Marietta Daily Times, Saturday evening, January 24, 1925
Solar Eclipse Not Total Here But Is Great Spectacle.
Only Sliver Of Sun Is Visible.
Drop Of About 2 Degrees In Temperature Is Registered.
The world's most widely advertised spectacle, the most impressive display the skies can show, the much-heralded solar eclipse "played" Marietta on Saturday morning almost simultaneously with many other cities of the United States between 7:53 and 10:13 o'clock.
When the eclipse was at its zenith here the morning took on the appearance of evening with the sun's best efforts a feeble yellowish glow. All Marietta paused in the rush of the Saturday morning business to observe the phenomenon. Smoked glasses, old bits of film, bits of colored glass and patent eye shades were employed to break the strong rays of the sun, even though it was working under a handicap. The glow cast by the sun when the eclipse was at its zenith was rather enchanting. It made the blue sky stand out in peculiar contrast. The temperature here is reported to have dropped two degrees during the eclipse.
People Stand in Groups
People gathered in little crowds in various parts of the city, wherever a choice bit of smoked glass was offered for the viewing of the spectacle, and watched the moon swiftly passing between the sun and the earth. It was estimated that when the eclipse was at its zenith here, about 30 percent of the sun was hidden. The nearest totality here was at about 8:59 o'clock.
Weather conditions in Marietta were ideal for viewing the eclipse as the morning dawned clear. The Young Lady Across the Way reported that another advantageous condition was the fact that the sun was partly shaded by the moon, making it much easier to look at. But even at that many people found that even with their smoked glasses the sight was not the best for weak eyes.
Temperature Tested
John Kaiser reports his observations of the eclipse as follows: "The day dawned clear, and the east was perfectly clear of clouds, despite the promises of unsettled weather from the weather bureau, things assumed a more hopeful aspect."
"After the usual preliminary illumination the sun rose as proud and majestic as ever. And on the dot the eclipse began to put in its appearance; the upper right hand part of the sun was the first covered.
"I had climbed up on the roof of my home in order to get an unobstructed view of the entire sky. As the eclipse became more pronounced I noticed that the amount of frost on the roofs gradually increased. I hung out a thermometer at eight-thirty, just thirty-five minutes after the eclipse had begun, and at eight-forty took a reading and found it to be nineteen degrees farenheit. Ten minutes later there had been a drop of two degrees, and this was as cold as it got during the eclipse.
"It is wonderful that the human mind can figure out with such rare accuracy such occurrences. I found Professor Coar's advice about the use of old films just the thing, especially in connection with the use of field glasses.
"Fortunately the prevailing winds were from the south, so Marietta observers were not bothered by the smoke of the city."
No comments:
Post a Comment