The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-03-06
LIGHT FROM PLANTS.
ONCE BELIEVED TO BE PURE FANCY,
BUT NOW KNOWN AS REAL.


Trees and Bushes Which Produce Won
derful Luminous Effects-some Expert
ences of NaturaIists In Different Part
OF the World.
One Of the early naturalists, Nine
Merriam, think, describes an extraor
binary spectacle which she observed il
Asia. Her party was moving through
forest at night when without warn
ing large light appeared. At first dim,
it increased in size, growing larger anG
larger until finally tree was outlined
in soft pulsating light
The natives were demoralized and re-.
fused to approach it, saying it was the
sacred tree of fire. But the naturalist
/ had little faith in trees Of fire and in
vestigated it, finding that the light was
due to certain insects, which, by the
way, has never been observed since.
That tree or plant could give light
was deemed figure of the imagination,
yet today it is known that light giving
plants are not uncommon and among the
ural phenomena. Once in returning from
days hunt through a deep forest in
the heart of the Adirondack region /
stumbled against dead limb of a tree
| when TO my amazement I was at once
surrounded by a silvery light that flew
In ali directions, like darts and arrows
Of fire, each piece burning where it lay.
| TTI,;C
Of the best known Of luminous plants,
che fox fire, +" or witches glow" of
childhood days,
To the layman It is often mysterious,
as investigation shows nothing but the
| decayed wood, and sometimes soft,
pulpy mass. The botanist will soon
point out the light giver in the myoe-
lium Of some fungus that has permeated
the old branch and fairly taken posses
sion of it, converting it into glorious
spectacle when disturbed. The vivid
ness of the light may be estimated when
it is known that print can often be read
by it, and the light OF some has been
known 10 penetrate through several
thicknesses Of paper.
Singular to say, che smallest plant Is
often the means Of producing the greatest
luminous effects. This is the diatom,
which the naturalists of the Challenger
found floating in the ocean in vast num-
bers, and as the nucleus of the diatom
is often brilliantly phosphoresoent some
of the most displays of light
observed by the naturalists were coca
stoned by these little plants But what
shall we say to sight observed by
Norwegian bark in the bay of Funohal?
The waters here are fairly alive with
these little luminous plants the year
round, and on the occasion referred to
O waterspout formed among them. Dur
ing che day il would have attracted lit, |
tie attention, as the phenomenon is q |
common one, but the crew of the ship |
we're suddenly confronted at night by a (
literal pillar Of fire or light that extend
ed upward to a distance seemingly of |
1000 feet and moved along with de.
Oided bend.
1t emitted pale yellow light that
stood out in strong relief against the
black night, weird and formidable
spectacle, rushing on before the wind.
An English naturalist, wishing to as.
tonish some natives in wild part Of
Asia in which he was travelling and
impress them with his supernatural
powers, secured certain vine known as
Euphorbia phosphorea, and rubbing it
upon a big rock caused the latter to
CLEAN with flame and present SO re.
markable spectacle that the natives
ran, believing that he had set the rock
afre by simply touching 1t. The natu-
ralist was aware that the milky juice of
this plant, that resembled the dandeli.
on, was brilliantly phosphorescent
In the Harz mountains there has been
for ages a cave known as the haunted
cavern. An Englishman, travelling in
the vicinity and hearing Of it, deter
mined to Investigate the mystery After
a long climb he reached the cave. No
sooner did complete darkness set in than
the phantom of the cave appeared-a
semblance to human form,
with arms outspread, outlined against
the gloom. Making his way to the fig
1re that had alarmed so many wayfar
ers, he found that it was plant that
grew upon the wall. 1t was the we'll ,
Known phosphorescent fungus, Rhizo-
nospha subterranea, frequently found
IN caves and familiar to miners. Its
light is often so vivid that people have
'ead by it
These curious lights are not found in
he tropics alone. Some years ago Mr..
Morrell, editor of the Gardiner (Me.)
Journal, wrote me that he had observed
! brilliant steady light in his garden at
lines, totally unaoeounted for by me-
,hanioal continuance, and which, upon
Investigation, proved to be the phos-
,horescent light emitted by the young
# the plant Tianus stydtious.
Perhaps the most startling exhibition
vas observed several years ago by an I
english traveller in Borneo Belated, ne
vas overtaken by night, and there be-
ng no moon he was fearful of losing :
lis way, when, as the darkness came
N, singular lights appeared here and
here in the bushes and by the roadside. !
some were yellow; others burned, or
eemed to, with bright greenish hue s
Is it grew darker the blaze of light in 5
reased, and finally the traveller was I
mazed to find that he was passing
trough lines of luminous bush which
mitted light so brilliant that he could
cad by it -Pittsburg Dispatch.
Emperor William does not sympar a
hize with American ambition to yacht
n English waters says an American, !
writing from London. Nobody was
nore pleased than he when his royal +
ncle's yacht beat the Vigilant Even
he Londca newspapers felt called upor