Telegram-herald., 1890-07-12
MYSTERIOUS hIRAGES.
Optical Illusions That Have Aston
ishsd Taoss Who Saw Them
v.rs0os Forzas efozs sf .tuEe's str@EEss
sa.-Ee2zrkGbie slshts vs.
Essssa ca the shore ~ Laks oa-
t.ris .ad az Eeehsstex.

-LA9 "N1ANf-A4 tt-tE-@t--t-t~N
several ferns. according 70 the state Of
tbe atmosphere. but those most gener-
ely sseR are the looming mirage and
TIE fatz horgaEs-
In looming mirages distant objects
show an extrayagant increase II yertlc-
81 heigAt without alteration IA breadth,
SAYS the New York Observer. Distant
hunuocks OF Ice are thus magninec
inro immense towers and pinnSeles, and
a ship Is sometimes GbnoraRlly drawn
out until IL appears twelve or thirteen
times as high IS il Is long. Rocks are
seen drawn up 70 ten or twelve times
their proper height. Houses, as well IS
hun,an beings and animals, appear In
like exaggerated shape.
Another form Of mirage is when
ship, or some other object near the
water. seems greatly elongated, and
second inverted image medts IL 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.
DIR. Vince, on Aug ust 6. 1906, at seven
p. H.. saw from Ramsgate, at which
place only the tops of Dover Castle tow
ers arc usually vi sible, the whole Of tho
castle. 1t appeared as though lifted up
and bodily placed on the near side OF
the intervening hill So perfect was
this illusion that the hill itself actually
could not be seen through the figure.
Some forms OF mirage are lateral
as well as vertical. arising from
unequal density of two contigu-
Gus vertical bodies Of air. Thus,
/ on Lake Geneva, a boat has been
seen dou Bile. the two images some dis
tance apart. Persons have been dupli-
Gated in the same way. Any ono on
hot day, by placing his eye near TO
/ heated WALL uuay see lateral mirages Of
objects at a distance, and nearly on
line with the wall.
Here, on the shores of Lake Ontario,
many beautiful and wonderful mirages
are Witnessed. Tho lalle is go wide tho
opposite side is not at all visible. And
! yet during some peculiar states of the
atmosphere 1t is clearly outlined. A
/ gentleman witnessed a most perfect
mirage from Sheldon's Point, Oswego.
/ 1t was about one O'Clock in the after
noon when a splendid view of the Can
/ ada shore was given. 1t extended from
q point nearly opposite Oswego City to
/ Cape Vincent, at points on the Jeffe rson
County shore. Whole blocks OF the
city OF Kingston were visible and local
/ tiles distinctly defined. From Sackett's
Harbor. Point Peninsula, ten miles
distant, has appeared not more than
two or three miles away, and so plainly
in view that the limbs Of trees were WIS.,
ible. Stony Island stood out plainly in
view, and far beyond it could be seen
Gallop and Duck Island. Even the Can
J ada shore in the vicinity of Long Point
and Prince Edwards Bay was at times
plainly in sight
In Syracuse, a distant city, remark
able mirage was witnessed by many per-
sons. 1t lasted two hours and was best
observed from University hill looking
northwest over Onondaga lake. Lake
Ontario was plainly visible, and stretch
ing out at an angle of 25 degrees OF the
Comfort says that few years previous a
similar mirage occurred, and 1t was so
distinct that by means of glass he
could discern town, probably Kings
ton.
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 objects were clearly defined.
the aerial phenomena continuing for
nearly an hour.
A well-known lake captain has also
witnessed wonderful mirage out on
Lake Ontario. While on his way from
the st. Lawrence up the lalSo and near
the islands known as the False Ducks,
and while standing at the wheel, there
suddenly burst into view the city Of
Oswego, thirty-ono miles distant with
the gas lights in the streets and all the
appearance town lighted up would pre-
sent from hill in the immediate vicin-
ity at night. The lighthouse at Oswe-
90, as we'll as others on the lake shore
below as far as Sackett's Harbor, wers
distinctly seen. 1t was sort Of night
mirage, and a rare sight indeed II last
cd for several minutes. then slowly
faded away into darkness.
At Rochester,, which is about twenty
miles inland from Lake Ontario. mir
age OF the most surprising character
was witnessed by many. Tho entire
northern sky as far as tho angle, or
bison, was lighted above the landmark
with the blue waters OF Lake Ontario
while rejecting from her bosom could
bo seen tho mountains, hills. valleys,
bays and rivers Of the Canada shore IT.
land for miles. Tho coast could 10
plainly seen mirrorcd over stretch of
fifty miles, ard 50 perfect at one time
that tho forests could readily be dis
tinguished. The reader can form sonue
idea Of It's grandeur By knowing that a
country separated from Rochester By a
'sko seventy nilcs In width was, as II
suddenly By tho hand of its great CreA-
cor. painted upon tho heavens 50 plain
as 70 "a seon from stand upofut near one