Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-09-24
hrom The Commercial .aduertiser.
AURORA BOREALlS.


are in forty.one. was seen from the city OF
New York and many other parts Oh the "i'eu
States in great splendor on the nights Oh Mo"'
d.v and Tuesday The 27th and 2sth OF august
For the qualification of those VINO dia NOT see
il on either night, or the bright arch whicn pas
Sod over the city on Tuesday night, ana LOT
the information of those who may Dr. dlspPo'-
ed to speculate upon the causes oil sh' Sc IN
terpstine phenomena. propose TO tscrioe
their appearance, and to give bret account
of the weather imm diately before and al'er
On Saturday the 25th of August the wlnd was
North EastrrIy, the sky cloudy, and the ar
cool: and there were srong lndica IONS OIL an
approaching North East storm. Eary OF
Sunday morning it commenced raining anu
raincd very heavily on SUNDAY ana M ID
day. The wind was fresh on sunday, Out
could scarcely be called gale. In the alter
noon Of Monday the wind backed rouha 20
the West OF North, and it cleared OF Eary IN
the evening thick clouds, tie remnants Of the
materials nf the storm, were seen Heating IN
the West, from North to South, few degrees
above the horizon The moon went down at
eighteen minutes past nine o'c'oca, and few
minutes after the sky in the north appeared
very bright, as if illum mated by distant hre.
7 Immediately went 10 the third story OF We
ry eleva ed building on the west side OF Broad
Wv. and from window saw very extraordi-
n..ry light in the north. To obtain il possible
still BITTER view of 1t, proceeded immediate
" o the roof of he house an ele' alton u IL
bou, ninety feet above the street, whio h ene6led
me 10 overlook the VIII lie city. aid afforded
clear view Of the horizon in every dire, uon
| From this situa ion was seen broad band OF
bright light, in the form of long low arch,
sire ching rrand from five to SIX points OF The
compass, and extending in the centre few de-
grees abrve the h riznn, and the north star di-
rectly over tn centre Of it Immediately un
der he arr h, an apparently extending from
the horizon to the under par; of it, there was
pretty d rk thick cloud. In this arr h, and i'm
mediat"ly under it, on the upper part OF the
dark cloud whrle tie arch and cloud seemed TO
touch each other. we're Two remarkably bright
spots; one near the eastern, and the other near
,be western extremity of The arch; and rom
those spo's, LARGE quantity Of bright light, OF
| a circular form, seemed 10 issue and 10 rise to
a small distance above the arch. Shortly after
similar spots Of bright light appeared, at var-
GUS distances ftnm one another, all along the
arch, and from these the lights seemed TO issue,
and 10 rise TO various heights above the arch.
About II o'clock a new app arance present.
ed itself A number OF perpendicular bright
white columns or pillars, apparently several
degrees in length, were seen in quick success
sion moving horizontally ands apparently di-
rectIy over the arch from the eastern to the
western extremity Of it. These columns or
pillars were wholly invisible until they came
within the range OF the arch, or is light, and
disappear the moment they passed It, Up
on refl .ction was inclined to think that these
columns or pillars were vapor in that form,
driv'n along or uvrr,he arch BY Gu rent Of wind
& Illuminated b, tn, bright light Of the arch or Of
the light which produce the arch a. hey anne
and passed within its range. rhe brightness
Immediately above the western extremity Of
the arch. and in that part of the heavens where
these columns had disappeared seemed to be-
come more vivid Immediately afterwards. Not
long after these column, or pillars had disap-
peared, tn" dark cloud beneath the arch seem
ed to be rising, and by half past eleven o'clock
or whereabouts had covered the arch, and had
spread owe, considerable section Of the sky
and in short time afterwards was driven by
the wind to the south east, as the arch again
appeared as bright as before Sometime after
this the horizon beneath the arch again be-
came darkened a. before, and another dark
cloud seemed to occupy the place Of that which
had risen and been dispersed
About half past twelve O'Clock. there " q: an
other and very extraordinary display-a row Of
pillars Of extreme beauty and brightness APP
peared all at once standing along OF on the arch
and extending apparently from five 20 ten de-
grees above it. They appeared 10 be at equal
distances from one another, but Of unequal
heights. This colonnade remained for one or
two minutes and vanished.
Shortly afterwards, bright spots again ap
peared in the arch, as in the former part Of the
night, and from which large quantities of brigh,
light seemed 10 issue, and to extend, as before,
TO une quail heights above The arch. These ap-
pearances continued in greater or less degrees
Of magnitude and briIIiancy, until the light Of
day in,ermingled with the ligh, of,he Aurora;
and the light of the North was lost in the ligh.
Of the East, or ceased to be distinguishable
from 1t.
There may have been some other displays Of
il which were not egsby me; but, as was We
~ anxious to see an Aurora Borealis, and
watched its appearances, with some intermis-
siors of a few minutes, from half past nine o.
clock until broad day light in the morning, il is