Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-02-21
COLUMNS OF FIRE.
A Strange Phenomenon Which Is Some-
times Scon In Midooean by Sailors.

A Strange Phenomenon Which Is Some-
times seon In Midoooan by Sailors.
"On deck thorep'
The hail came from the foretop of q
little ful-riggcd ship of the old fash.
ioned New Bedford type that was
plowing along the waters of the
Atlantic, hurting tho bright, phos-
phoroscent waves ahead of tho broad
bow in loud and boistcrous mann or.
"Ayo aye" was tho answer. fol-
lowed by gruff "what's the matterP"
from the sleepy mate.
Light on the weather bowr' came
from the lookout.
"We'rc a good two thousand mile $
from land in that direction, muttered
tho mate, rs he swung himself into tho
rigging.
But when he wiped away the spray
that lashed his faco there was the
light, and one so strange and unfamil =
lar that he stood there for slveral Sec
onds, buflctcd by tho waves, yet peer
ing at the strange visitor. Then
swinging around and dropping from
the shrouds 10 the quarter deck, he
put up his big hands 10 form trumpet
and roarcd: "Rcady aboulp"
A moment later the ship was trom-
bling in the wind. the blocks hammer
ing the yards vlciously, the cordage
groaning, the sails swapping like fire.
arms. while tho lnnging and pitching
covered the docks with cleaning e
golden spray. Tho roar and confu-
sion brought tho skipper on deck, and
in explanation of his order the mate
pointed at the strange light that was
now astorn. Tho men, too, were look
ing at it, having made every thing
snug, and If all the crow not one had
ever seen any thing like it before.
When first seen it looked like n lu-
minous buoy floating upon the surface.
but it had gradually longIhened out,
grown more attonuatcd, MS 1t were,
until now it seemed taller than the
fYRinlast of The ship. of yellowish
tho jol.black sky. = rhieet against
Somo of the men looked at the
strange form with grave apprehen-
sion. To them il bodied no good. per-
haps harm; others were not so easily
disturbed. but every one on board was
at least astonishcd at the curious APP
partition that every moment seemed to
grow larger and tRNsr.
Keep her away Hpoint," said the
captain to the helm smen, and the YES
sci fell away and slightly increased
her speed. "WhUtever it is," he con-
tinucd, its coming after us. Itlooks
to me like waterspout, but never
saw one that was on fire, and that one
Is if any thing ever was"
Tho curious object was rapidly gain
ing on them, and now presented an APP
palling appearanee-a huge column of
ghastly light, hundreds of feet high.
of a dark, golden, yellowish hue
standing out in strange contrast
against the sky. or the intense dark
ness Of tho night. 1t came on so
quickly, evidently before tho breeze,
that The vessel was hauled on the
wind, just in time, perhaps. for the
strange column went Kissing and
roaring by not n thousand yards
astcIn, its base whore 1t joined the
water surrounded by seeming mass
of fire, while the upper portion bent
gracefully, and was lost in tho clouds.
In short limo it had entirely disap-
pearcd from view. The column was,
MS the skipper has suspected, n water
spout; midnight visitor coursing
over the ocean like somo weird phan-
tom. Since then several have been
seen at ono time, voritable pillars
Of fire. moving rapidly over
the surface. 1t finally oc-
CURED TO scientist to examine
the water in which these fiery columns
were seen, and he found 1t completely
filed with the forms of two minute
plants, known to science rs pyrocislis-
and P-pisiformis,
whose nucleus. the little spot seen in
the center. was vividly luminous.
Here. then, was tho secret of tho
column of iirc--a waterspout had been
formed and enormous masses of the
little light-givers borno aloft giving
the entire spout fiery appearance.
These spouts differ in color depending
on the intensity Of the light of the
various animals; some are dull yell
low; others, ON moonlight nights,