The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-05-02
EBENSBURG. PA, FRIDAY, MAY 2. 1879

months of familiarity suddenly transiig-
ured before the ewes It is almost as
damaging to ones sense of the tXedneSS
of things as to feel the solid earth quIY-
erinC beneath the feet. To such an eX-
tent was the prospect changed that the
low line Of sand hills in the east rose al
most to the proportions of q mountain
chain, and most striking of all was the
rise into view Of the line Of wooded cot
ton lines along the great curve OF the
Platte extending for ten miles north,
east and west of us. Instead of afeW low
clumpS of distant tree tops, 1t seemed rs
though the plain WAS hedged in on three
sides by great forest. Six miles away
i'm the west we saw the Touring mill at
Evans with the white plume Of steam
from its engine raised into sight as if it
stood upon q hill, though il is usually
hidden by an intervening height OF the
rolling prairie. 4 great number oi
ranches scattered over the more thIckly
settled country to the west were brought
before our eyes. The mirage seemed
not only to make visible those buildings
that stand five OF six miles away from
us, but also to magnify them and bring
them very near. Even the mountain
range seemed 10 gain III height from the
mirage. But all the wonder of the
strange sight was not apprehended at
one glance. While we looked the scene
began to change before our eyes. The
trees and buildings III the west, which
before had seemed TO have an unnatural
height. began to lose it, but beneath
each object appeared its own inverted
image as if they were reflected from the
surface Of a vast and placid lake, except
that the inverted images were greatly
exaggerated in length. 1t is this phase
of the phenomenon which has given the
name and which every summer deceives
inexperienced travellers on these vast,
dry plains, as in the Arabian deserts,
into the belief that they are near large
bodies of water at times when they and
their horses are paTched with thirst
These inverted images were seen III the
west looking towards The north We
saw only the dense, continuous hedge Of
trees apparently of gigantic size; but -
we stood watching them the enormous
trees began to assume a variety of dis
tOTted shapes. As seen in a tield-QlaSS
some trunks seemed twisted into spirals ;
others were bent to a how-shape, and
many assumed all sorts Of irregular and
iudescribable curves. As We watched
the strange appearances we could OBJ
serve 1t certain points the TefractiDg
strata of air drifting with the wind, dis
tOTting the objects before which they
passed and then leaving them with their
natural appearance. This mirage was
not a momentaTy or rapidly passing
vision we watched till tired Of the
various phases through which the land
sCape was passing, and il was more than
al hour before things settled down again
To their usual appearance.
These sudden changes Of scene some
times occur in such a place and time as
to be startling 80 an old iahaDitant Ot
Colorado long accustomed to the mirage.
The towns of Evans and Greeley stand
four miles apart. hut are hidden from
each others view by one of the highest
elevations Of landiu this rolling country.
An Evans man tells me that it Is not
long since the people Of that town Were
summoned from their houses to see the
town of Greeley rising over the hill
Greeley is a large, well-built village with
broad. straight streets thickly shaded
a pretty oasis in this treeless country
1t never was more beautiful than wheI
il was thus held high before the aston
ishcd eyes Of the people Of Evans. Not
only the streets, churches and public
buildings were visible, but the dwelling,
and trees could be distinguished.
The great altitude Of this region, the
extreme dryncss of the air and earth
and the proximity of the mountain
chain, make conditions on which depend
the movements of the sir and changes
Of weather quite different from those
We find in the East and the mirage j:
but one Of many strange aerial phenom
ena that surprise the 'tenderfoOt" il
ColOrado.-SprinUIeld HaSS.) SUsdal
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