The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-01-16
The Red Sun CLOVIS.

The Red Sun Giowo.
The red sunsets, whose first ap-
pearance called out the fire depart
ment in several widely separated
towns. are still an unsolved mystery.
For three months the heavens have
been Illuminated morning and even
ing with crimson glow which differs
from the ordinary phenomena of
sunrise and sun set in Its greater
brilliancy, wider sweep and IN the
fact that il does not accompany
sunrise and sunset, but precedes or
follows them by about one hour
showing that the reflection of light,
if such it's, comes TO US from a
substance forty or fifty miles above
the earth's surface.
That this display might be mis-
placed aurora borealis was an expla-
nation suggested and dropped almost
as quickly as the theory Of a great
conhagaation. These served for a
day. but we have been three months
getting better one. In the anti
podes the same ''Cloud Glow" was
attributed to the aurora dnStrotiS
The Government astronomer of Aus
tralia explains ii by the presence OF
aqueous vapors in the higher strata
of the atmosphere. He predicted
wet weather and his prediction was
followed by copious rains all ever
the Australia continent. The same
sky glow elsewhere has not been at
tended by unusual wet weather
The vapor theory, which first was
put forth by men ofscience in many
quarters. has been abandoned by
them after learning of the simulta
neous appearance of the same glow
in many quarters OF the world.
Meteoric dust was the next expla
nation vouchsafed by men learned
in the mysteries of astronomy, and
laymen may he excused If they
received it with some incredulity
Professor Langley tells US that over
100000 of meteorites enter our
atmosphere daily and are dissipated
in dust and vapor in the upper at
mosphere. The amount OF matter
added to the atmosphere In this way
is estimated at not less than 100 tons
nor mere than 1000 tons daily. H.
order to produce the peculiar condi
ltion of the atmosphere noted for three
months past the meteorlc stream
would have to be unusually dense
and fully fifty million miles in thick
ness. Professor Langley conclude
that it would be hardly possible thal
there should be such a meteoriC
Influx unaccompanied by shooting
stars, which would make its adven
visible to all. Without rejecting
1.-THE meteoric theory entirely, he re
CARDS it as extremely improbable.
The theory which now finds mos
general acceptance is that of volcan
ic dust in the upper atmosphere
thrown out in the great eruption IL
Java and elsewhere in August last
This explanation was first put forth
by Mr.. J. Norman Lockver, a noteC
physicist of London. Professor
: Langley accepts it as probably th'
true explanation, but Mr.. Procte
rejects il. 1t accords, however. S,
uearly with the common observation
I and experience that inquiries fnc
relief in such a reasonable explana
ton of the unusual phenomenon
Every big confiagration gives US ol
: a small scale, something of the sam
result which the Java sruptions pro
duce on a large scale After tb
$ greateruption of the Alaska volcanoe
in October last, fine pumice dus
= was deposited many miles away. /
u the greater convulsion in Java it
} not improbable that finely pulvel
lied matter was borne up by the a;
O cendant air current to very nearl
the very topmost layer ofthe atmo:
O phere. and has been carried sine
e then to the four quarters of th
a globe.
In Europe. Asia, Australia an
e America these sky glows have b,
come familiar since that eruption
q while they were never seen, excel
" ting as local phenomena, befor,
So great was the mass of matt,
thrown up 10y this lava volcano tn;
r intense darkness covered the Ian
I" and sea at MONDAY for many milk
around. The nearer we get to II
10 island the more extraordinary al
q the accounts OF the sky glow. !
D Indiana the sun was a pale green
midday. while the reflection of i
ar rays from the suspended matt,
e. morning and evening. corresponds
TO the magnificent sunsets afterwal
D. noted in Europe and America, an
al it is very easy to believe, therefor
though perhaps incapable of pro
De that all these meteorological phen,
10 nena have a common origin in Il
y crater of Krakatoa.- Phdadelph
e. Press.