Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-11-28
By WHliam s. OdEn.

-
THE cynical may differ, but full
century has passed since the
face of the whole United
STAGES was red. And that is
no whimsy, for exactly 100 years ago
this month the entire Nation was
treated to celestial pageant Of
glories which. according to scientists,
to this day have not even been ap-
preached. Briefly, the aurora borealls
took holiday. It departed its habitat
in the polar regions and put on show
that Hollywood itself could not equal.
And everything was dyed red.
Records show that on the night Of
November IA, 1887. in the heavens
above the United States, there was a
display of auroral beauty uneQualed
in history in sublimity and extent.
Through the years, of course, we have
seen frequent manifestations of nat
ural phenomena in the skies awesome
in their magnificence. There have
been countless comets and eclipses
visible to the naked eye of all be-
holders. But this truancy of the
aurora borealis surpassed them ALL
AS one observer put it, AL things
suddenly appeared as if dyed in
blood" Dusty old archieves of OBJ
servatories wildly tell the tale.
In many places snow had fallen
during the day Consequently it was
not until it ceased in the early evening
that the presence of the beautiful Wis
itor because apparent, through strong
rosy illumination of the entire arch of
the heavens. BY this time there was a
mantle Of purest white over all things,
says contemporary writer, Prof.
Olmstead of New Haven, and then
suddenly everything went red
"THE entire atmosphere" he goes
on, the surface Of the earth,
the trees, the tops of the houses, the
snowclad mountains, the faces of the
people, in Short the whole face of ma
ture. was tinged with the same scarlet
hue. The alarm of fire was given, and
the vigilant firemen were seen parad-
ing the streets in their ghostly uni
form, which, assuming the general
tint, seemed in singular keeping with
the phenomenon.
THE light was most intense in the
northwest and northeast. At short
intervals it alternately increased and
diminished in brightness, until, at half
past six, only slight tinge of red
remained on the sky. On account Of
the light being thus transmitted
through the snowy medium and thin
veil Of clouds, the aurora borealis was
diffused like the light of an astral
lamp, covered with q red shade Of
ground glass.
THAT the stratum Of clouds was
very thin, was inferred from the fact
that, before half past six, q few stars
were discernible as when seen through
a fog; and such was the appearance
Of the moon, which rose about the
same time.
within 10 minutes from the time
the heavens began to assume their
fiery appearance the whole clouded
hemisphere shone with that marvel
lousy brilliant light, which. reflected
in rosy tints by the snow on the
ground, produced q scene indescrib-
| ably gorgeous"
To some observers the auroral flush
seemed to overspread all parts Of the
sky almost simultaneously. East of
New Haven the storm was more pro-
tracted. At New London the snow
was falling copiously and continued
so, unabatedly, during the whole eve
ming. But, notwithstanding the
storm, the heavens seemed as If they
were on fire-a lurid light on all
sides, from the zenith to the horizon,
casting q most vulcar1ean hue on the