Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-01-29
81. ELmo.s rIuE.
The aEysttc Flame that Esarned
aud Shocked xoung sTtd-
efafrstYlnsa


The following account OF an eiec-
4 tric;il phenomenon which was Wit
messed on the British ship John o.
/ Gauns appeared in the san Francis
CO Bulletin on January l3 over the
signature of III. Foord Clark, the
ships physician
During the evening Of NUvem-
Der 23, 1890, the atmosphere had
been disturbed and had presented to
our gaze five wonderful wafer
spouts, one of great size and vol
unle. After the excitement conse-
quent on watching the waterspouts
was over ! retired, and had just
made myself re dy for the night
when the chief officer came to call
me on to the poop. On my arrival
there perceived a bright globe of
light at the mizzen royal mast, of a
clear yellOwstint, burning steadily,
and unaffected either by the motion
of the ship or by the wind, the
globe being about the size of a large
tumbler. I recognized it as the
magic fire of st. Elmo. | observed
it carefully for some time, and was
wishing that / could climb the mast
and make a nearer view of this
magic flame, when one of our mid
shipmen came forward and Volun-
teered to ascend. Here, then, was
mychance of making an experiment
through a medium which has never
before been attempted, and in that
way aiding the knowledge of my
fellow-men. Having distinctly in
structed- the young man to take dill
gent notice of everything, however
trifiing it might appear'to him, and
knowing he could be relied on for
data, he began his ascent. On his
arrival at the point where the flame
appeared, he was heard to cry out,
'sOh it is hot, = and ali was silence.
After waiting few seconds, he WIS
hailed by the captain and myself,
telling him to come down, but no
answer could we get. Another mid
shipnan was sent. In short time
both were safely on deck and our
minds relieved.
On arrival on deck the young
man appeared dazed and complained
of having burned his thumb, and
at once took him to my lighted
cabin to ascertain the amount of
injury. On examination | found
the pupils of his eyes very much di-
lated and unaffected by light, the
thumb of the left hand drawn and
very painful, ana the whole of the
arm distinctly numb. The pulse
(taken ON the affected side) ll5,
temperature 102 deg. l5 min. The
patient stated that on his arrival at
the seat of the electric phenomenon,
the flames assumed a distinctly blu
ish color, and was apparently at
tached to the mast in much the
same way as the flame to the wick
of the candle. On touching it with
his left hand (his right meanwhile
holding on to the mast) he received
a distinct electric shock and felt his
finger burnt. Great cardiac dis
turbance took place and spasmOdic
respiration, combined with entire
loss of power, with Humbness OF
hand and arm, alse temporary deaf
ness, shown by his not having heard
us call to him from the deck-the
night being a good one for trans
mission of sound.
The numbness of the arm passed
off in about an hour. but the thumb
continued painful till next morning,
when he seemed all right again and
returned to his duty. After the ex-
pertinent | ordered him to his bunk,
giving him a stiff glass of rum and
allowing him to smoke.
my young operator in this most
interesting experiment is clear
headed young man, aged twenty,
son of a general in the British army,
and capital subject to work out
the case. He was at the time of the
experiment in perfect health.
About fifty seconds after il was
touched the flame disappeared and
did not again appear.
The ship was in lat. 22deg. south
and lon. l26 deg. 40 min. west, steer
ing north-by-east half east, with
the wind southeast. The captain,
mate and several Others were on
during the whole time of the exper-
iment, and equally anxious with
myself to know more of this inter
eating flame"