Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-05-13
WONDERFUL MIRAGES.
OPTICAL ILLUSIONS THAT HAVE
STARTLED MANKIND.

Siues In the Sky and Vessel. s.u,..
nhthely Upside Down-Interest,r. s.,-
ries Of Natural Phenomena Not r..u-
Explained.
This wonderful phenomenon takes .ev.
eral forms, according to the stata - ~.
atmosphere, but those most oenerallv se..,,
are the looming mirage and the Fata Nor.
CANA. ''Ao'
In looming mirages distant objects sbovv
gu s. e.A.fa'agant Increase in vertical height
without alteration in breadth n;sta,.t
;.u uliiiiocks OF ice are thus magnified into
Immense towers and pinn8cles, and a shin
- :. soihe.ines apnormally drawn cut until
~ appears Twelve or thirteen times as high
as u IS long Rocks are seen drawn up to
IGli or Twelve times their proper height
ao,i' ees, as wen as human beings and ami
u'ais' appear IN like exaggerated shape.
announcer form of mirage is when shin.
or some other object near the water. seems
greatly elongated, and second inverted
image meets it from above. Sometimes the
proper image OF the object is elevated far
ABOVE The lake or sea, while the second i'm
age strangely appears inverted beneath Ia:
the whole surrounded by a sheet of sky
which is mirrored and repeated within f.
In 1922, in the Arctic region, Capt.
ccoresby recognized, by its inverted image
IN the air, the ship Fame, which afterward
proved to be seventeen miles beyond the
visible horizon of his observation.
Dr. Vince, on Aug. 6, 1905, at Z D. M.
saw from Ramsgate, at which place only
the tops OF Dover castle towers are usually
visible, the whole of the castle. hammered
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.
ALONG THE CANADA SHORE.
Some forms of mirage are lateral as well
as vertical, arising from UNEQUAL density
Of two contiguous vertical bodies of air.
thus, on Lake Geneva, boat has been
seen double, the two images some distance
apart. Persons have been duplicated in
the same way. Any one on hot day. by
placing his eye near to a heated wall, NAV
see lateral mirages of objects at d distance.
and nearly on a line with the wall.
On the shores of Lake Ontario many
beautiful and wonderful mirages are wit
messed. The lake is so wide, the opposite
side is not at all visible And vet during
some peculiar states of the atmosphere it
Is clearly outlined. Even the Canada shore
in the vicinity of Long Point and Prince
Edwards bay is at at times plainly in sight.
vessel has been seen sailing along the
horizon with the hull uppermost, visible at
Lake Bluff. Accompanying the appear
ance of the ship was that of mountains and
hills, as though the Canadian shore was
coming into view. A puff of wind appar-
emily caused the whole phantasmagoria to
melt away is if by magic.
In Syracuse, distant city, remarkable
mirage was witnessed by many persons. 1t
lasted two hours and was best observed
from University hill looking northwest
over Onondaga lake. Lake Ontario was
plainly visible, and stretching out at an
angle of twenty-five degrees of the horizon
it looked like an ocean. Professor Com
fort says that few years previous similar
mirage occurred, and it was so distinct that
by means of glass he could discern a
town, probably Kingston.
Portions of Rochester and sections of the
country lying south of it have been seen
out in the lake six and ten miles distant,
the air Trains of moving cars and other
objects were clearly defined, the aerial phe-
nomena continuing for nearly an hour.
A well known lake captain has also wit
messed wonderful mirage out on Lake
Ontario While on his way from the St.
Lawrence up the lake 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
one miles distant, with the gas lights in
the streets, and all the appearance town
lighted up would present from hill in the
immediate vicinity at night. The light
house at Oswego, as well as Others on the
lake shore below as far as Sackett's Har-
Dor, were distinctly seen. 1t was sort OF
night mirage, and rare sight indeed. 1t
lasted for several minutes, then slowly
faded away into darkness.
A SURPRISING SIGHT.
At Rochester, which is about twenty
miles inland from Lake Ontario, a mirage
of most surprising character was wit
messed by many. The entire northern sky
as far as the angle, or bison, was lighted
above the landmark with the blue waters
of Lake Ontario while rejecting from her
bosom could be seen the mountains, hills,
valleys, bays and rivers of the Canadian
shore inland for miles. The coast could be
plainly seen mirrored over a stretch OF
/ fifty miles, and so perfect at one time that
the forests could readily be distinguished.
| The reader can form some idea of its grand
eur by knowing that a country separated
/ from Rochester by IA lake seventy miles in
width was, as ii suddenly by the hand OF
its great Creator, painted upon the heavens
| so plain as to be seen from standpoint OF
/ near 100 miles distant.
Upon land mirages are best seen over
| desert plains in hot climates. The intense
| heat of the sands greatly rarefies the air III
contact with them, and rays of light com
| ing from the distant objects are gradually
bent by approaching the rare stratum un
til they strike it at an angle greater than
the limiting angle. Total reflection Their
occurs. the air near the sand acting as {
| mirror. or body of water in which lnVert
| ed images are seen. Thus is presented t6
the inexperienced traveller over the desert
plains the appearance of tranquil lakes
and marched with thirst he is sadly delud
ed by them.
Many thrilling incidents are given wher'
whole parties in crossing the sandy desert
overcome with the heat and parched witt
thirst, have reached place from whence
far in the horizon, they saw, or thought
they saw. a beautiful lake, with branching
nalm trees near it, Longing for the waite
and the cooling shade, they have disobeyet
the warning voice of their guide, devlatee
from their true course to almost frantlcali,
hasten forward toward mere allurlng de
Iusion-a mirage that has led them Ia
astray-until. utterly exhausted, they nav
sunk down to perish on the desert sands
]. X, Bloomfield in New York Observer.