Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-11
The SUNSETS OF 'S3.
gorgeous TintS That Followed the
Setting of the Orb of Day.
HEY PUZZLED THE SCIENTISTS.
.roSt Spiculae and Electricity We're the
Causes They Assigned.
LAYNAN FIRST EXPLAINED THEM
LAYNAN FIRST EXPLAINED THEM
rwE1TTEE FOR THE DISPATCH J


SS3, there began series of noticeable afte
unset GLOW S that continued with gradual,
decreasing intensity, for quite two months
A close observer would detect some of tn,
'ecuiarity for a much longer period, but i
vas during the first few weeks that the ap
pearance was most striking.
The usual coloring began to show befor,
inset, being then of a Eghtish cast. bu
vhca the great orb had sunk below tn,
sorizon, the hue of the western sky wa.
nat Of deep fiery crimson. This also EN-
raced considerable portion of the north
western and southwestern heavens
1tending well up toward the zen
IL. One Of the peculiar features
vas the long continuation after the disap.
gearance Of the sun. This was at least 10t
lor cent longer in duration than the bril-
liant sunsets that are occasionally seen, but
o soon as the sun had sunk to a certain
ngle below the horizon, all the coloring
-suish6d. Not a sign made itself manifest
turing the night. The stars shone in their
nlaces, so lar as the casual observer knew,
usJ as they did at all times, and moons
FAXED and waned, but nothing unusual
Interrupted the nocturnal order.
NOTICEABLE ALSO AT SUNRISE
The sunrises also, partook of a strangely
uminous character, many of them glowing
-irh an almost supernal beauty. Much
srLier than at other times .he sky began to
how tints and decks of variegated light, as
ia magic brush had laid on only the tints
+ coming color. This grew, changed and
secame perhaps greenish, then gradually
urued to steely blue, with panoramic in
erbIending of shades, paled, then vanished
1ro the opening day.
There were uists and vapors to interpcse
nd modify and add to the effect of the
10rrinss, that, as a rule, were absent even
urs but much less attention was paid to
ne rising than to the setting exhibition, as
Es observers Of tie former were much in
Ee minority.
As mig be expected, MANY and various
7ere the theories advanced to explain the
thenomenon, and, as usual, the impossible
Id the grotes1ue found numerous advo-
ates. Most amusing ii was to be gravely
formed that the stars were cleaning
aeuselves, and thar the resulting dust
as polluting the atmosphere Outside of
7 physics, as the major premise Of such a
-0posltion must necessarily be, the latter
AS much nearer the truth than the adyo-
l.ss OF star cleaning themselves knew.
A THEORY OF FROST sPICULAB.
A Massachusetts, savant was sanguine that
-asG sDiCulae at unusual attitudes was the
.rse OF the remarkable glows, and he set
.r-L with some show of pIausibilitv, that
1Ue such appearance would follow were
.EHt reflected from such spicuiae at proper
l-.es Of observation. But he failed to
-g.GIG why, all Of sudden,
spiculae should have been inspired
I-h ga ambition to 20 so high beyond its
Ill Il. i
r0 months starring tour, to the mystifica-
~ alike Of saint and sinner on the earth
meath. II = frost phenomenon, then why
lutreguent? Why, in this one instance,
.ch persistence in continuing? Why might
0r this frost spIcUlae at any time, as we'll
At this time, mount into the higher realms
the atmosphere? Then, after all, how
as it made clear and how could
be demonstrated that, what
ra- the angle of refractIon or
lection might be to the observer, that a
-e-rv uniform crimson color would be pro-
sc-eG? But these and other considerations
rerlaining to a careful synthesis of the case,
lie not seem TO disturb the mental serenity
the philosopher from Massachusetts,,
Who in a matter-of-fact way, at once at
alLe9 his horse to the rear Of his vehicle
.UI then serenely proceeded to propel both
aCEward.
THE SCIENTISTS SAID ELECTRICITY.
An astronomer of fairly national reputa-
jon. belonging TO one of the Middle States,
rr2rrled with this sunset problem and CO.
lciLed with the view promulgated from
me London Observatory, which was, that
70 some intricate way, the Redeemed sky
ras due 10 electricity. The aurora borealis,
ess- It's occasional coloring, seemed to
-l-u-5 some basis Tor this theory, and while
seemed 20 rest on insecure hypothesis,
he high ChaTa cbrr of its advocates COM
-aluded for il considerable attention.
But this conclusion could not be shown
as the consequence OF any fair anal lysiS.
There was "a uniform and well-sustained
ns-l9aIclty IN TINS case, entirely at variance
~.Ul all known electrical pheE omena.
-ara-iably, when the sub had fallen just so
.- below the horizon, this appearance van
sEed. This was fact OF the utmost sig
l.l.cauce. Anything of an aurOral character
may be seen aC any hour between dusk and
The first three nights decided that the
manifestation was not electrical But why
soF For the reason that the sun was factor;
rhe exhibition could not 90 in the absence
or tle sun and an electrical display could
90 ON III Independently OF It, with the sun as
MO Of the factors, another must necessarily
va something for the sun TO shine on.
very Well But this UioW disappeared
20 much later than in ordinary cases. Then
shi- something was simply higher than the
something else that sometimes made q glow
=Eg SO caught tie declining rays correspond
.lg-y longer.
THE TRUE CAUSE AT LAST
Elt if due TO neither smoke, frost spiculae,
star cleaning nor electricity, and since
.lese Appearances must inevitably fall
within the lines of cause and effect, to what
other agency could the cause now be as
gE-ued7 The field from which anything
1ould yet come, was now so restricted that
1robably only two sources remained open
.ls consideration. One Of these,
ueteroic dust, could not be entertained as
me quantity OF meteors required to do this,
would necessarily be so immense that some
OF them, yea many Of them, would have to
.all and be seen during the night, which was
NOT the case Volcanic vapor, then, only
could meet all the requirements of the case
rGd this is what later analysis of the precip-
lated dust in favorable localities proved
eTCDG al question that it was.
A terrific volcanic eruption of gaseous
rauOr, of the straits of Sunda on the coast
Ut Java, some weeks previous to the fiery
Eunsets in our latitude, was so excessive in |
EHlIme that Tor weeks, over an I'M
ruarse area Of the region mentioned, there |
was total obscuration of the sun.
Lals vapOr, being of exceeding lightneSs,
arose to an amazing altitude, found its
=euillbrium in air strata of perpetual calm
and there gradually spread out until, at its
l.aEimuLn1 the volcanic cloud enveloped |
lcUr-Efths OF the globe.
alt physical. Biographies OF common |
school days in bOyhOOd had described the |
appearance Of the sky, following the erup-
mons ana there was nothing that should |
nave puGZleu the saVant from Massachusetts, |
u % have perpleXed either the astronomer of |
NATIONAL repUJe or the wise men of the London |
observatory, as was the case for nearly 40 |
@. vs. a common Iayman had solved the |
Pr o-em and published the solution within |
week from the first appearance, and thus |
aye the priests OF practical science, as well |
zs those Of the pulpit, sometimes outdoue by |
-l. -proLessIom4- IN the ranks n