American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-09-04

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From tic Wen Fork Commercial .7dsrriser, .7ugust 90
ATMospHERIcAL Looking down
the Bay Sunday last. in the direction Of the
Narrows, VIC witnessed deception of the sight,
which made Us think one Cotton Mather's miracles
no longer apochrypha We alude to that by
which the early settlers Of New Haven were So
much alarmed. They had long been expecting
The return Of supply ship, OH board Of which
were many of their friends. At length, on a la-
ny day, they saw ship in the air with all her
sails BENT and the illusion perfect tina, they
fancied she was in the haIbor, making her way
calamity to the dock. When 10 a mast fell one
way-another broke off another way--one spar
fell in this direction, another in that-until at
length the whole ship broke to pieces, and literally
dissolved into thin air. Unhappy omen nor ship
nor friends we're ever heard of more. But fancy
impaired to the shadow, the exact form, size and
appearance of the vessel which had been sent out
and whose return was SO anxiously expected, and
the prophetic spectre ship Of course, became SD.
pernataral revelation, in the mi1abitia OF the yo-
luminous historian OF the pilgrim colonies The
account OF its appearance was carefully drawn up
by the Rev. MIR. Davenport, the minister Of New
Haven. It's possible that the ship ITSELF or rather
the reelection Of it, by the deceptive effects Of fog
and the ocean, was seen in the atmosphere, and
that she suddenly, iron s0me natural cause. went
down in the s0und before making the harbur-
Such an ocular deception was the case with shin
we saw on Sunday, which was apparently raised 81
high that line drawn from it to the eve would
have made an angle OF Thirty degrees with the
plane OF the horizon. 1t seemed to be proud,
floating above an immense volume OF mist The
state OF the atmosphere at the time Of Cotton
Mather's miracle, was probably the same as with
us on Sunday. Such illusions are not unusual in
the arctic and antarctic seas. We recolect of
reading some interesting accounts, we believe in
Scoreby's narratives Of ships having been seen by
that intrepid navigator in the clouds, for MANY
miles before the top mast corld be deserted viii,
the best glasses from his own round tops. Three
Or tour years since there was an instance of at
mospheIcal reiraction hear Marblehead: an account
OF which was published in the Boston Statesman.
The letter stated that fields, srees, and houses
were distinctly marked out, and every shade and
hue exhibited. The fashionable and romantic is.
land OF Nalant, was likewise exactly and beautiful
~ deneared, at the distance of several miles from
ITS real situation. But the most remarkable in
stance Of atmospher!ca! ref action of which we
have read, occurred in Hastings, in England, in
July, 1898. The account before us states that
this continued for three hours, and the refracted
coast, tine coast OF France.) though at distance
81 forty or nifty miles, was plainly to be seen with
the naked eve IRON the shore, while at other
times 1t could not be seen with telescope, on ac
count OF its lowness The fshermea who had
been in the habit of trading the coast, pointed
out from Hastings, the places they were accustun
ed to visit, such as the Bay, the Did Head or Man
the windmill, &c at Bouogne, st. VaIery. Sc.
on the coast Of picatdy. From the eastern cliff.
OF Hastings, which is Of considerable height the
spectator could see Dunseness, Dover CHS, and
the French coast from Calais to Dieppe. BY the
telescope, the French fishing boats were plainly
to be seen at anchor; and the different ctaors 81
the land on the heights, with the buildings, were
perfectly observable. The same phenomenon was
Likewise observed at Winchelsea, and other places
without breath Of wind stirring.
.another Phenomenon.--A very strange ,amin
Gus appearance attracted, the attention OF those Of
our citizens who were up between ten and elcy