The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-10-27
SINGULAR PHENOMENA.


the sun was shining brightly, a star Of re-
marKable briIliancy was seen in the east, at
a point about midway between the zenith
and the horizon. It remained for about thir-
| ty minutes, and then suddenly disappeared
A while since, about II O'Clock, A NJ, a
singular phenomena was visible in the heav-
/ ems at Woodstock, \. B., and at several 9th
! er places. A large colored circle like rain
! bow surrounded the sun, arcs of three other
/ clear white circles intersected one another
near to the colored circle After remaining
visible about an hour they gradually faded
away. The same appearance was noticed
/ at Sidney, G. B., and at Pictou.
/ The "St Elmo's Fire, " or electricity seen
/ playing on the bayonets of marching armies,
and around the spars and masts of ships.
! comes from the presence of a charged &"
/ cloud in the air. from which the pointed OBJ
+ jects draw the lightning. A splendid in
stance Of this same phenomenon was lately
J witnessed in Jura at ST. Cergues, where a
whole forest of pine trees were seen to be
aglow with Eight like a phosphorescent sea
/ IN the tropics. A thunder storm was raging
1 at the time, and at every flash Of lightning
the illumination disappeared but very soon
shown forth again until the next fash came.
I Before the appearance of this St. Elmo Fire,
heavy rains had fallen and soaked the forest,
SO as to render it conductive of electricity,
and the thunder cloud overhead, heavily
charged with electricity, had induced an op-
posite charge on the ground below, which
/ discharged itself into the air by the pointed
boughs and needles of the pine-trees.
Next perhaps to the famous Ozark Dav''
in New England in interest were the Incl
dents of-that phenomenal wonder. the great
''star shower" of NOvemberi13 1888 a night
when so mary meteoTs flew and flashed
that the heavens seemed on fire, and many
ignorant people supposed that the end OF the
world had come. Said an eve witness
1T was as clear night as l ever saw. |
would fix my eye on a given star, and in a
few moments it would seem to fall. owing. I
suppose, to the fact that it was obscured by
passing meteor. The illusion was perfect -
Some of our readers may have heard the
quaint anecdote of an old sailor who reform
ed when ne saw Cor thought he saw the
north star" fall. The story is given in the
sailors own words and the above reference
to the optical illusion shows how natural his
Impression was
81 have spent most Of my life-on the sea,
and have passed through many dangers.
But have never had to look death and eter-
nifty SO squarely in the face before You
know, parson, what sailors believe in the
north star. Wen, l saw that the other stars
were falling, but thought that as long as
the north star kept its place. all was safe
So l went ont there aud sat on the ground
with my back against the chimney, Git vas
oh inv Guy A.
star, trying not even to wink In a few
minutes it cut loose, and on it came. And
then, parson, l got down on my knees and
did some Of the talest praying you ever
he ard, and 1 haven't sworn an oath since"
The following incidents seem very strange,
but nevertheless true.
During a heavy thunder storm at Mechan.
les Falls Ne, a little boy was sitting at the
foot of a balm-of-giead tree, which was
struck by lightning. The tree was consider
ably splntered, but the boy was uniniured
to all appearances.
soon after this ne was seized with nauseau
when a physician was called, and on remov-
ing the little fellows clothing, there was
found upon his stomach and chest an i'm.
print resembling the trunk Of tLe baIm-of-
gilead tree, its branches and buds a. perfect
as could be drawn by the hands Of a skilled
artist
The likeness Of a woman who has been
dead more than twenty years, was lately dis
covered on pane of glass in chamber
window in a house at Charlotte, Va. The
likeness is distinct and accurate, aud resem-
bles photograph mega tive. It Is said that
the woman was stunned by a fash of light
-,T-.
window, and The theory is that the outlines
of heI features were photographed on the
window pane at that time.
a singular electrical phenomenon recently
occurred at CeIereus, Switzerland. There
wasa thunderstorm in the distance, when
suddenly a tremendous peal of thunder
shook the houses to their foundations, and
there was a wonderful discharge of light
ming. A little girl near by tree that was
struck was literally folded in a sheet of fire.
The vine -dressers fed in terror from the
spot. Six persons, in three groups, lear the
same locality, were enveloped in a luminous
cloud They felt as thOu2h they were being
struck in the face by hailstones or fine grav.
els, and when they touched each other, little
sparks OF electricity passed from their finger
ends. None of the persons mentioned were
injured, though they had sensation for
several hours after, as if their Joints had
been violently twisted.
The Northern Lights have been used to
send kilograms, their electric force charging
the wires and working the marker without
a battery. On the other hand, science makes
lamp-liPht out of electricity, and ono case re
Gently occurred of lamp lit by the electri-
city Of the skies
The Sixth Avenue, in front of the st. Over
Hotel, at Pittsburg, Pa, is Illuminated by an
electric lamp at plight, The lamp is not lit
until dark, but one day passers by were as
tOnshed to see the light burning with un
wonted brilliancy at six O'Clock in the even
ing The illumination lasted about two min
utes and then died away. Noone was more
surprised than Mr.. Carpenter, proprietor OF
the hotel.
He immediately sent to the company who
supplied the lamp to ascertain the cause [
No power had been connected and the only
apparent explanation was, that the copper
wire connecting tue carbons had been struck /
by the lightning, as the illumination was |
seen directly after a sharp fash. The engI- /
neer of the Electric Lighting Company says 4
this Is undoubtedly the case, and that the /
lamp burned as long as the electricity lasted. I
curious shower OF sand and mud, coming .
from the south, once fell in Rome, and seem /
ed to be regarded as due to sand broughtln /
dust storm rom the Great Desert of Afri- I
ca, being mixed with the pollen of some veg