Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-06

curious appreciation OF a palpaDle TACT.
showing that child as l was my mind nao
not lost its powerseof reasoning. l argued
that since at the las4 day the world was
to be destroyed by FIRE II WAS strange that
We were not feeling any peTceptiole In
crease of heat. but rather the reverse. More
over, ] had dim feeling that all was not
proceeding upon orthodox lines. since
neither the form of the archangel had betn
visible nor had the sound OF his trumpet
been heard These reflections comforted
me SO much that / had actually moved a
bit from my eramped position and I'M
ciutched Louis death-iike grip on my
arm, an action of which he took no notice,
when to my dismay another portent APP
peared, which although / have viewed 10
several times since. have never again be-
held 80 clear and distinct as then saw IL.
1t was mighty cone OF soft light rising
from the western horizon and slightly in
clned at It's summit, which was half way
to the Zenith, to the south At its base II
spread over space which memory tells me-
was about an eighth of that half of the
horizon. say ten or twelve degrees. But
this is very vague and must be taken for
what 1t Is worth. What | can vouch for.
my memory these points being Intensely
vivid. Is that this wondrous cone OF light.
although only like the shadow OF soma
mighty fame universe away, was so ten
uous. IL may express Hight In such n way.
that the meteors stiil flying were yet visit
bic against IL or through IT. so clearly visi-
BILE was Ii among these multitudinou3
brightnesses. Its edges seemed TO waver as
do those of the flame OF a candle, and Il 1
looked at them steadily I could not tell
presently where they began or ended ana
had TO close my eyes awhile and look
quickly when reopening them to see my
definite edges at all
The appearance of this mysterious phe-
nomenon, the origin or import of which
believe has never been explained satisfac-
torily. marked a sudden decrease in tho
al I ri
raucous voice raspiug on the night Seems
t. be takin' off a bit don't it?'' Ii was tho
skipper. and /, the lowest Of his crew and
the one from whom he would have deemed
it an insult had expressed agreement with
MIN, felt quite proud to think that my pre-
viously formed opinion was thus corrobo-
rated by the man of all others In whom
had perfect confidence. But for the rest
of the crew. they were still without any
comfort. 1t is true their deepest terror
had gone, for the brain cannot hold so
much fear for any length OF time without
dementis. and. although l feel sure that
some of them were closely bordering upon
insanity, l believe their thick skulls saved
them. There was. however, a sense that
the worst of the strain over the horrid
breathing of fright was giving way TO
natural respiration, and the sky gradually
assumed KS wonted aspect. There were
some uneasy movements among them. I'M
til al last the spell was completely broken
by the striking of match for lighting
cigarette
Matters having assumed their normal con-
dition above, the stars peeplng shyly out in
their familiar old positions. and the empty
parts of the heaven showing again blue
black the sea beneath seemed relieved.
The creatures whose nocturnal goings and
comings make so beautiful the mysterious
depths, and which had been so strangely
quiet or invisible during the marvellous
display overhead, resumed their gambols.
and presently the dark waters were all
alive again. A little breeze sprang up
greeting fevered brows refreshingly and tho
old familiar call of Zee fore brace" shat
tered the last breath of silence with its
hoarse reverberations.
All unconscious of whose watch ii was
all hands turned to at the braces with a
will and their weird cries rang out loudly
and clearly as If in a chant of praise that
the night of terror gone. And then
when the yards We're trimmed and the
ropes colled up, behold IL was discovered
that all that mountaineering experience had
been compressed into a space of half an
hour. There were many expressions OF
satisfaction from the watch below upon
finding that so little of their valued sleep
time had passed away. but from none of
them did / hear any clear account that
at least could understand about their late
vision. Nor did the officers ever again
speak of it to my knowledge 1t has, how
ever. remained with me in all it's vivid
phases through these many years as the
strangest thing L ever Witnessed.