During this era, winters actually meant frigid weather.
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Monday’s solar eclipse may have been a rare and wondrous event for some, but for those who flocked to Sangamon State [University], as I did, to view it from the university telescope, it must represent the biggest mass hoax ever played on the city of Springfield. After waiting in a line which wound up a seemingly endless staircase and outside stretched along an extensive platform, I finally arrived at the booth where my nearly frostbitten feet were allowed to climb the ladder to the telescope, to gaze at least at the spectacle.
And what did I see? A round red disc with the top end missing. The sun to be sure, but after having spent two hours for a 15-second glimpse of what looked like an imperfect paper circle, I found it a cruel hoax indeed.
To be fair, I do wish to express my appreciation for the fact that Sangamon State so generously offered to share this astronomical occasion with the public, though I would have been infinitely more grateful had we been forewarned with a description of what, exactly, the telescope would reveal. As for the next eclipse – thanks, but no thanks.
