SCHENECTADY - As we approach the solar eclipse on April 8, we thought it would be interesting to delve into our archives and revisit our coverage of the last total solar eclipse that was visible from New York State. This event took place almost a century ago, on January 24, 1925.
Just like the forthcoming eclipse, the Capital Region was not in the path of totality during the 1925 event. The path of totality ran south of the region. This year, the best viewing spots are to the north and west.
On a chilly January morning in 1925, a group of Schenectady residents boarded a train to Saugerties to witness the total eclipse. They were anxious about whether they would arrive in time for the spectacle. According to our report, which was rich in detail but lacked photographs, they made it just in time.
“The sky turned a deeper and deeper shade of indigo – strange shadows, double-edged and foreboding – and then the radiant abyss of the heavens suddenly filled with stars,” our report read.
The story was featured on the front page of the Gazette’s first edition following the event, which was published that Monday. Also on the front page of the Gazette’s January 26, 1925 edition was an Associated Press report about the reopening of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt, less than three years after its discovery.
Interestingly, while the article mentioned “Schenectadadians,” no quotes from any of the train passengers were included. The report simply provided a vivid description of the ordinary – and extraordinary.
However, in our archive searches, we found references to Union College students and students from the old Woestina High School in Rotterdam Junction who were expected to be on the eclipse train.
The students from Woestina considered the trip ”well worth the effort,” according to a note published a few days later. “There was a lot of anxiety caused by the delay of the train in getting started and other interruptions along the way. The tension was finally relieved when the train arrived at the station just in time for the totality.”
Read our full report from the Saugerties eclipse train below:
Whole Trip Thrills Schenectadians
Jan. 26, 1925/Schenectady Gazette
Excursion to Saugerties Keeps Everyone on Edge Until Final Exhibit
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Agree, great historical information.
Agree – fascinating read