The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-05
BISHOP RINGS ARE
To Be seen

For the first time since the phenom.
ena were first noted in 1888, volcanic
sun rings were visible on Thursday,
being seen by the one who first dis.
coverd and identified them after the
tremendous volcanic eruption of Kra-
ASatoa, DIR. Serene Bishop, in whose hon.
or the theory Of the cause of the
phenomena is known to the scientific
world as the Bishop theory and the sun
rings, which form part of the phe.
nomena, known as Bishop rings. Dr.
Bihop stated yesterday that the phe.
nomena observed by him on Thurs
day, and probably observed elsewhere
throughout the world by other scien.
lists, prove the correctness of his theory.
The sun rings and the brilliant sun.
rises and sunsets of the past few days
are due to the great volcanic disturb
ances of Monday last in the south or
Italy and Sicily, following which the
awful death list marks it rs one of the
greatest disasters in the history of the
world.
"I have nearly lived my day. said
the veteran scientist yesterday. 'I am
fast nearing the end, but 1 am thank
full that have lived to see again the
Bishop rings. 1 am not thankful for
the cause of them, that terrible disas.
ter of which the cables from Sicily are
telling, but 1 regard it as wonderful
that have been spared for twenty-five
years to see again the wonderful sun
effects, the hazy skies and the ring
about the sun, just as 1 saw them after
the great Krakatoa disaster in 1913. The
appearance of our sky now and the
wonderful sunsets we are having are
traceable to the Sicilian seismic dis.
turbances. There were no such mani
festations following the San Francisco
and Valparaiso earthquakes, you will
remember, and that was because those
disturbances were not accompanied by
volcanic action.
"The sun ring or the Bishop ring
as it is now scientifically termed, was
particularly clear yesterday morning.
1t encircled the sun in much the same
manner as the ordinary rings encircle
the moon, apparently about the same
size. The ring was plain and showed
the prismatic colors family, with a
bright red inner ring.
"My theory for this phenomenon Is
that the volcanic disturbances and
eruptions throw a column of impalpable
dust high into the air, to height
possibly of a hundred miles, and that
this dust spreads rapidly through the
rarified air, until finally the globe is
encircled. This gives the hazy skies
and it is the reflection of the sun IS
rays on this floating dust that gives
the brilliant sun effects.
"This is the first time since the
phenomena were first observed that
there has been a repetition of them. "
Earthquake Not Related.
DR.. Bishop is not disposed to give
much credence to the stories that there
is some connection between the great
earthquake of Monday in Italy and the
various other minor shocks experienced
in Montana, California and these Is
lands during the past two weeks.
"It is impossible for me to say that
there is no connection between them
but 1 do not think So" he said
"Neither am L in any position to haz'
ard a statement as to the cause of the
Sicilian quake"
The venerable Doctor seems to be in
very good spirits and gives the visitor
n hearty handclasp and genial smile
In spite of the fact that he speaks of
his own frail condition, his appearance
is by no means that of man in any.
thing but good health, quite as good
as could be expected in a man of the
age he is. Yesterday he received a
large number of New Year callers and
talked at fair length with many OF
them.