New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-30
VAS 1T AN EARTHQUAKE?
STRANGE PHENOMENA AT SEA.
\ WONDERFUL LIGHT II TIFF SKY AND VIOLENT
IY AGTTATED WATERS.

\ WONDERFUL LIGHT IN THf- Ky AND NINlsF-Nl
LY AGrTATED WATERS
Tie crew and passengers Of the Anchor lane
steamship Trim lcria, which yesterday arrived AZ
this port from Naples. Italy, tell wonderful ta'cs
of the appcarlnce of curious lights i'm the northern
sky on the evening Of July 25. Pilot Sullivan.
Of the pio,-boat c, ~ CARL, No 10. who brought
the Hrinagia into port. recouniS still more
marvellous things about the sea. wind and sS'
on the -amG night that the people on the Trina
cria were gazing in wonder at the heavens.
Sullivan declares THAT a perceptible earthquake
shock accompanied the phenomena Of the lights
while regarding that part Of the affair the officers
Of the Trinacria are not - positive A Tribune
reporter found Chef Mate .McAusland and Med
ical Oniccr Park. of the Trinacra, discussing tlc
matter last night Mate McAuslanl said:
I'VE were thirteen davs and five hours out from
the Straits Of Gibraltar. headed west. LITTLE
south and were about 500 miles from
Ncw-York. II was between and o'clock and
there was not cloud in the sky. Suddenly IN
the northwest appeared bright light in the form
of serpent. II rather undnlating, with 4
well-denncd head and outline and constantly
but slowly shifting form. For fully an hour II
appeared before Us in the northwestern sky.
looking like some great molten serpent slowly
collin and uuc,iline itself. Then II slowly coirl
itocif and dicI out in the gathering darkness
Tie Appearance was all the mon notable. coming
as il did ont Of a clear sky
Medical Officer Park went on 70 speak Of the
condition Of the air during the appearance Of the
phenomenal There was "A tremuOusncss through
ont the atmosphere. though II was by no means
strong enough to affect the bulk OF the Trinacra
in any way however much i; might have affected
the small potbo Accompanying the scrpcn-
tire lights in the northern sky, which at iirs'
tbc crew thought were merely the Northern
liglts were pcrccptible "tilc-ripS' All about
the Trinacra the water was swirling and cddyine
in way that looked like the meeting Of strong
cross currents. The "tid,-rips7 were not strong
enough, however, to suggest tidal wave, such
as might be expected TO follow an earthquake at
sea
During the continuance Of the curious lights
! thc barometer fell from 29.39 10 29.29. I'm
mcdiatcly upon the disappearance Of the serpent
like display the barometer rapidly rose again
The passcnrcrs on the 1rnacria at the time con-
sisted largely f Italian aborerS and band OF
| thirty howl,ng Dcrvishcs. Egyptians. Both they
and the Italian immigrants were much interested
| in the curious lights. seeming 10 regard them az
| bnt natural characteristics Of the land which
they were approaching
| Five hours after the Appearance Of the lights
Pilot Sullivan boarded the Trnacria from his
pilot-boat He brought lively tale Of the same
! Gphts which he bad seen from his boat, and OF
tie earthquake which, he declared, had been
their accompaniment The 1rinacria in lati-
tude 4O:47, longitude, 81 :oo at the appcaranc.
of the Iights At that same time the pilot-boa'
! was siyty miles distant Pilot Sullivans story
is, that Oh the same evening of July -, at sever
o'clock come from the northwest pcrccplblc
! carthnnake shock, lasting six seconds. Ii was
not strong enough to do any damage, but all rhc
crew of the plotboat, according to Pilot sullivan
| f.T- tho trembling for u few seconds, and oh
| sar-c1 the aeitatcd appearance Of the water
| Immediately aftcrward appeared the streak o
Io't stretching IN scrIrntinc form from The
1rIitb 10 the horizon. Pilot Sullivan's account o
tLc Iiglt is substantially the same as that Of the
! officers on the 1rinacria. IL lasted for al
Lolir. and then gradually died away.