total eclipse, as
lcribed to action of the atmosphere o.
light similar to that OF water whel
shadows can be seen fitting across
sandy bottom.
At Portland. Me-. John o. Lunt, G
the weather bureau. said he not onl
saw but measured the bands. The
were wavy lines, one quarter to one
half inch wide. He caught them O
a sheet.
Two eminent astronomers charge
the celestial express the moon
shadow was late. 1t was two or thre
seconds behind schedule, said D
Frederick Slocum of Wesleyan uni
versity, observing at Center Conwa,
IN. H.
1t was ten seconds late. said D
Philip Fox. director of the Adler plar
etarium, Chicago, who observed at Il
land Pond, vt.
Something must be done about tn
hardness, in the opinion OF astronon
ers. for extremely refined accurac
about the moons motion is the has
Of practical calculations used by MAJ
and particularly Of the tide char
used by sailors.