Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-09-24

seven points of the compass, and the light was
less bright Than that Of Monday night Inc
north star appeared 10 be directly over the CEN
ire Of il. Immediately over the arch, and
few degrees above ii there was another aren Oh
nearly the same form, but not very bright Al
first supposed that these arches might nave
some connection with the moon, which was theh
about half an hour high, and shining pretty
brightly; but after the moon had sci, observed
no other change than that both the arches sp-
peared brighter than before 1t went down. and
the upper arch had risen little higher than II
was at FL st, and then supposed the light oil the
upper arch might be produced by the light OF
the lower The upper arch continued to move
slowly from north to south, inclining little to
the east. and as il moved towards New York,
it seemed Of course to rise and to extend TO the
cas-, and to the west, until The centre the arch
became vertical 10 New York. Al this time,
the eastern limb appeared 10 me 10 pass over
Long Island, little 10 the north OF Brooklyn,
and 10 extend nearly to the eastern horizon,
and the western limb to pass over New-Jersey,
a little to the south of Powles Hook, and to ex-
tend nearly 70 the western borzizon. The arch
seemed to remain in This situation short time,
then passed our zenith, and was shortly alter
broken, dissolved, aud disappeared. After this
aTCH Udu W n
tended its limbs 10 the east and west, its bright
ness vas greatly Increased, and il beca an
obiec, OF great beauty, and its novelty attract.
ed general attention; but when its centre reach
ed the zenith, and its exlremities extended near
ly to the eastern and western horizon, and il
stood suspended under the blue and spanged
vault Of Heaven, across the bright arch Of the
milky way, il became an object Of supreme beau,
nd Of mi lad N honu al
and magnificent spectacle cannot be conc eved.
In the progress Of this arch through The sky,
there were several changes in its appearance,
and some circumstances connected with il,
which deserve to be noticed A conside rable
time before ii became vertical 10 us The limbs
seemed to have become narrower and much
more more dense than the centre Of il, and small
perpendicular columns Of light seemed to be
moving horizontally under the arch, from its
eastern towards its western limb Some time
afterwards, there appeared to be row ofsmall
perpendicular Pales Or panels Of bright light
nearly under but NOT attached 10 the areh.-
These pales, or panels, were at equal distan-
CT S from one another, but Of unequal brightness.
decreasing regularly from the centre Of the arch
towards It's western limb; and they appeared 10
be moving horizontally and slowly from the
centre towards the western limb of The arch,
and as they disappeared The western limb ap-
peared TO become more dense and brighter
Shortly before this the ends Of The arch seemed
10 have spiral motion ard 10 have become
twisted in the form Of roll, one about the lime
the centre OF the arch bee yersie al 70 u.s. the
whole arch from one extremity to the other as.
sumed the appearance Of great roll, and APP
pcared 10 increase IN brightness. About the
time II assumed this appearance II passed our
zenith, and shortly after the eastern end Of i,
seemed to unfold itself and spread and melt a.
way; and then the centre unfolded and melted
away in similar manner, leaving the western
limb very bright, the largest end uppermost,
and greatly resembling an inverted column or
cone. II remained in this situation al few mi
nntes, the upper end gradually inclining more
10 the south than the lower end, and soon after
1t seemed to unfold and TO Aoat off in small
patches, and melt away as the other parts Of il
had done. While the centre Of the arch was
nearly vertical 10 New York, there was brigh,
path or streak Of light stretching considera.
bic distance across the North river, immediate.
ly under the arch, and similar 10 The reflected
light OF the moon, when in the first or last quar-
ter, and few degrees above the horizon Du-
ring greater part oil the time, and particularly
when the arch became vertical 10 us, the stars
were as distinctly visible as they are through a
light cloud or mist, and had the same appear
ance. This arch may have appeared TO others
differently, and many Of those differences may
have been owing 10 the situation Of the specta-
tor, the position Of the arch, and the time when
1t was seen. AS it moved from North to south.
II must have been vertical to those north of us.
ana over whom II passed before it became ver>
teal TO US; and by those far south of ,he place
OF its hnal dissolution il could not have been
seen IN It's grra'est beauty and magni6cence. !
had fair view Of it from half pas, nine o'clock,
when II was not probably more than lei, degrees
above the horizon, until about eleven o'clock,
when 1t dissolved and disappeared.
l then thought that this arch was composed
oi vaPour, and that it might have received its
Ugh, from the arch Of the Aurora Bore ais then
in the north. Any stream Of cloud, mist or va.
pour, stretching across the sky from horizon to
horizon, directly over our heads, mus, of ne
cessi,y appear In the form of great arch
ANY stream OF cloud, mist or vapour, blown
side ways by the wind, from horizon to horizon.
from north 10 south, or from anv mint or ,he