Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-09-29
FOR THE SPECTATOR.


attracted some attention, and the pains taken by
your correspondent to substantiate the credibil-
iy of the witnesses to the fact, fully attests he
infrequency OF such phenomena. Light, In very
many of its manifestations, is often guilty OF
leading people into mysterious surmisings about
the will of Providence and the interpretations to
be put upon what ale, in truth, very strange and
uncommon appearances, but. at the same time,
the results OF physical natural laws. Neverthe-
less, Providence works by means, and whether
we regard the cotton bales seen drifting North as
representing the trade in that staple northward
after we gain our Independence, and the AERIAL
army moving in the same direction en- deshd69tte,
as the Yankees retreating from the sunny South
in a ssdouble quick'' bequeathing their unmen-
tionables to the sable contrabands on the way
side. who show their worries and hop into the
blue breeches, is OF little Importance. Such
things are somewhat like certain passages In
scripture which we can interpret according TO our
creed No doubt, according to Yankee exegesis
the cotton bales would represent the first fruits
of General Banks labor system, and the army of
IMAGES the apotheosis OF the saints OF abolition
ism constituting the army of invasion. But we
propose simply to state a few recorded facts to
show that similar phenomena have, at various
times been witnessed, and well attested by
competent and credible witnesses. There are
two laws by which light is governed, Or rather
there are two constant manifestations of light I'M
der certain peculiar conditions-the term law as
applied to nature not being principle of energy
or power, but SIMPLY constant recurrence of
the same phenomena under similar condItlohS-#
We say, however, in common parlauce, that light
obeys two laws, the law of refraction and the law
Of reflection, by either of which 1T is possible to
depict images in the air to an observer who may
be placed in a proper position to receive the
light. By the refraction oflight is meant the
bending of ray of liget from its original recti-
linear direction, when it is made to pass from
one medium into another OF different density, as
for instance, when it passes from air into glass
or water, or vice vers9. Many OF the ordinary
phenomena of nature are due to the operation Of
this law, as the apparent bending of a stick when
plunged obliquely into water, the elevation of the
bottom of clear stream that it appears of less
depth than it is in reality, the apparent steepness
of hill as we approach it, and the undulatory
surface sometimes given to level plane when
viewed through q common window pane. Blu.
the different strata of the atmosphere also con-
stitute media of different density, and a ray of
light passing through it from above toward the
earth in an obiique direction from any object
will, from the manner in which it is refracted,
cause the object to appear at greater altitude
above the horizon than its real position. Thus
objects the earth's surface under peculiar
conditions of the atmosphere in certain localities
might apparently be elevated to positions much
above their real positions in nature. We have
said that an image in the air might be produced
under the laws Of refraction. The refracting
telescope is constructed with direct reference to
this principle, the observer viewing the image OF
the celestial body formed by the rays OF light
from the body being made tosconverge and cross
each other by means of the refracting power of a
double convex lens. 1t is probable, however,
that any very striking phenomena, as that re-
Gently witnessed in the mountains, are not gen
orally produced by the principle of refraction a.
lone, though, we have said above, it is not i'm
possible under certain conditions of the atmos-
phere, which may be supposed to exist. Butre-
curing to the law Of reflection, images are pro-
duced, first by plane mirrors at distance as far
behind the mirror as the bject is in front, and
secondly, by mirrors IN front of the mir
ror the air, when the object is greater dis
lance from 1t than the principal focus. 1t may
be thought improbable that a medium SO trans
parent as the atmosphere, under ordinary Cir /
cumstances, wouIi, under any circumstances,
constitute mirror for the reflection of natural |
objects. But glass is also very transparent, and
yet we often see the image Of a candle or fire, |
or OF a scene in nature by simply looking at a |
window-pane. Wafer is also translucenl. out all
the beauties OF the rainbow are produced by the
reflection OF light from the inner surface of the
raln-drop. In TACT, there is a strong indisposi
tion in light to pass froal adense into rare me
dun, being very liable to be rejected from the
inner surface OF The denser medium. Thus raw
of light will not pass out of glass into air if the
angie OF incidence exceed about 40 degrees, nor
out OF glass into water if it exceed So degrees
1t is not improbable, therefore, that under pecu-
liar conditions of the atmosphere at certain times
1t may be made to constitute mirror for the re-
nectlon OF the light proceeding from objects on
the Earths surface, and the rays OF light thus re-
Hected downward from above would undergo a
refractlon tending to elevate the image of the oh
ject from which the light emanated. Should the
atmosphere constitute plain mirror, the images
would be at a greater distance than if its pecu-
liar conformation constituted a concave mirror.
In the latter case, the image would lie between
the observer and the atmospheric region render
ing it, and would re visible only to observers in
the particular locality, into which the reflected
rays, alter crossing each other, diyerge. It is
evident that such mirrors from their want of per-
lection and symmetry of form might produce both
multiplication end distortion in the images of
objects, and perhaps, also, if the
OF the atmosphere be supposed to move, motion
of the whole scene. II will be observed that
what is here written is based on the hypothesis,
that, in the particular phenomenon to which we
allude, the images produced had real objective
counterpart in nature, though the distance to any
body OF troops may have been very considerable.
The following remarkable cases of like character
to the phenomenon III question, which are we'll
authenticated, viii serve not only to show the Ca
pacity of the atmosphere for rendering images,
but also the fact of the great distance at which
the objects producing the images may be from
the observer.
ist. On July Goth, 1897, about 2. NJ, at
Hastings, on the south coast of England, a large
portion Of the coast of France appeared to NAM
Der of observers 50 distinctly, lkat sailors who
were spectators Of the scene pointed out TO the
narrator and witness OF the phenomenon num-
~. 49, .-.'-- -nssan win Ihe HaEad
oer "a places easlly recus..-
eye OUT fnrther inere ased in distinctness by the
use OF the telescope. Places known as the Bay.
the Old Head, and Dover Cliffs even the French
Ashlhg Doats, ana portions of the French coast
at distance OF from 80 to 80 miles all appearing
as near as II they We're sailing at small distance
from the coast
"a. In the Highlands of Scotland in 1774, Mr.. |
W rem and others observed upon an extremely
precipltous hill, the figure of man with dog
rapid rate until they finally disappeared, all Of
which proved to be mere scene similar to eth |
ers of the klnt. Some time afterward, in the |
same locality, observed by the inhabitants for
miles around, there was seen & troop or horSemen
IN close ranks and at brisk pace
The various evolutions through which the troops
passed, distinctly visible and obsery- |
ed by all. These appearances were supposed
70 be the images off body Of rebels drilling
themselves previous TO the rebellion OF l745.
I'd. The ssSpectre of the BrOcken'' in the HARRY
in Germany, which is of frequent oc- |
representing oftentimes masnified i'm
age OF the observer, and obeying all Of his mo-
ions, Is TOO We'll known to allude to more def |
litely.
4th. On Sunday the 18th December. 1926, the
he fuo f