The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-12-29
THOSE GLOWING SUNSETS.

For the last month at least sunrlses anC
sunsets have been the most exquisite spec
taclcs nature has afforded. Not only II
this country but throughout Europe ant
the East the colors which accompanied
them were enchanting everywhere. They
were no LEGS glorious in smoky Pittsburgh
or New York then on the crest of the
White Mountains; or seen from the Lon
don docks or from the top of St. Bernard
And they seem in no hurry to disappear
The sunset on the evening before Christ
mas was as gorgeous as any since they
were first noticed.
Many and various have been the specu
la,ions of the scientists and mcteorologists
as to their cause, yet no two agreed rs to
the correct solution of the problem until,
within a week, 1t has been evolved by DR..
Lockyer, of London, who makes the sur
prising revelation that the crowds who
have been gazing on the sights IN the heav.
ems that Turner himself would not have
dared to portray have only been assisting
at celebration of the obsequies of the Isle
of Krakatoa. 1t is an amusing story which
DR.. Lockyer has elaborated, and this Is
the substance of it.
An atmosphere at least forty miles deep
clothes the earth. An aqueous vapOr IN
great part composes 1t aud forms the reflect
ing medium. Generally the sunset unts
are due to that aqueous vapOr which
vibrates under the suns rays. According
to the density of the vapcr, as it absorbs or
interCepts one color or another, the lighti it
reflects is white, blue, violet, or red. Ordl
narily it would have been inferred from
the SURPRISING lustre Of the sunrises and
sunsets during the last two or three weeks
hat for some reason the band OF aqueous
vapor had thckencd. Had the facts an
swered, they would have explained the re.
tsult. The atmosphere has been submitted
TO the thumbscrew of the speCtroscOpe,
and negatives the theory altogether. In the
period IN question the dry air band is pro-
nounced to have enlarged at the expense of
the watery. Recent vivid green's and
crimsOns must have traversed an extra
length of dry instead Of aqueous vapor.
Had meteorological science and the spec
trJscope existed III old days, when there
was neither steam nor the telegraph, in
quirers must have paused in utter perpleX |
lty IN the presence of these contradictory
conclusions Now the accelerated facilities
for the transmission Of news have accumu |
lated in the brefest interval mass of evil
dence which indicates way out of the
dilemma Meteorologlsts have
been able to track KrakatOa IN solution
from its original site in The Straits Of
5unda to the skies above Java to Madras
and other points IN Southern India, to the
seychelles and Mauritius to the Cape and
he Gold Coast, to Brazil, Venezuela and
Trinidad. Over Java there was q pail Of
black night on that terrible 2Slh OF August
Madras was COMPOUNDED by bright green
sun at sunrise and sunset from the 9Th to
The 18th of September in the Seychelles
and Brazil at the end of August and begin
ming of September the sun had been as
pale as The moon. Three months later,
about the period at which, with the pre-
valiing currents of the upper air, and in
The anticipated direction matter tloatlng1
10 the atmosphere would be due in Eh-
'ope, European skies have been visited
with succession of gorgeous sunrises and
sunsets. Dr. Lockyer's view is at any rate
IN agreement with tho circumstances, and
,as the merit of accounting for them. 1t is
'ald that the exploded fragments of Krak.
stoa and its volcanic roots have been dye
ng European skies as they shrouded Java.
GRADUALLY the vein has become thinner and
eebler. 1t has ceased to have power to
hide the sun, or turn its face pale and sill
'er No longer do the sunbeams reach the
,arlh blue and green and red as IN CeylOn
md Trinidad. Yet the dust of the dead
Mountains and crater has hcen here as real
IS at the instant OF its fiery election, If less
old and deep. Though 1t could not sub.
ugatc the sun IN its strength, it has had
orcc to prolong Its setting and to deter.
nine the tone of the after glow.