The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-15
REAL WIL-O-THE-W ISPS.

| Remarkable Display in a French Har-
bor-Due in Part to Putrescent Fish
! Atmospheric Conditions That Favor a
Display.
The phenomenon known as will-o'
| the-wisp apepars so rarely that it's ex-
| istence has been doubted by some sci
| entists. 1t Is observed most frequently
in graveyards and in muddy channels.
In graveyards where the gas escapes
from the soil without traversng lay
err of water the will-o'-the- wisp takes
the form of long flame; in the water
| the gas escapes in bubbles that take fire
on reaching the air, producing, when
the air is calm, white wreaths of pros
poric anhydride. These phenomena
can be reproduced artificially with all
| their characteristics by burying in
moist soil or by throwing into water
some calcium phosphide, a substance
prepared by causing phosphorus vapour
| to pass over red-hot line.
! Under the action of the water the
phosphide gives o the gases hydrogen
and hydrogen phosphide, which in
flame spontaneously on coming into
contact with the oxygen of the air. The
white rings are due to the combustion
of the phosphorus, which gives rise to
| phosphoric anhydride white powder
that takes the form of wreaths The
formation of wreaths is due solely to
the issue Of smoke through the circular
opening made by the bubble in issuing
from the water All smoke while escap-
ing suddenly through a circular hole
forms similar wreaths.
Ihad occasion during the months of
August and September last to observe
some very numerous intense will-o-
the-wisps in the port of Croisic Goire-
Inferieure). During several evenings,
especially about tn middle of August,
the production of will-o'- the-wisps be-
came so abundant and manifested it
self with so much energy that the phe
nomenon was noticed by all the bathers
and sailors on the quays. The sailors
were particularly astonished, for these
will % the-wisps were entirely new to
them.
The captain of the port of Croisic, al
though he had lived many years in the
place, said that this was the first time
in his life that he had ever seen these
singular lights. 1t is unnecessary to add
that both bathers and sailors gave the
most fantastic explanations of the phe-
nomenon. owe it to the truth to con-
fess that at first ! thought it. was the
trick of some chemist, who was anus
ing himself by throwing into the sea
sticks of calcium phosphide but this
-, 4. IT,,
bubbles were SO large that to produce
them there would have been required
sticks of huge dimensions, not found in
commerce. Besides, the will-o'-th
wisps reappeared every evening and
over a considerable extent of water, so
that it would have been necessary to
undergo large expense, quite dispro-
portionate to a simple practical joke
never saw any one throw the samllest
object into the sea.
Finally, all my doubts were removed
by the fact that the bubbles of gas,
which were very large in August, dur
ing the season of thunderstorms, be-
came smaller and smaller during Sep
TENDER as the temperature fell. Toward
September 20, when the phenomenon
ceased, only very small bubbles appear
ed, though perhaps they were more nu-
merous and scattered over great sur
face.
1t was then necessary to conclude
that the productive cause of the phos-
phuretted hydrogen underwent varia-
lions corresponding to the changes of
temperature and electric state of the
atmosphere. Just as certain ferments
nd 10
rich in sulphur and produce sulphuret-
ted hydrogen, SO there must exist in the
waters of the port of Croisic ferments
hitherto known, capable of decompos-
ing phosphates and organic substances
rich in phosphorus, setting free phos-
phuretted hydrogen. Now we know how
atmospheric conditions act on ferments.
On certain days, especially during thun-
derstorms milk soursr with prodigious
rapidity and meat also spoils in a few
hours.
will close by giving some details re-
garding the production of the will-o'- |
the wisps. These were very large and |
reproduced on a large scale the we'll |
known experiment of bubbles of phos- |
phuretted hydrogen obtained by the &C
ton of water on calcium phosphide. !
observed plainly the formation of the
white fumes of phosphoric anhydride |
and the characteristic odor of garlic.
Wreaths were not produced, because of |
the constant agitation of the air
The bubbles occurred principally in
the two basins that adjoins the fish
market, whence the refuse is often cast
into the water, especially the heads of |
They rose somewhat in all
parts of these basins, but especially in
certain localities where the tide would
heap up the refuse. This part Of the
port of Croisic is very clean, and con-
tains no mud. The bubbles sometimes
reached an enormous size. / saw flash
as so bright that the whole port was
as if by lightning I noticed
but quite rarely regular Sc
ries of bubbles in straight line, as if
the substance from which the bubbles
we're escaping were carried along by the
current.
Some persons believe that the bub-
Dies were due to the putrefaction of
arge jellyfish, then quite abundant
The production of the will-o'- the wisps
vas coincident generally with the phos-
of the sea, another phe-
quite distinct from it and
having quite another origin. I have