Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-30
SUNSETS OF FIRE.
They Are Believed TO Have Bccn Caused
by the Java Earthquake.
Interesting Letter from Mr.. Norman
LOckyer TO the London Times.

In long contribution to the London
Times, Mr.. Lockyer brings the light of
SCIENCE to bear on the atmospheric phe-
nomena which have lately been surprising
and delighting Europe and America. The
ethereal pomps are reported to have de
rived their wondrous complexion from
plentiful diet of pumice stone. Meteorolo-
gists have been enabled to track Krakatoa
from its original site in the straits of Sunda
to the skies above Java, to Madras and
other points in Southern India, TO the
Seychelles and Mauritius, to the Cape and
the Gold Coast, to Brazil, enezuela
and Trinidad. About the period at which,
with the prevailing currents of the upper
air, and in the anticipated direction, mat
ter floating in the atmosphere would be
due in Europe, European skies have been
visited with succession of gorgeous sun
rises and sunsets. The exploded frag-
ments of Krakatoa and its volcanic roots
have now been dyeing European skies as
they shrouded Java. As it has been said
that the aqueous vapor in the air is the
chief cause of the sunset color normally,
Mr.. Lockyer inquiries if there is excess OF
aqueous vapor at present. Now, on this
question there is no higher authority than
the astronomer royal for Scotland, Prof.
Piazza Smyth, and the evidence which
the spectroscope has afforded him is of
the most conclusive character.
Mr.. Lockyer concludes by saying: "The
rain-band, band produced as | hold, by
a special form of aqueous vapor in our air,
widely different from that which absorbs
the. blue, is now at the minimum, while
the dry air-band is at tremendous maxi
mum. Prof. Smith adds, as a corollary,
The light, therefore, from that red haze
has passed through an extra length of
extra dry air. This puts an extra amount
of aqueous vapor as the cause of these
sunsets entirely out of the question. Al
though q priOri it seems -ditiilasit - isaa-
| agine that a auuset IN London in Decem-
ber should owe its coloration to volcanic
eruption which took place mnny Thousand
miles away last August, inquiries ALONG
several lines based upon the evidence now
available, really lends great probability to
this view.
| 81 do not write as partisan. but even
were one, / should still point out that
! thera arc important gaps in the evidence,
| and that there are some difficulties in our
way, and it is desirable to know whether
| they will be increased oTs diminished by
| future information. Thus, to give one of
these difficulties, Mr. Niche Smith point
| ed out quite clearly that similar phenom-
ena were observed in Europe and Amer
lea in 1881, when he imagined there was
nothing volcanic to produce them. On
this the interesting question arises whether
it is possible to associate them with the
elevation of Graham's Island in the Medi.
terranean in that year, as sun
dry dim portents seen in the
last century were referred tC
an eruption of Hecla. Much will depend
upon this, and at present l have not beer
able to get at the records. However the
point is ultimately settled, the beautiful
phenomena which have suggested this
article will lose none of their interest il
the memories of those who have watched
them, and if it should happen that the
idea OF volcanic origin is eventually justi
fed, it is perfectly clear that in the futur,
the beauties of the skies will have a new
interest attached to them, and that they
will be eagerly studied by meteorologist
and utilized to acquire a knowledge of tn,
upper currents of the atmosphere, which
up to the present time, have all but eludeC
their grasp"