Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-09-11
THE SOLAR PHENOMENON.
Explanation and Superstition.

he SOLAh FHENVME ~.
Explanation and Superstition.
Those of our readers who chanced to
turn their gaze skyward at about eleven
o'clock yesterday morning, were both
gratified and puzzled by observing a
phenomenon of rather infrequent occur
renee in this latitude; there being yiSi-
BILE, directly overhead. three distinct
well defined sun-halos. The inner and
brighter one of these, surrounded the
sun at distance of about twenty-five
degrees from his disk and reflected the
prismatic colors in very beautiful
manner. The other two were only arcs
of circles, having their centres in the
circumference of the inner one, and
terminating where tliey intersected the
central ring. They presented the ap-
pearance of beautiful feathery bands of
clouds, circular in form and of bril-
liant, dazzling white, very trying to the
CgCo. NuHiOClo VI PCloOho hCIO OuSc4h v
ing them either through cOlOred glasses
or with the naked eye, and widely differ
:" topinions were given as to their ma
tqee and import.
In higher ATTITUDES they are seen much
oftener, and are something accompanied
by spots Of great brilliancy, both of light
and color, formed by their intersection,
and known as parhelia or mock suns.
These singular appearances always take
place when there is present in the up
per strata Of the atmosphere an evenly
diffused stratum of thin cloud, the kind
called cirri, at such an altitude that the
cold prevailing in those high regions
converts the minute particles of mist,
which compose the clouds, into tiny ice
crystals. Those Of these little ice prisms
which are distant about twenty-five de-
grees from the sun, are situated at such
an angle as regards the sun and the
spectator that they decompose the rays
of light which reach us by passing
through them, and thus produce the eff
fects which we. see. When at a dis
tance of about forty-one degrees from
the sun, the light, instead of being trans
mitted, is simply reflected by the mass
of crystals, and circular band of feath-
cry white is thus made visible.
1t is but recently that knowledge of
the true nature of these phenomena has
been gained. They have always been re-
garded by the superstitious as of super
natural origin, and have been consider
ed Ominous pOrtents, signs of celestial
ire, presages of the death of princes,
fOrerunners of famine and pestilence,
and indications Of dire calamities gen.
orally. Very brilliant halos made their
appearance around the sun for several
days during NapoleOn's campaign in
Russia, and while the French army was
occupying the city of Moscow, just be-
fore its destruction in 1912. OF course
in the superstitiouS minds of both Mus
covite and Gaul, the phenomena had di-
rect relation to military events about to
occur, and greatly added to the dismay
produced soon after by the great confa-
grafton.
The historian Josephus relates that at
the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem
by the Romans, A. D. 20, the Jews fore
saw their disaster ain armies marching
upon red clouds" Similar startling ap-
pearances are reported to have been
seen before the battle of Austerlitz, and
were plainly visible at the commence
ment of the siege of Paris in 1870. In
short, whenever celestial apparitions
were coincident in time with any great
national event they have always
been supposed by the superstitiOusly in
clined to have some direct connection
with that event. Even at the present
time, and In our good old staid city of
Wheeling, the appearances of yesterday
caused many misgivings in the minds of
some persons. A worthy German citi-
zen traced the baleful influence which
the halos had exerted over the cases of
diphtheria which prevail in that part of
town, and in prophetic spirit predict
ed that the time was not far distant
when one united cOntlagration of all the
oil wells of the world would produce a
grand cremation of the earth and all its
contents.
Besides this, we have several well au-
thenticated cases Of genuine fright
about the city, cases where superstitious
persons thought best to implore Divine
aid to arrest the impending catastrophe.
Have we taken backward leap into the
dark ages Wheeling Register, Sept. 2.
The largest peach crop on the Mary
land papinSnl., 10 ON tba G.Nnrlyo farr, nf