Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-14
THE BOW OF PROMISE.
That Filled the Heavens With Glory
in Minnesota Recently,
WAS CAUSED BY FROST SPICUL.E.
1t Is Celestial Phenomenon Quite Common
in Polar Regions.
STRICTLY LOCAL IN ITS CHARACTER

The beautiful midday phenomenon re-
Gently witnessed at Lake Benton, MINI, /.
brief account of which was given in The
DISPATCH, belongs to rare order of ap-
| pearances for this latitude. Like the rain
bow, such spectacle is local, so that while
it may be seen in q given place, there may
be no display at all few miles away.
Very few persons in describing an unusual
| exhibition, as was that at Lake Benton, do
SO without giving some rein to the imagina-
| ton; and there seems to be something mis-
| stated in this case, as the published de-
scription does not fully comport with what
would seem to fall within the lines Of
| analysis.
The writer witnessed one similar exhibi-
tiOn in February, 1886, which took place
between the hours of $50 and 1920 A. N.
The day was cold, the sky nearly clear.
with horizontal circle of mist-like light
bisecting the heavens about midway be-
tween the zenith and the horizon. Four
immense globes oflight mist, lay at equal
distances right on the line of the luminous
ring, the band apparently passing through
them, the sun also being in the path of this
circle
At some distance out either way from the
sun on this band, was an immense "sun-
dog" each located across the line in
in the form of segment and having all
the hues of the rainbow in the usual
order. Near the zenith, on the sup
ward side and with the convex side
of the arch turned from the sun, was a per-
feet section of what may be termed q rain
bow, although the phenomenon was not the
result of falling drops of water.
Such occurrences are necessarily restricted
to the winter season and to sunny days. Ia
the Polar regions they are very frequent
and they there assume a sp1endor and a
variety unknown to dwellers of temperate
and tropical zones. A cold temperature,
with sunshine and frost spiculae borne on
currents of proper angles to the SUMS posi-
tion and the plane of the observers vision,
are the conditions under which such . phe-
nomenon may make itself manifest 1t
would be possible, if properly located
in mid-air, to see a rainbow in
continuous circle, but as the drops
of rain fall nearly perpendicularly
and the observer is located at the terminus
of the column of falling drops, the angle,
even with the sun on the horizon, can afford
no more than q half circle.
But this frost spicula, moving perhaps
quite horizontally, if it has the proper
translucence, may project the complete cir
Gle which must lie in the heavens on q
plane coincident with the plane of the
movement of the floating parti-
eles The parts of perfect rain
bows are the results of either
clearer and higher spicula, or they are
projected from where the focus of light is
most intense and the opaque accompani-
ments are the result of the smore indirect
transmission.
The common rainbow, the brilliantly
FURNISHED clouds in the evening or the
morning, and the celestial happenings
described, all belong to one general class
the differences being merely caused by
somewhat varying factors. There is nothing
auroral in their character, as these latter
lights of the night have no k1nship-no
direct kinship-with sunlight and floating
matter. n.