wer was that the sky was getting dark,
and that there were no clouds anywhere near the Sun. At that time the
Moon's shadow was travelling across the open waters of the Pacific. It
rapidly rushed along; totality came and went at Willows; a two minutes'
glimpse of the Corona was had, and the Corona swept rapidly eastwards.
After a brief interval Professor Pickering sent off from Willows a
telegram which began--"_Alaska_, _China_, _Corsica_," and then the
connection failed. The break was located somewhere between California
and Utah, and more than half an hour elapsed ere the circuit was
re-established, and the rest of the message received. The remainder of
the thrilling incidents of that eventful day cannot possibly be better
told than in Mrs. Todd's crisp and striking language[111]:--

"During this interval the lunar shadow, advancing over Montana and
Dakota, had left the Earth entirely, sweeping off again into space.
Still, however, the prospect that the telegraph might win the race was
hopeful. Had New York been located in the eclipse path as well as
Willows, with both stations symmetrically placed, the total eclipse
would have become visible at New York about an hour and a quarter after
the shadow had left California. Thus there was time to spare. Having
recovered the wire, Professor Pickering's message was completed at
10h. 36m. [G.M.T.], the cypher translated, and the stenographer's notes
were written out and despatched to the composing-room six minutes later.
The "copy" was quickly put in type, and the hurried proof handed to
Professor Todd at 10h. 50m., exactly an hour of absolute time after the
observations were concluded. Had the Moon's shadow been advancing from
California toward New York, there was still a margin of several minutes
before the eclipse could become total at the latter place. In point of
fact, while the proof sheet of the first message was being read, the
lunar shadow would have been loitering among the Alleghanies. Man's
messenger had thus outrun the Moon. The telegraphic reports of the other
astronomers were gradually gathered and put in type, and the forms of
the _Herald_ were ready for the stereotyper at the proper time, some
two hours after midnight. At 3 o'clock a.m. the European mails closed,
and the pouches put on board the steamship _Aller_ carried the usual
copies for the foreign circulation. Within twenty-four hours after the
observations of the eclipse were made near the Pacific coast,