Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-07-07
"ThE sILsN1 clTY.n
WONDERFUL Photograph Taken OF a Re
markabIe Mirage In Alaska


acter in Alaska well known among
whites and natives AS one Of the early
settlers of old Fort Wrangel. in which
his Individuality was stamped among
the sturdy miners who frequented the
Then important trading post, he has
grown with the far off territory, and is
today as much part OF Alaska's history
as the totem poles are identified with
the past lives of native chieftains To
MN belongs the honor of being the first
American who discovered gold within
Alaska's ice bound peaks.
Professor Willoughby is favorably
known from Fort Tongas to Mount St
Elias, He lived third of a century
along the coast, and his knowledge of
Southeastern Alaska forms an Arctic
encyclopedia of which he himself is an
inseparable part. He left civilization SO
long no that he does not remember of
.iasing seen locomotive or train
o. cara He is a man of robust stature
and abou, 60 years of age AS miner
he has no equal in the territory He has
| exposed more locations of mineral wealth
than any other three men, and is at pres
ent the owner of many promising claims
/ Among other things upon which he en-
| ploys his spare moments is photography
While pursuing this scientific amuse-
ment Professor Willoughby frequently
! discovered remarkable mirages, and af-
ter four years of labor, amid dangers,
! privation and suffering, he accomplish
/ ed for the civilized world feat in pho
Biography heretofore considered prob
lematic. 1t was on the longest day in
June, 1888, that Willoughby's camera
took within its grasp the reproduction of
a city remote and, at first glance, thought
to be within the recesses of another
world. This remarkable photograph was
taken at O'clock at night in Glacier bay
The mirage city was named by Profes-
sor Willoughby 1.-The Silent City" The
first two copies were sent to the govern
ment officials at Washington, d. G. The
second was placed in the hands of the
purser of an Alaskan steamer, and the
third copy was sent to The Chronicle. 1t
is 10 inches in length by inches in width.
The view, sometimes indistinct, is appa-
rently taken from public park or gar
den on hill In the foreground is a
graveled walk, a stout fence, a rustic
seat and little child at play Beyond
the stone wall are the roofs of houses
with clumps of trees at the sides. In the
distance are the half completed towers
of a cathedral and several tall public
buildings, while far away, enveloped in
what appears to be cloud like atmos-
phere, are tall smoke stacks and the
towers of churches. The style of archi-
lecture is decidedly modern, the roofs
are like those of England or the British
provinces. The chimneys are made of
tiles. Taken as whole, it is a remark
able photograph, artistic to large de-
gree
correspondent of The Chronicle,
writing from Juneau, Alaska, says of
Willoughby and his wonderful photo
graph; 1.-THE professor is perfectly
straight in his business transactions, and
in my dealings with him have foun
him the soul of honor. have frequent
Iy seen mirages in Alaska but never
saw the photograph of one. Peterson
Brothers, who are the only first class
artists here, say the picture is a genuine
production, and think it is of a city in
Russia San Francisco can probably To-
cate the town.
a hundred people or more were
shown the photograph yesterday. Some
regarded the whole thing as fraud
while others believed it the genuine
Photographic result of mirage. One
man related his experience with mi
rage in Death Valley, in San Bernardinc
, county. Going down the mountain side
, into the valley one sees a mirage repre-
senting luxuriant garden with lakes
, rivers, waterfalls and rich vegetation
| Upon reaching the base of the noun
tain barren, sandy desert is found il
the valley.
: The expert photographer employed "a
. Tabor's art rooms examined the photo
graph critically and said: Il nevel
a heard of city represented in mirage
before. have seen islands and land
scapes, but never a city. The photo
graph is the result of a badly exposed
plate. regard it as a trick. Such a re
, suit could be obtained in making a copy
from similar photograph by long ex
= posure on bright moonlight night sa,
d, an hours exposure. But the figure of t.;
! human being, like those of the children
: in the foreground of this picture, woulC
a not show at all in the representation Of ;
: mirage This photograph was taken b,
: a rapid exposure, about two or three sec
p onds in duration, either in - light o
= a poor exposure.
4 Miragss, as a general rule, represen
scenes IN the immediate vicinity, no
g over a few hundred miles away at tn
best At first the city of Victoria wa
suggested, but an ole resident of tina
city denied the likeness, Victoria is full,
900 miles from Glacier bay, where tn
Y alleged photograph was made. A scor
q of persons ventured an opinion as to tn
:. location of THE Silent City" However
. no one could be found who recognized
= the scene. At Tabor's and other photo
q graphic establishments it was though
. the picture was that of city in Franc
, or Germany. A dozen persons agree
that it resembled Montreal or Quebec
possibly Halifax. The agents of the Ca
madam Pacific, who are well acquainte
,. with Canadian cities, stated that it coul
n not be Toronto, Ottawa or Quebec. The
r were divided in opinion as to Halifa'
a and Montreal In the latter city there
+. a cathedral building resembling the on
il in the photograph AS final result @
Y Yesterdays investigation Montreal az
pears to be the most likely city repre-
!. scented in the wonderful mirage pictur
of ,,Tba Silent (jtv San Francisc