The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-07-09
The Red Sunsets.

AI lne ldSt meeting OF the Acdue'
my of Natural Sciences, Professor Ii
Carvill Lewis referred to Mr.. Joseph
Wharton's investigation on atmos.
pheric dust in connection with his
study of the cause of the remarkable
red sunsets of last summer. Through
the kindness of the Rev. Wayland
Hoyt the speaker had been afforded
the opportunity of examining dust
which was undoubtedly the result
of the eruption of the volcano Kra-
katoa, Java. This dust, which fell
thickly upon the rigging of the bark
William Fl. Besse, bound from Bat
tavia to Boston, is of light gray
color and harsh to the touch. 1t is
essentially pulverized pumice, by
far the greater part of it consisting
of powdered glass. These fragments
are sometimes twisted, but generally
occur in fiat, angular, transparent
scales. filled with minute bubbles.
Angular fragments and crystals OF
transparent plagioclase, together
with more irregular and rounded
fragments of dark green and brown
pyroxenic minerals, probably augite
and hypersthene, are scattered
among the glass particles. Grains
of magnetic, often well rounded,
also occur, and may be picked out
and examined separately by a mag
net covered with tissue paper. The
dust did not in the least resemble
that described by Mr.. Wharton.
Accompanying the specimens of
dust We're extracts from the log of
the bark, which were read by Prof.
Lewis. Throughout the afternoon
and night of August 26 heavy re-
ports like the discharge of artillery
were heard from the direction of
Java, the barometer being 3015.
At daylight the following day a
heavy cloud bank was seen to the
westward, which continued to rise
until the sun was obscured. The
barometer fell suddenly to $3.50 and
suddenly rose again to 30.6O. All
hands were called, everything Sc
curelv furied. and the port anchor
let &c with all the chain in the lock-
er. By this time the squall struck
the vessel with terrific force, and
the starboard anchor was let go
with eighty fathoms OF chain. With
the squall came heavy shower of
sand and ashes, and it became dark
er than the darkest night. The bar
ometer continued to rise and fall an
inch at a time. The wind was blow
ing a hurricane, but the water kept
very smooth. A heavy rumbling,
with reports like thunder, was heard
continually, and the sky was lit up
with iorked lightning running in all
directions, while strong smell of
sulphur pervaded the air, making it
difficult to breathe. Altogether it
formed one of the widest and most
awful scenes imaginable. The tide
was setting strong to the westward
throughout the gale, at the rate of 10
knots an hour. At 3 p. m. the sky
commenced to grow lig hter, although
the ashes continued to fall. The
barometer rose gradually to 30.30,
and dropped gradually to 30.14,
when it became stationary. The
whole ship, rigging and masts were
covered with sand and ashes to the
depth of several inches. The follow
ing day commenced with light airs
and thick, smoky weather. Large
quantities of trees and dead fishes
foated by with the tide. the water
having a whitish appearance and
covered with ashes.
Mr.. Edward Potts stated that he
had examined pumice which had
been found floating on the water
about 500 miles from the eruption.
1t was pure pumice, without any
massive character whatever. Mr..
Charles Morris's theory that the fire.
quent rains of the spring were due to
a condensation of vapor around dust
particles in the air was discussed by
Professor Heillbrin. = PHILADELPHIA
Ledger.