Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-06-19
DECEIVE THE EYES.
Optical Illusions That Startle the Be-
holder-The Looming Mirage
and Fata Morgana.
Cities Reproduced in the Heavens with
Great observation-disclosures Sail
ing Apparently Upside Down.

sCNcla IoI us, dCCOItilIk, 10 Ult state or
the atmosphere, but those most generally
seen are the looming mirage of the Fata
Morgana.
In looming mirages distant objects show
an extravaganza increase In vertical height
without alteration in breadth. Distant
hummocks of ice are thus magnifed into
immense towers and pinnacles, and shin
Is sometimes abnormally drawn out until
1t appea-s twelve or thirteen times as HIGH
as 1t is long. Rocks are seen drawn up to
ten or twelve times their proper height.
Houses, as well as human beings and ami
mails, appear In like exaggerated shape.
Another form of mirage is when a 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
1.-THE whole surrounded by a sheet of
sky, which is mirrored and repeated with
In it.
IN 1882. in the Arctic region. Captain
Scoresby recognized, by its inverted image
in the air, the ship Fame, which after
ward proved to be seventeen miles be-
yond the visible horizon of his observa-
ton.
DR.. Vince, Aug 6, 1906, at 7 p. m. saw
from Ramsgate, at which place only the
tops of Dover castle towers are usually
visible, the whole of the castle. 1t ap-
peared as though lifted up and bodily
placed on the near side OF the intervening
hill. So perfect was the illusion that the
hill itself actually could not be seen
through the figure.
Some forms of mirage are lateral as
we'll as vertical, arising from unequal den
sity of two contiguous vertical bodies of
air. Thus, on Lake Geneva, a boat has
been seen double, the two images some
distance apart. Persons have been du-
plicated in the same way. Any one on
hot day, by placing his eye near the heated
wall, may see objects at a distance, and
nearly on a line with the wall
Here on the shores of Lake Ontario
many beautiful and wonderful mirages
are witnessed. The lake is so wide the
opposite side is not at all visible. And
yet during some peculiar states of the at
mosphere it is clearly outlined. A gentle
man witnessed a most perfect mirage from
Sheldon's point, Oswego. 1t was about
o'clock In the afternoon, when a splendid
view or the Canada shore was given. 1t
extended from a point nearly opposite
Oswego city to Cape Vincent, at points on
the Jefferson county shore. Whole blocks
OF the city of Kingston were visible and
localities distinctly defined. From Sac
kett's Harbor to Peninsula, ten miles dis
can't, has appeared not more than two
miles away, and so plainly in view that
the limbs of trees were visible. Stony
Island stood out plainl in view, and far
beyond it could be seen Gallop and Duck
island. Even the Canada shore in the
vicinity of Long Point and Prince Ed
ward s bay was at times plainly in sight.
A vessel has been seen sailing along the
horizon with the hull uppermost. visible at
Lake bluff. Accompanying the appear
ance of the ship was that of mountains and
hills, as though the Canadian shore was
coming into view. A puff of wind APP
parently caused the whole phantasma-
goria to melt away as if by magic.
In Syracuse, distant city, remarkable
mirage was witnessed by many persons. 1t
lasted two hours, and was best observed
from University hill looking northwest
over Onondago lake. Lake Ontario was
plainly visible, and stretching out at an
angle of twenty-five degrees of the hori-
zon, it looked like an ocean. Prof Com
fort says that few years previous a similar
mirage occurred, and it was so distinct that
by means of d glass he could discern a
town, probably Kingston.
Portions of Rochester and sections of the
country lying south of it have been seen out
in the lake six and ten miles distant, as
though the city was standing erect in the
air. Trains of moving cars and other OBJ
jects were clearly defined, the aerial phe-
nomina continuing for nearly an hour.
well-known lake captain has also wit
messed wonderful mirage out on Lake
Ontario. While on his way from the st.
Lawrence up the lake and near the islauds
known as the False Ducks, and while
standing at the wheel there suddenly
burst into view the city of Oswego, thirty
one miles distant, with the gas-lights in
the streets and the appearance a town
Lighted up would present from a hill in the
immediate vicinity at night. The light
house at Oswego, as well as others ON the
lake shore below as far as Sackett's Har-
Dor, were distinctly seen. 1t was a sort of
night mirage, and rare sight indeed. 1t
lasted for several minutes, then slowly
faded away into the darkness.
At Rochester, which is a. out 20 miles
inland from Lake Ontario, mirage of a
most surprising character was witnessed
by many The entire northern sky as far
as the angle of vision was lighted above
the landmark with the blue waters of Lake
Ontario, while rejecting from her bosom
could be seen the mountains, hills, valleys,
bays and rivers of the, Canada shore is
land for miles The coast could be plainly
seen mirrored over a stretch of fifty miles,
and so perfect at one time that the forests
10 r, "
can form some idea of its grandeur by
knowing that country separated from
Rochester by lake seventy miles in
width was, as if suddenly by the hand of
of its creator, painted upon the heavens
near 100 miles distant.
Gentlemen In Rochester who were ia
miliar with the Canadian shore could east
ly distinguish Rice Lake, Belvidere, and
other prominent points in Canada. The
lake looked as though it had by a great
tidal wave upon Rochester and covered
be seen north of Main street, or any land
between the city and the lake.
Upon land mirages are best seen over
desert plains in hot climates. The intense
heat of the sands greatly rarefes the air in
in contact with them. and ravs of Iioht
coming from the distant objects are gradu-
ally bent by approaching the rare stratum
until they stricke at an angle greater than
he limiting angle Total reflection then
occurs, the air near the sand acting as a
Mirror, or body of water in which images
Ire seen. Thus is presented to the mex
traveller over the desert plains
;he appearance of tranquil lakes, and
oarched with thirst, he is sadly deceived By
hem.
Many thrilling incidents are given