604 



The National Geographic Magazine 



around Daroca was kindly of- 

 fered Professor Eichelberger, 

 the chief of the party, for a 

 small rental. Here the in- 

 struments and camp were set 

 up. The polar axis was soon 

 in place and covered by an 

 awning to shield it from the 

 wind and sun. 



the; program for the ships 



seen luis \_anii 



Deck of the Minneapolis During Eclipse 



show why Hannibal during his conquer- 

 ing march to the Roman capital had to 

 wait so long to procure its surrender, 

 which he did under a promise to spare 

 the lives of its inhabitants, but which 

 promise he kept by killing every one of 



lll&lLL. 



Under the kindly concessions of the 

 railroad company, our party disembarked 

 personnel and material at Daroca by July 

 29. With nearly every inch of available 

 land in Spain under cultivation, it is no 

 easy matter to find a location for an 

 eclipse camp. The blowing sands from 

 the alkali plains of the highlands would 

 ruin the instruments in no time, and a 

 large grass field was about the only suit- 

 able place which would answer the re- 

 quirements. Fortunately the use of the 

 only grass plot in the whole region 



com- 

 pleted, the instruments in- 

 stalled, and the party assem- 

 bled, let me refer you to the 

 program for the ships. 



Notwithstanding the con- 

 cessions made by the railroad 

 companies in Spain to the 

 eclipse expedition, it was 

 found that the expenses of 

 transportation were such a 

 drain on our resources that I 

 decided to retain the drafts- 

 man detailed for the Daroca 

 party with those who were to 

 remain on board the Minne- 

 apolis. The ship accordingly 

 had a double force with which 

 to make drawings of the 

 eclipse phenomena, and thus 

 equipped Captain Miller was 

 ordered to take station with his vessel on 

 the center line of totality, about a mile 

 from the east coast of Spain. Here the 

 artists had a fine view of the landscape, 

 reaching over the coast line and far into 

 the mountains. 



Astronomers have tried in vain to 

 photograph the moon's shadow as it 

 sweeps over the land at the moment of 

 totality, and it was thought that even did 

 we not procure a photograph of this de- 

 sirable feature of the eclipse, a good 



rlpsfrinfior! C~A l* miO'Vi* h/=> tnarlp hir r>nr 



U^.SUlJLiL»VH Wi 11 A.XJ.^1.11. ^v* li.i^.u.v, .-/_, ^~. 



large force of observers. 



For the purpose of photographing the 

 shadow bands, the ship's deck was cov- 

 ered with white sheeting and screens of 

 the same colored cloth were erected per- 

 pendicular thereto. It was hoped to catch 

 with the camera the lights and shades 



