The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24

The announcement that a party of
scientific men will leave Vancouver for
Alaska next June to study the so-caIled
Silent City mirage directs attention to
a phenomenon which has been the subject
of much discussion during the last ten or
twelve years. AS long ago as 1887 min
ing prospector who had explored Southern
Alaska extensively created a sensation in
Juneau and gave newspaper correspond
ents frst-class topic by exhibiting a
photograph which he pretended to have
taken of a mirage. This prospsctor. one
Willoughby. was particularly familiar
with the region about Glacier Pay. and is
sad TO nave piiOted Professor Muir's yes
sci to the glacier which now bears the lat
ters name. The story which Will0ughby
told in Juneau was substantially this:
Several years before. while he was near
Glacier Bay, the Indians told him of the
occasional appearance of what looked like
city suspended in air. Finally he wit
messed the strange spectacle himself
There seemed to be a number of huge
buildings. all of beautiful and imposing
architecture. whose spires and buttresses
strongly suggested the cathedrals of the
Old World. Lest his story should be d s.
credited, he made several successive at
tempts to photograph the picture which
the Indians called The Silent City
Whatever doubt may attach to the gem
EiIeness of the picture the rest of VIII |
iougbby's statement may be accepted |
without hesitation, because there is |
plenty of corroborative evidence.
Independent testimony of great value is
ihat offered by Dr.. de Philippe de Fillippi,
Eho accompanied the Duke of the Abruzzi |
10 Alaska in 1897, and subsequently wrote
4
Mount St Elias. The Duke and his com
panions had reached the summit and had
descended part of the way. when night
overlook them. They encamped on the
slope. With returning day they pushed on
over the Malaspina toward Yakutat Bay,
where lay their ship. The weather was
fine, but there was breeze. The air was
not calm, and this fact may partly ex-
plain the mperfections and unsteadiness
of the mirage. DR.. Filippi says:
The southern ridges of Mount st. |
Elias stood out clearly. merging in the |
long chain of Chalk Hills, which. as it |
approached the Malaspina glacier. as
FUmed a series of strange shapes, hich
We were no longer able 10 recognize.
Their outlines underwent changes before J
our very eyes, assuming the forms of I
spires, belfries, minarets, and archi,ec- {
tural outlines of fantastic cathedrsls, all
OF which slowly appeared and d sap
peared. to be succeeded by buildings OF
lesser height, severely rectilinesr. This S
proved to be the mirage known as the l
Silent City" an optical illusion 10 which t
this wide ice surface is prone in coz m '
With the burning sands of the desert. The
spectacle continued through Il
out the afternoon il
II should be added that this glacier is c
fully twenty-five miles in width but as it p
Is something like $50 or 200 miles west of v
the Muir glacier, where Willoughby was L
when he saw the mirage. II is open to
question whether the scene WAS pTecis ely |
he same. Willoughby declared, however,
hat the suspended city lay OF 20 the
of him, toward Mount FAR ! +
weather.. which stands between Glacier ii
Bay and Mount st. Elias 1t is to the h
Ticinity of Fairweather that next sum- b
ners expedition is to 90. Other testi- ],
nony regarding phantom cities, seen at II
Wight and not in the middle of the a
ay, is furnished by Prof Russell. the m
7ell-known authority on American vel ca
anoes. 1t was Prof. Russell. by the way We
yho effectually disposed of the tie r. or
hat Mount St. Elias is a volcano. The at
lirage witnessed by him WAS ut the head | Ia
{ Gakutst Bay, at a point between w
iount St Elias and Mount Fair weather. cu
Speetacles of this same kind have been ST,
cen on the coast of Greenland. too DR.
,oreshy. writing III rty-odd years ago. re- De
arked: "Hummacks OF ice assumed the an