Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-08-24

I pressed together as II IN prayer, hnd
when the quiet followed, the words
"From lightning and tempest and fron
sudden death, good Lord, deliver us,
were plainly heard, as | was listenln,
intenily To catch any syllable that nigh
fall from his lips,
A moment or two more OF stillnes
followed, when there was an opening
in the gloomy darkness, and iron
thence came a burst Of flame, ncthe
white, nor blue, nor any color we ha,
ever seen. IL was really horrid, chill
lngly, drcadfully depressing an,
frightful, It was evident that The
horses were sinking under the frigh
they had so long felt. Their limb
trembled under them, and the quiver
ings Of the poor beasts impaired ,
trembling to their riders. We both no
ticed how they invariably looked
toward one point of the compass
seeming to strain every nerve to catcl
sight Of something, as If led to do Sc
by instinct. Suddenly the doctor
grabbed my arm, and yelled out witt
piercing shrek that startled th,
horses as well as myself "See! Coco
God what is thatP'
Far off TO the northwest, and high NJ
in the dome that now appeared largsl
than ever, was small blue speck, alonC
in the deep black darkness. 1t seelnet
like a star, yet so intensely blue that tn,
eye became dazzled in an instant, anC
the sight had to be averted, unable Il
stand the gaze. We both turned oul
heads away at the same moment
Again we looked at the blue bali thai
was rapidly approaching us. As i
neared our spot the blueness becam,
still more brilliant, until the sun al
MONDAY was not more powerful il
BRIGHTNESS Of light. All at once the
ball, as II propelled from n gun, burst
into ring with bright blue center
its extreme outer edges of fierce ant
glaring orange color, and enlarging a,
it descended until it was several feet il
diameter and striking the ground
from which a circle of flame shot up
and myriads Of sparks filled the air neal
TO MS.
The horses at the instant the ring ol
fire struck the earth, whirled round,
and only by chance did either of us
keep in our saddles. As if relieved
from the fright they had so long
suffered, they started Off at gallop,
it taking us some minutes before we
could quiet them down to an ordinary
trot, their heads. in spite of our efforts,
kept turning toward the spot where
the lightning, or meteor, or electricity,
or whatever 1t was, had scared the
ground. The rain was now coming
down in torrents, and the horses feet
were splashing, as they trotted along in
the Indian trail they followed. The
darkness was soon dissipated, and in a
few minutes we could begin to distin-
guish the outline Of the thickets and
timber that skirted the prairie, and by
the time we reached the log-house from
whence started the storm, with the
exception of the lighter rain, some few
flashes Of distant and fast-receding
lightning, with an occasional clap Of
thunder, was nearly over.
"How was the sick woman when
you got there?" asked one of the list
eners.
"She was found by the doctor sitting
up all right, and smoking her pipe,n "a
common practice in those days. was the
answer.
"Then you had your ride for moth
ing?' said another
"To have been out in such a storm,
and see one Of those circles made, was
worth half a lifetime.
did you go to the place the next
dayp"
Yes, and we found that the ground
was scared into the distance Of several
inches. All the grass was burned off in
ring about fifteen or eighteen inches
wide, and about twelve or fifteen inches
across. On the inside, where the grass
was not burned at all, the rain stopped
the fire from spreading. The doctor,
long since dead, frequently spoke of his
night on the prairie, when he saw the
prairie circle made. He has a nephew.
now living at Portage, who has often
heard him relate his account Of the in
cident above described. He had his
own theory about il. and what caused
i, but which seemed inexplicable to any
but himself. "
"Did you ever find anything in any
book about such occurrences was
asked.
I" Yes, after searching through all the
books | could find that treated on cleo
tricity, lightning, etc, at last discov-
cred the following explanation of the
phenomena in The Botanic Garden. a
poem in two parts, containing the Econ
omy Of Vegetation and the Lives Of
Plants BY Erasmus Darwin, NJ. d..
London, 1925. Il is headed, "Fairy
Rings"
There is phenomenon, supposed to
be electric, which is yet unaccounted
for; ] mean the fairy rings. as they are
called, so often seen on the grass. The
flashes Of lightning which oc-
cur every summer are. believe. gener-
ally discharged on the earth. and seldom
Of ever) from one cloud 20 another
Moist trees are the most frequent con-
duci0rs Of the flashes Of lightning, and
/ am informed by purchasers Of the
wood that innumerable trees are thus
cracked and injured. AT other times
larger parts Of prominences Of clouds
gradually sinfing as they move along
are discharged on the moisicr paris q
grassy plains Nov ihis knob or corner
Of cloud in being s.trnced bv the
earth viii become nearlt cylindrical a.
loose wool would do when trawr out
into q thread. and viii strike =, -Arfh
with a stream Of electric .Dsrhaps
Two or ten yards IN diamef Now. as
D stream Of electricity displaces the air
h passes through. it 4 plain no part n
he grass cau Be burnt b. it but Just
'he external ring Of this cylinder. where
he grass cst have access 10 the air.
.inos without air nothing can BE- cal
-ined This earth. after harine been
so calcined. becomes a richer s0il. ard
.lther fungi or . blner grass for many
resrs marks the plnee.
"1haf ii,rhfning displsces the air in
Is passage il etineei 81 TIE l1ui crsIk
hst succeeds j. uhich Is 9rinz b. tts
ids n tft narisl Fncrrw fIrrrinr -
.stter uter fhs E1tinire e alfb-
hasa. IAst nrtAisz VI rri-'Hs wffs-
s'f 81 Is rru rell r1i.fsIeoi firm IS,
is rlos n fs frr11r rf
t'1Ee s1sisas and nnl h4I