Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-12-08
Form The Salem GaSette.
INTERESTING NATURAL PIE
NOMENON

On "Wednesday before the last, Aug. 81.
had The good fortune 10 witness, in coniunc-
ton With several friends, the most splendid
mirage ever behed This interesting
spectacle known under the names of Specta.
Ter of the Broken, Fata Morgan, and Spec,
ter ships, is much more frequent than is re.
ncraily supposed, and though now divested
OF IFS supernatural character by the search
ing scrutiny nf science, is yet an object of
intense delight to the philosopher and the
lovers of nature. 1t was an object of super
s'iiinn among the early a American coionis,s
and has been happily seized upon by Wash
ington Irving, in his beautiful description of
the storm ship. Baron humboldt, in his ira
vels in South America, describes very Gu
rious mirage, in which cows we're seen al n
great height in the air. Scoreshy, during n
voyage 10 Greenland in 1922, saws that bay.
ing seen an inverted image off ship in the
air, he examined il with telescope, and
found IL 10 be his fathers ship, the Fame
and immediately announced il 10 the officer
OF The watch. Many more interesting in.
stances OF similar nature might he men
toned, but | hasten to describe the one we
witnessed. The phenomenon is more infer.
es'ing, as ii differs from any on record. II,
was all seen from the verandah Of The New
Cove House, near Phillips Beach. The
day was unusually clear and pleasant, and
we we're on the look out for aerial mares 40
ono OF our party had seen them on similar
day, few weeks before. Towards g O'Clock
Z. NJ, the shore south Of Nahant, known az
The South Shore, began To loom. and in few
minutes The mirage was upon the coast for
leagues, and the Flying Dutchman, The Ter
ror OF sailors, was before US in oil its beauty
That part Of the coast nearest 10 us, appear-
ed 10 The naked eye 10 rise to a great beirht
and locked as il il were formed by immense
perpendicular sand cliffs On examining il
with glass, double images Of all discernible
Objects were beautifully distinct If a house
was seen at the foot OF the cliff, directly A.
bove ii and at the top of the cliff, was also
seen an erect image Of The house, having as
perfect outlines as the real object.
On following The coast towards its most dis
liant part, The mirage assumed adifIe1eDt and
more interesting character The extreme
visible coast projecting and hanging over the
sea for miles, without foundation. II look :
ed ds if the sea had washed awav lis basis
and left IFS upper portion dangling in mid
air. BY The telescope, this was found 10 he
the inverted image Of the coast below the
horizon, and perhaps many miles beyond the
limit Of direct vision. The tops Of the trees
were just dipping into The sea, and above
mem small boat was seen sailing in the
shrubbery. Presently tie hitherto hidden
coast rose from the waves, and now il looked
as if ii had been cleft by some mighty effort
ond The light Of heaven were shining through
the chasm. These were seen CORRESPONDING
10 the inverted images above, and the little
boat was seen sailing near the coast. Fol
lowing this image out 10 sea, something like
balloon was seen floating in ibe air, hut by
The glass il was found 10 he the Inverted i'm
age OF sIoop under sail, and below the hori.
zon. Vessels OF all descriptions were seen
sailing In tleoir with their bulls uppermost,
~ some instances The real objects not being
visible, and in others being blended with the