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Show ECLlPaE OF THE SUN. Always an Object or Deep Interest to Astronomers. The earliest recorus of. solar eclipses are ascribed to Confucius. One of the eclipses of antiquity was famous for two events. One was that it was foretold fore-told by an astrologer, the year being 585 B. C, and the second was that its I alarming appearance stopped a battle bat-tle - between the Lydians and Medes. Formerly eclipses of the sun created terror among the beholders, and even today educated and intelligent people express a dread of the solemn and impressive im-pressive darkness. One who has witnessed wit-nessed a total eclipse gives this graphic description: "As much as five minutes before the total obscurity it may be possiole to detect strange waving lines of light and shade drawing draw-ing across the landscape. Then, with frightful velocity, the shadow of the moon is seen approaching, a tangible darkness advancing like a wall, swift as imagination, silent as doom. The immensity of nature never comes so near as then, and strong must be the nerves not to quiver as the blue-black shadow rushes upon the spectator with Ineredible speed. A vast palpitating palpi-tating presence sceni3 overwhelming the world. Bats emerge stealthily. An assembled crowd Is awed Into absolute ab-solute silence. It becomes curiously cold, and the chill is mental as well as physical." |