The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-19
QUEER OPTICAL ILLUSIONS.
(The End.)

Crew of a French Bark.
Paris Correspondence Courier des Etats
Unis.
Since the telegram signed by Nessrs
Sokolov and Skidlovsky, announcing that
on the night of Oct. 5, while they were in
the Usteyng district, they saw a balloon
passing rapidly over the village of Yako-
vleu and drifting toward the forests In
southeasterly direction, many persons
have Sighted Andrees balloon. Evil
IDENTIFY it is a phantom airship that they
have seen. Well-meaning people have af-
firmed that they saw Andrees balloon
floating over the White sea. Others have
seen it soaring over the state of Iowa, in
the United States. Others again have
seen it at North Cape, sometimes rushing
along in a tempest at the south of the
Disco Island, in Greenland, or soaring
over Kotelly Island, in North Siberia; and
among the latest reports is the one that
announced its appearance over the village
of Yakovleu.
All this goes to show that we are in the
presence of a new phenomenon produced
by the extreme suggesubility of the
throng. Each individual Is, without know
ing 1t, in a constant state of expectation,
and when an extraordinary affair, like the
one with which we are dealing, is present
ed to the mind, the intensity of the i'm
preston is such that suggestion becomes
easy, and, once formulated it imposes it
self Immediately upon the mind of the
masses by contagion.
The whole world followed with constant
interest and emotion the preparations that
We're going on at the Island of Danois;
but few people knew that spot, and it may
be said that nobody knew what was go
ing on there. Nevertheless everybody
made a picture in his own mind of the
place and of what was taking place there.
When this image became impressed upon
the mind its tendency from the very first
moment was to transform itself into a
reality. This is so true that a captain on
long voyage, with perfectly sound and
well-balanced mind, affirmed last year that
he saw Andree's balloon in August, 1896,
northwest of Newfoundland, and several
of the men of his crew also testified to the
same thing with as much energy as hon
esty And, as a matter of fact, Andree
was obliged to postpone his ascension I'M
til this year. He had not started in his
balloon, and yet they saw him.
Examples of collective Authorizations
are very numerous. Let us cite one that
certainly is not generally known, and of
which a lieutenant in the French navy,
M. Lestonnat was the victim.
I'm May. 1884, said he, 81 was on board
the bark Caroline. We had just left Iloilo,
in the Philippines, and we We're travelling
toward the Sunda Strait. One morning we
were moving slowly, at the rate of about
four or five knots. in a very light wind,
when the man on the lookout shouted TO
me that he saw a pirogue or sharpe on
the starboard quarter. Everything that
we see at sea- however insignificant, is al
ways interesting. Consequently, / placed
myself in a position to see the object that
the man reported. But, on account of the
lower sails, I was Obliged to go forward.
From there l saw, at about two points to
starboard, the progue, which seemed as
if she was about to cross our bow. Sud-
denly the mate shouted: 1T is not a ptr-
ogue; it is a yawl boat Then the sailor
came down from the rigging and reported
that he saw distinctly man standing in
the boat, and that he was making sig
mails.
1t is not necessary to be aloft to see
that replied the mate. L can see him
distinctly here.
After having observed the boat with at
tention, / saw as plainly as possible and
all the crew saw just as l did, man max
ing signals with something in his hand
that we could not yet recognize, but which
evidently was gaff or an oar, at the end
Of which was fixed piece of cloth.
There was no longer any doubt. We had
discovered an unfortunate shipwrecked
man, whose vessel doubtless was lost upon
the rocks of the shores called, If my men,
DRY serves me correctly, the Thousand
Isles. l Immediately reported to the can
tain, who took his glasses and followed me
to the forward deck. He recognized Just
as we did, boat painted white and in the
bow there was a man dressed in a blue
ganzy, who was waving an oar, at the end
Of which was fastened piece of sailcloth.
That poor devil Is lucky, said the
captain; for If we had had more wind YES
terday we would have passed him in the
night, and, Of course, we could not have
seen him.
But as the current was drawing the
boat away from us, he gave the order to
the man at the wheel TO let the vessel fall