Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-09-11
MiRAoEs.
The Fleeing Phantom or Rocks and
Lakes, rivers md Hills.

Lakes, RIVERS and Hills.
Tn the old times, when everything
unexp.ainable was pronounced super
natural, III Ii easily understood why the
mirage was regarded with awe as we'll
a. wonder. Yet the phenomenon is as
simple in its origin us the rainbow.
A mirage may occur at any place
where the denser stratum of air is
placed above the lighter stratum, thus
refracting the rays of light, the COM
mon surface of the two stratums acting
as mirror.
In looming mirages distant objects
show an extravaganza increase in vertical
hight without alteration in breadth.
Distant hummocks of ice are thus mag
nified into immense towers and PIN
nacles, and ship is sometimes abnor-
naily drawn out until it appears twelve
or thirteen times as high ~ it is long.
Rocks are seen drawn UP ten or twelve
times their proper hight. Houses, as
well as human beings and animals, APP
pear in like exaggerated shape.
Another form of mirage is when q
ship, or some other object near the
water, seems greatly elongated, and a
second inverted image meets it from
above.
Sometimes the proper image of the
object is elevated far above the lake or
sea, while the second image strangely
appears inverted beneath it, the whole
surrounded by sheet of sky which is
mirrored and repeated within it.
In 1922, in the artic region, Capt
I>x,1 lxxy.4 T., to1
age in the air, his fathers ship, the
Fame, which afterward proved to be
seventeen miles beyond the visible
horizon Of his observation.
Mirages are very frequent on deserts
or the large sandy plains which abound
in the southwestern States and Terri
tories. Many painting wagon train
has pushed on in joyous haste at the
sight of a green grove or limpid lake,
only to be cruelty disappointed at the
fading away of the vision. Is it any
wonder that the natives and the Indians
regard the phenomenon as the work oil
| evil and tantalizing spirits?
Lake Ontario is famous for beautiful
and wonderful mirages, during which
the opposite (Canadian) shore of the
| lake is plainly visible. Not long ago q
perfect mirage was witnessed from Os.
wego, in the afternoon. 1t extended
from point nearly opposite Oswegc
City to Cape Vincent, at points on the
Jefferson County shore.
A vessel has been seen sailing along
| the horizon with the hull uppermost,
visible at Lake Bluff. Accompanying
the appearance Of the ship was that OF
mountains and hills, as though the Ca
madam shore was coming into view. A
| puff of wind apparently caused the
whole phantasmagoria to melt away as
| if by magic.
In Syracuse, distant city, remark
able mirage was witnessed by many
persons. It lasted two hours, and was
best observed from University Hill,
looking northwest over Onondaga Lake
Lake Ontario was plainly visible, an6
stretching out at an angle Of twenty
| five degrees Of the horizon it looked
| like an ocean.
Portions of Rochester, and section.
of the country lying south of it, have
been seen outin the lake six and tel
miles distant, as though the city Were
standing erect in the air. Trains O.
moving cars and other objects were
clearly defined, the aerial phenomeni
continuing for nearly all hour.