New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-12
HUGE COLUMNS OF FIRE.
From Golden Days.

From Golden Days
aOn deck there~
The hail came from the foretop OF little furrced
ship Of the oldashioned New-Bedford type that was
pouching along the waters Of the Atlantic hurting the
bright phosphorcscent ahead Of the broad bow In
loud and bolsterous manner
AYE. aye" the answer. followed by erun
what's the matter 2" from the sleepy mate
Light the weather bow I" came from the lookout
"We're good two thousand miles from land In that
direction muttered the mate as he swung himself into the
rigging
But when wiped away the spray that dashed his face
the light and strange and unfamiliar that
stood there for several seconds bufed by the waves
yet pceing the strange visitor Then swinging around
and dropping from the shouds IN the he put
up his big hands TO form trumpet and roared READY
about"
the ship trembling in the wind the
blocks hammeing the yards vcOusy, the cordage Rroan
Ing the sails swapping like firearms while the lunQng and
pitching covered with a cleaning golden spray
The roar and confusion brought the skipper on deck ana
in explanation OF his order the mate pointed at the strange
light that asern The men, too, were looking
at it having made everything snug. and OF all the crew
| not had anything like It before.
When first seen it looked like luminous buoy floating
upon the surface but 1t had gradually heightened out
taller than the manmast OF the ship OF yolow>s tnt-a
most striking object against the jetbiack sky. .
of the looked at the strange form with grave
apprehension To them IL BODIED good perhaps harm
easily disturbed but every one on board
was least astonished at the curious appariton that
every seemed to grow larger and taller.
keep away point" said the captain TO the helms
man. and the fell away and slightly increased her
speed II is" he continued fts coming atef
U.S. 1t looks TO like waterspout, but never saw
one that was fire. and that ia anything ever was
The curious object rapidly gaining on them ana nov
presented appalling apearancea huge column OF ehaS
y light Of feet high, OF dark yeo"isn
hue-sanding in strange contrast against the SKY OF
the intense darkness the night 1t came on 50 quickly
evidently before breeze that the vessel was hauel
on the wind Just time perhaps for the strange colur
Kissing and roaring by not thocsand yarus
its base where It Joined surrounded by seeming
mass OF fire while the upper portion bent gracefully anc
NOS ,ost IN tho clouds In 1t had entirely
disappeared from The column was as the skippc
had suspected a waerspout midnight visitor courshE
over the ocean like weird phantom Since thel
several have time Veritable pillars Oh c
moving rapdIy the surface. II finally occurred 10
scientist 10 examine the water in which these merry column
were seem and he found completely hlici with the FORM
Of two minute plants science as pyrocSseuuo
octuea and pisiformis whose nucleus thc Ilttle spo
seen in the centre, was wildly luminous.
Here. then the secret OF the column OF hre
vaterpout had been formed and enormous masses OF IN
little light borne aoft giving the entire spout
fiery aDpearance. These spous differ In color depehoi
on the Intensity light of the various animals; som
are a dull yellow Others moonlight nights quie
pale while the extreme DARK nights Nn
the sea is high present truly trightfu appearance ~
sembng pillar Of fire, the base representing caiuroh
|