The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-07-08

the spars. L did so, and found every upper
yard arm and mast head tipped with lipht-
ming. Each blaze was twice as larre as
( that of candle; and thus we flew on with
the elements of destruction playing above
our heads. In about thirty minutes the
wind, which was from the southwest
changed suddenly to the south east. and
became as hot as air from the mouth of an
oven; 1t was the sirocco, and was told af-
forwards by those most above deck. that if
brought with it a quantity of fire sand. We
( were then few miles from Maritime, sixty
} SIX from Cape Bon, the nearest African
shore, and three hundred from the nearest
land in the direction of the wind. 1t lasted
half an hour, and was a stiff. smackinp
breeze, but not near so strong as the one
| that had preceded it.
a similar electric phenomenon occurred
( to the ship in which Castor and Pollux sail
ed, In the Argonautic expedition, only the
hight appeared on the caps of the two he
roes; the storm subsidized, and they were
received as patrons of sailors. Hence, the
ancient medals represent them each with
star or flame of fire at the apex of his cap
In THIS way, too, we may account for the
story, that they often appeared to sailors in
dlstress' and also to Roman armies, leading
them to victory The latter was nothing
more than the electric fluid on their spears.
recollect hearing Professor Silliman, in
one OF his lectures, relate a case nearly sim
liar, of the late Mr.. Whitney of New Ha-
ven. lie was riding on horseback, near
East Rock, IN the vicinity Of that town, dur
ing night thunder storm of great severity,
and was astonished to find, all at once, his
horses ears tipped with fire; he alighted,
out now discovered the same phenomenon
at the END OF his whip, stirrups, and every
prominent object. His own person, and
that OF an attendant, were tipped in the
same manner. Similar appearances, prob
ably suggested to Virgil the fiction of the
name about Ascanius's head, the night
Troy was burnt.
Our sailors called them complaisants,
(trom Corpe Santo.) | went among them
yesterday, to discover whether such ap-
pearances were common, and began with a
group of old quarter-masters most of them
had followed the sea from their youth.
found each had seen them three or four
times before, and that they occur most fire.
quently among the West Indies They tell
me they often appear on the lower yards
first, and ascend as the storm abates, !
Well" | asked, "what do you think thew
are - They shook their heads-it was
hard question. At last one spoke very Sc
rlousy: "I'll tell you, sir, what | think
they are; they are foul air that the wind
rolls together into a lump; it gets a little
lightning in it, and sticks fast on the yards.'
lNsENsIBILlTY TO SUFFERING. "I may
here MENTION" says the writer of the Jour
nal of n Naturalist, san incident tina: &C. |
Cured few years past at one of our lime
kilns, because it manifests how perfectly
lnsensible the human frame may be to pains !
and affections in peculiar circumstances
and that which would be torture, if endured |
IN general, may be experienced at other
times without sense of suffering. A travel
ling man one winters evening, laid himself
down upon the platform of a limekln, plac-
ing his feet, probably benumbed with cold,
upon the heap of stones newly put up to
burn through the night. Sleep overcame
him in this situation; the fire gradually ris-
ing and increasing, until it ignited the
stones upon which his feet were placed.
Lulled by the warmth, he still slept; and
though the fire increased until it burnt one
foot (which, probably, was extended over
vent hole,) and part Of the leg, above the
ANGLE, entirely off, consuming that part so
etfectualy, that no fragment of it was ever
discovered, the wretched being slept on
and in this state was found by the kilnsman
in the morning. Insensible to any pain and
Ignorant of his misfortune, he attempted to
rise and pursue his journey, but missing his
shoe, requested to have it found and when
he was raised, putting his burnt limb to the
ground to support his body, the extremity
of his leg bone, the tibia, crumbled into
fragments, having been calcined into lime.
Still he expressed no pain, and probably
experienced none, from the gradual opera
ton of the fire and his own torpidity during
the hours his foot was consuming. The
poor drover survived his msfortunes in the
hospital about fortnight; but the fire hav-
ing extended to other parts of his body, re-
covery was hopeless"
OBSERVATIONS ON A LEECH-made by
gentleman in England, who kept one sew
eral years for the purpose of weather
! glass; phial of water, containing a
| leech, was kept in the lower frame of a
window sash, SO that, when looked in the
morning, could know what would be the
weather on the following day.
If the weather prove serene and beauti-
full, the leech lies motionless at the bottom
OF the glass, and rolled together in a spiral
form.
If it rain before or after noon, it is found
crept up to the top of its lodging, and there
remains till the weather is settled.
If we are to have a wind, the poor prs-
oner gallops through its limpid habtation
with amazing swiitness, and seldom rests
till it begins to blow hard.
If remarkable storm of thunder and
rain is to succeed, for some days before it
lodges almost continually without the wa
ter, and discovers uneasness in violent
throes and convulsive like motions.
In the frost, as in clear weather, it lies
at the bottom and in snow. as in rninv