The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-03-30
Datuaiialr 6azette.
TUESDAY, MARCH 80, 1856.
THE ORIGIN Of THE RED CLOVIS.
THIRD WARNER PRIZE ESSAY. r~l
BY sERKNo z. BISHOP, HONOLULU, II. I.

They have continued with varying but dimin-
ishing intensity for more than two years. They
first appeared in great splendor along an Bqua-
tnrial belt of is 900 miles or more. They
gradually extended with reduced brilliancy To
the Temperate zones, exciting the wonder OF
Europe and the United Slater, in November
1888.
The most conspicuous of these phenomena
take place during one hour or more before
sunrise and sunset They may be considered
as grea; intensifying and prolongation Of
common twihght-sky reflections in conse-
quence of a recent introduction into the higher
regions of the atmosphere Of some kind OF
finely divided matter which powerfully affects
the suns rays, especially the red The usual
order of changes is as follows:
Clouds not obscuring the view, the horizon
where the sun has just set is }occnpied
by bright silvery luster. Above tins
to height of 80 deg. or 40 deg. yellowish
haze fills the western sky. Although
seemingly Opaque and dense, the presence IN
it OF Venus and the crescent moon show 1t 10
be entirely transparent. This haze rapidly
changes in color and extent, ranging through
greenish yellow and olive to orange and deep
scarlet. As the dusk advances, orange aud
olive tints flush out on all sides of the sky,
especially in the East. The chief body OF
color gathers and deepens over thesunset. rap
idly developing the red. In from twenty to
thirty minutes after sunset, deep scarlet has
overpowered all other hues, flaming along
go deg. of horizon, and 10 deg. Of altitude.
This rapidly sinks and intensides. There is a
dark interval above tho led. The stars begin
to appear. While yet the color flames low,
above the dark space appears a repetition uftbe
tho ,tsrbt
sky, these secondary reflections OF afterglows
are seemingly more brilliant than the primary
ones Again the colors change and deepen
into red. and after the stars are all out, and
the earlier fame has sunk below the horizon,
and far later than any common twilight, a vast
hlood-red sheet covers the West. 1t has been
seen rising as high as 20 deg. As itsinks and
rests low on the horizon in the dark night-sky,
it precisely Stimulates the appearance of a re-
mote and immense confagratioH, for which it
has in many places been mistaken. have
known our usual thirty minutes of twilight to
be prolonged to ninety, before the last glow
disappeared.
In the dawn recur the same appearances,
but in inverse order In September, 1883,
they were singularly impressive and even ter
ri6c, as the first low sullen incandescence rose
and spread and glared among the stars, as if
the very heavens were in confiagration. Then
as well as at nightfall a marked division oc-
ours between the night-glow and that nearest
TO the sun. During the earlier weeks Of the
display, the dark interval was extremely dis
tinct One observer described it as "black
bow" (d) Another saw the shadow of the re-
mote horizon sharply projected upon the under
surface of the haze-canopy, but with fine ser
rations, probably the shadows of platoons of
cumuli. (5) Evidently at that early date the
canopy of floating haze had a well defined uu-
der surface.
From the beginning, the upper limit of the
night-glow has always been indefinite, since
its light was reflected to it from the broad sur
face of the first glow, while the latter showed
a clean shadow Of the horizon from the sun
itself. In general it may be said that the
tropical displays Of these glows at their birth
during the first week in September as far sur
passed the mild CLOVIS seen worldwide in No
vember, as the plunging surges Of a tempest
surpass the tripping crests of a breeze. The
entire dome of sky above and around seemed
to heaye with pillows of lurid light, as the
portentous masses of color poured out of the
pellucid blue, while the west outHamed in
broad confagrations.
In September, during the day as well as
after sunset, many portions OF the haze-C can
opy were noticeable as having wayy or rip
pied structure. (c) A conspicuous object when
the sun is high has been from the irst the
opaleseent Eilvery gov around the sun. This
circle of rs deg. radius or more.
The outer part develops pinkish hue, which
against the blue sky shows lilac or chocolate
tints. These have a singular effect when seen
through riffs Of cloud, as Captain Penhallow
saw them (d) on Sept. 18th, 1000 miles N. L. of
Honolulu. This suh-glow has been particu-
larly discussed by NJ. a. Cornu, IN the Comp
les RenduS of Sept. %, 1854. He remarks pc
culiar notifications therein of The atmospheric
polarization of the SUMS rays. Prof. T. A.
Forel has repeatedly discussed this sun-glow,
which lie has named the 'Cercle de Bishop,"(
after the first observer OF the phenomenon at
Honolulu. Prof. Higgins found this glow
putting an end to his previously successful
of tue Solar Corona.
The height of the main body of this haze 10
the atmosphere has been variously estimated
at from is to 10 miles The present writer az
the result of much and early observation has
no doubt that in the early par: of September,
no part of its under surface was less than 30
or 80 miles above the ground. All estimates
should be based upon the first reflections and
not on the secondary glow. No decisive tests
Of the nature Of this rejecting matter have
been secured. The spectroscope has distinctly
indicated the presence of large quantities of
aqueous vapor, " accompanied by other pecu-
liar influences. Fresh fallen rain and snow
have repeatedly yielded dust of microscopic
particles possessing the same constitution as
the fine ash-fall from Krakatoa.
The most generally accepted theory of the
source of this new matter in the sky attributes
il to the great eruption of the crater of Kra-
katoa or krakatao, in the Straits of Sunda, on
the 9th of August, 1888, one day before the
first definite record of Red Glows, which were
seen on the 2Sth at both Mauritius and the
$500 miles west of Krakatoa. Be-
fore considering the evidences in support of
This theory, notice needs TO be taken of two
other hypothesis, which have been advocated
Ono of these assumes the meeting of our
globe with some cosmic cloud of impalpable
lust, which was arrested in. the upper strata of
Inc atmosphere The other hypothesis sup
poses the cosmic cloud 10 have been composed
IF hydrogen, which united with the oxygen of
he atmosphere to form the aqueous vapor evil
ienuy constituting so considerable part of
his haze
The latter hypothesis seems open TO the Oh
SS'ioh suae ouCu uniting vi tue Two gases Is
Usually attended with active combustion, none
IF which was observed. Both hypolheses ruff
er from the total absence of evidence that any
such cosmic cloud did approach the earth OH
" before August 2Stb, or since that time. The
natter actually introduced into onr atmosphere
S brilliantly conspicuous In the sunlight. Yet
We are asked 10 believe that a vast nebula of
iuch matter approached unseen and developed
he earth. In 1861 the tail Of an immense ard
brilliant comet actually swept the earth Yet so
enuous was the impiBging matter that no traces
II Its presence were left behind. A cloud suf-
lciently dense to create the present haze, must
n It's approach have presented the aspect of a
most compact and reEulgent body. SO fur from
'elug possibly unobserved, ii must have ter
flied mankind.
Another and most serious objection lies in
he original narrow localization of this haze in
N equatorial belt. 1t is difficult to conceive
+ a cosnlical cloud possessing mass adequate
o tue immense effects produced, which should
Tot occupy such dimensions as 10 completely
Envelope the globe at opce. producing CLOVIS
simultaneously all over the earth, not to con-
ider the improbability that the course of such
dense little nebula after collision should
precisely coincide with the equator. L. must
'e remembered that stray cometsry or nebu-
Gus matter mot solid meteors) ahoat in cos
mic space, since it possesses small mass and
eeble centupetal force, necessarily assumes
immense YOluU,e and extreme attenuation COM