Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-08-18
St. EImo's Fire.


from Ilollo, comes a remarkable story
of the experience O. that vessel with
the phenomenon known ait st. Elmo's
FIRE during her passage across the In
dian Ocean. The curious spectacle
winch is often afforded to mariners,
was IN the case mentioned one of un-
precedented magnitude.
In all previous records of expert
ences with the wonderful electrical dis
turbance there Is no instance in which
1t was exhibited on such scale or
terrifying grandeur as when seen by
the crew of the Ayr.
The stemaer loaded 129 ,095 mats of
sugar at Iloilo for Philadelphia. While
In port her Captain saw many of the
stirring incidents which centared there
during the existing Philippine war.
There was nothing observed which has
not been given to the public reports of
the various engagements. Neverthe-
/ less lhe incidents described are endow-
ed with added interest when related by
one who was an eye witness.
The Captain, however, thinks as ex-
perience on the homeward trip is
wort. Y of mention more that the STIR
ring scenes which have been enacted
in the East.
The Ayr sailed from Iloilo on June
10. Her course was that usually fol-
lowed by homeward bound vessels, a
long run of $4,000 miles by way of tie
Cape of Good Hope.
On July the Ayr was in the lowell
est pant of that wide stretch of ocean
which separates India from South At
rica. An hour after sunset on that
day the wonderful electrical spectacle
began.
1t was noted on the two preceding
days THAT something out OF the general
run of atmospheric disturbances
seemed to be impending. On July 6
there had been a great storm, with the
accompaniment of an appalling display
of lightning. Although the storm sub
sided ...e air seemed charged with the
fluid
Shortly after Z o'clock on July s a
h.. of fire, apparently a foot in dia-
meter, suddenly appeared at the fore
mast head.
Its advent was so sudden and so un-
expected that the crew were momen-
tarily paralyzed with terror Never
theless, for a time nothing followed
the appearance of the ominous g.obe
1t shown with ghastly greenish radi-
anee, and although vibrating slightly
with the rolling of the ship, never
changed its position on the tapering
spar.
W thin an hour two similar balls
descended on the Ayr, one at the eX-
tremity of the bowsprit and the second
on the port bulkwards nearly amidship
Those who saw these mysterious
visitors say that no words can describe
the amount of light shed by them.
The Ayr seemed to be sailing in a YER
table sea of fire.
In the meantime the globe on the
bulkwarls developed curious eccen-
tricites. In rolled along the narrow
rail almost che entire length of the
foredeck. 1t was hoped that it would
fall into the sea, but never was its re-
markable equilibrium destroyed
This scene lasted until 12 o'clock.
AT that hour the fire ball on the bow
spirit burst likt bomb and for miles
around the sea was overspread with
astounding radiance, which nearly
b lnded the frightened tars. When
things had returned to their normal
condition no trace of the st. Elmo's
fire remained about the vessel. A
strange glow, however, permenated the
horizon On all quarters until nearly
morning.
4he Ayr has several Philippine Is
landers in her crew. There is a great
scarcity of sailors in the East render
ing their signing a necessity. As a rule
they make good sailors, and captains
are 10th to part with them after voy-
age. Several vessels have arrived
here recently on which they made up
the greater part of the crews.-Ph.l Ia
delphia Times.