Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-24

@SHgt WltuOul ptTctpllDle cause,
crowded together. and so quick was
their action that we were nearly I'M
seated. They kept pressing against
each other, And with such force that
our positions were becoming painful.
Their ears were extended. with their
necks arched. they were looking intent
ly in one direction. and apparently at
one point. The air was getting more
close, and the difficulty in our breath
ing was becoming greater, but still
more awful became the now perfect
stiffness.
The beating Of our own hearts
Was all the sound we heard"
Again and again. in rapid succession,
flashes of lightning shot athwart the
sky, followed instantly by short claps
OF thunder, which evidently was com
ing nearer 10 us. Our horses, if posi-
BILE, more frightened than before. were
now crouching so near the ground that
our feet nearly touched. A double
flash Of glare lightning lighted up the
dark vault above Us with such bril-
liancy that our eyes were dazzled, and
we had to close them. Still another
burst of lightning came. bluer and vet
brighter than the former flashes. with
peal Of thunder instantly following,
that seemed to rend the earth beneath
u. The last flash and pcaling thunder
was succeeded by another streak of
light. 50 bright that everything near us
was made plain n MONDAY. and re-
vealed the doctor with his hands
pressed together aS il in prayer. and,
when the quiet followed. the words:
PROM lightning anil tempest and from
sudden death, good Lord, deliver us"
were plainly heard. rs was listening
intcntly To catch any syllable that might
fall from his lips.
a moment or two more Of stiffness
followed. when there was an opening
in the gloomy darkness, and from
thence came burst of flame. neither
white, nor blue. nor any color we had
ever seen. IL was really horrid, chill
ingly, dreadfuny depressing and
frightful. IL was evident that the
horses were sinking under the fright
they had so long felt. Their limbs
trembled under them. and the culver
ings OF the poor beasts impaired n
trembling To- their riders. We both no
ticed how they invariably looked
toward one point of the COMPASS.
seeming to strain every nerve to catch
sight Of something. as IL led to do so
by instinct. Suddenly the doctor
grabbed my arm. and yelled out with
n piercing shrek that startled the
horses n well rs myself ''See. Good
God. what j. that?'
Far off to the northwest. and hipb mn
in the dome that now appeared larger
fhar 4
in the deep black darkness. II seemed
like star. yet so intensely blue that the
eve became daZzlcd in an instant. and
the sight had TO be averted, unable To
stand the gaze. We both turned our
heads away at the same moment.
Again we looked at the blue ball that
was rapidly approaching us. As il
nc1red our spot the blueness became
still more brilliant, until the sun nj
MONDAY was not more powerful in
BRIGHTNESS of light All nj once the
ball, ms If propelled from n gun, burst
into n ring with bright blue center.
IT'S extreme outer edges of fierce and
glaring orange color, and enlarpino rs
IT descended until IL was several feet in
diameter. and striking the ground.
from which n circle Of flame shot up.
and myriads Of sparks filed the air near
To us.
The horses. Mt the instant the ring of
IRE struck the earth, whirled round.
and only by chance did either of MS
Keep in our saddles. As IL relieved
from the fright they had so lone
suffered, they started off nj Gallon
u taking us some minutes before we
could quiet them down 10 an ordinary
trot, their heads. in spite of our efforts.
kept turning toward the spot where
the lightning. or meteor. or electricity
or whatever it was, had scared the
ground. The rain was now coming
down In torrents, and the horses feet
were splaShing. rs they trOttcd along in
the Indian trail they followed. The
darkness was soon disSipatrd. and in n
few minutes we could begin to distin-
guish the outline of the ihickets and
timber that skirtcd the prairie. and by
the time we reached the Lighthouse from
whence ] started. the storm. with the
exception of the lighter rain. some few
flashes of distant and fast-reccding
lightning. with an occasional clan of
thunder. was nearly over.
GLOW was the sick woman whom
you got thcreH' asked one of the list
euers.
She was found by the doctor sitting
up all right. and smoking her pine" IA
common practice in those davs) was the
answer.
Then you had your ride for moth
ing?' said another.
. To have been out in such storm
and see one Of those circles made 700,
worth half lifetime"
day?" '' '''' Nv"
Yes, and we found that the ground
was scared into the distance of several
inches. All the grass was burned off in
n ring about fifteen or eighteen inches
wide. and about twelve or fifteen ipcbos
across. On the inside. where the e,,.ass
was not burned at all. the rain stonnod
the lire from spreading. The doctor
long since dead. frequently smoke az his
night on the prairie. when no SoU, ,ho
prairie circle made He has n nanhev
now living ut Portage. who has os,on
heard him relate his account Of the in
cident above described. He had his
own theory about il. and what caused
~ put which seemed incNplicable TO any
uuA ulIuNflls
ibid you ever find anything in any
book about such occurrences?" was
asked.
Yes. after searching through all the
books could find that treated on cleo
tricity. lightning. etc, at last discoy-
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. ID.
Lopdon, 1925. II is headed. FAIRY
Rings"
There is phenomenon. supposed 70
be electric, which Is vet unaccounted
for; mean the fairy rings. as they are
called, so often seen on the grass. The
numerous flashes of lightning which oc-