I caught the reference to Mac Oglesby's "dangerous" sundial. It reminded me
of my experience nearly two years ago when I was invited to my friend
Athelstan Spilhaus's home for a sundial party. The occasion was the
re-installment of the presentation sundial given to Athelstan upon his
retirement from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.
With his health failing, the sundial was being moved so he could see it
from his room on the ground floor.
Two of Athelstan's friends from NOAA had scouted the new site and poured a
concrete pad prior to the date of the installation - the winter solstice.
(The principals in this story shall remain nameless since their
professional positions at NOAA ... let's just say those positions might be
questioned.) When I arrived a short time prior to the noontime event, the
final preparations were being made and the pedestal dial awaited setting on
the pad bolts. I was introduced to the chief engineer of the operation and
was aghast at the bloody hole centered directly on his forehead. With a
little prodding by his associate, he admitted that in an attempt to get a
close up look at the detailed dial he speared his head on the 8 inch
stainless steel spike that formed the gnomon. Fortunately, it was not
serious.
The noontime moment approached to set the dial in place. This was
accomplished with just a few moments to spare and the wrenches were applied
to the hold down nuts. As a final check on alignment was called for, the
small crowd started to ease forward to get a better view of the gnomon
shadow... but there was none! The sun was shining brightly! As if we were a
school of fish, each of us began the simultaneous head and body turn to
find out what was wrong with the sun... and there it was just disappearing
behind the house chimney casting its shadow across the dial face.
I have concluded that this might be the first time a sundial (an expensive,
custom made one) has been used as a noon marker. We all got a chuckle out
of the experience, but the scientists were clearly egg-faced.
Perhaps there are a sufficient number of anecdotes and stories related to
sundials that might make a collection for publication or at least recording
in some annal.
Larry Bohlayer
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