The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-03-15
The PHENOMENON ON MoNDAY.-7o

lie uENOMENON ON AAAONOAAs ~
the Local Editor of the Pioneer and Demo-
crat-DEAR SIR: 1t is to be hoped you were
sound asleep at half past seven o'clock on
Monday morning. Nothing short of such
a state Of helplessness could excuse your
notice of one of the most glorious phenoms
ena ever beheld. "Four Parhelia, or mock
suns, were visible yesterday morning" This
is all you say of the gorgeous sight. Let
me endeavor to supply your sad omissions.
At about o'clock the lovely vision first
made its appearance in the form of two dis
tinct mock suns of rainbow hues, situated
to the right and left Of the rising sun, and
distant from it about thirty degrees. Each
was about three times as long as it was
wide, the length being perpendicular to the
horizon, and the rainbow colors running in
the same direction. At about half past
seven, q beautiful white circle, distinctly
defined, issued from the sides of the sun,
passed through the mock suns, and, ranging
around the heavens at the same height
above the horizon at every point as the sun
itself, nearly united its two parts in the
west. The circle failed to complete itself
by, say. a half quadrant. At the same
time two more milky, cloud-like mock suns,
with no rainbow colors, formed on this cir
Gle, towards the west, and, as near as one
could judge, quadrant and half distant
each way from the sun. Then another circle
formed itself entirely around the sun, the
circumference passing through the two
principal mock suns. The upper half of this
circumference and about half quadrant on
each side directly below the mock suns, con-
stituted charming rainbow, the brighter
points being in the mock suns. The re-
mainder of the circumference was bright
white. The circle proper, that is, all the
space inside of the circumference, except the
spot occupied by the sun, was uniform
dark ground, presenting the appearance of
a complete circular, evenly colored rain.
cloud, bounded by the brilliant border
just described. Over this dark ground
a soft, luminous, vaporous-like veil,
radiated in every direction from the
sun, gently waving like the fluctuations
of light in the aurora borealis. On the
summit of the rainbow rested another,
though much smaller rainbow, inverted, its
convex side being downwards and in con-
tact with the convex side of the former.
This was half circle in length, and, at the
point of contact with the larger bow, was
extremely bright. A dazzling light sprang
upwards from the point of contact of the
two, looking almost as though another sun
were right behind it. Then, again, another
and much larger rainbow extended itself
above the other two, enclosing them both,
and reaching its two limbs downwards to.
wards the great horizontal circle in which
the mock suns were placed. The whole
scene was crowned by yet another and most
superb rainbow, resting, inverted, on the
summit of the one last mentioned. This
last bow was much smaller than the one on
which it touched, yet larger than the first
inverted one, and was brilliant and glorious
in its colors beyond expression. This al
most supernatural spectacle began at little
before seven o'clock. 1t was at its fullest
development at quarter before eight, and,
with the exception of the two mock suns
nearest the sun, was over by nine o'clock.
The mock suns disappeared at about quar-
ter past nine. The first to vanish were the
two white spots towards the west. The
white circle followed; then the third rain
bow; then the two within it. The last and
uppermost bow continued in its full bright,
ness for some time after the other two had
gone; and what is very remarkable, though
situated in the midst of what seemed to be
a perfectly clear sky, its colors were intense.
At last all was gone, leaving at least one of
those who had in solemn awe and delight
watched these transient and partial mani>
festations of Gods glory, standing subdued
and saddened at the thought of what those
unutterable joys must be from which our
sins have excluded US. w. NJ.
RAprrcr Cuupcu TN Wrsr ST. PAIL