In the previous chapter attention was called especially to wonderful phenomena connected with the sun. In tracing this subject further, it will be seen that there have been some strange and unaccountable appearances connected with the moon. It will be remembered that our Saviour, in mentioning the signs of His coming, said, "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon." (Luke 21:25) Reference has already been made to the darkening of the moon, May 19, 1780. From the prophecy of Joel, and the book of Revelation, it will be observed that when this event should occur, the moon would appear "as blood." (Joel 2:31; Rev. 6:12)
Milo Bostwick, of Camden, N. J., in speaking of the darkness of May 19, 1780, as witnessed by himself when sixteen years of age, said: "At noon we lit a candle, but it did not give light as in the night, and my father and mother could not see to read with two candles. My father and mother, who were pious, thought the day of judgment was near. They sat up that night, during the latter part of which, they said, the darkness disappeared, and the sky seemed as usual, but the moon, which was at its full, had the appearance of blood. The alarm that it caused and the frequent talks about it impressed it deep on my mind."
The appearance of the moon on that occasion, as above described, is in exact accord with the relation of the circumstance often made by my grandfather in my presence as he saw it at Trenton, N. J. He said, "When the moon appeared on that night, for some time it looked like a great ball of blood hung in the heavens."
Other Signs in the Moon
Of the many reported signs in the moon witnessed in various localities, space is given only to a few of the most striking. The first noticed is one reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, as described by an officer in the United States army, a man said to be of the most unquestionable character and veracity. This letter was dated Fort Leavenworth, Kan., March 20, 1843, and reads as follows:-
"On the 14th of February we had the most remarkable phenomenon I ever heard of, except the falling of the stars. At three A. M., the moon, which had been obscured by a cloud for some hours, burst forth of a deep blood-red color, with a black cross of equal proportion over the face, but not extending beyond the rim, while on the two sides small pieces of a rainbow were visible.
"After continuing in this way for about an hour, the color of the moon changed to its ordinary hue, and the cross became of a silvery white, with the edges extending beyond the moon, and touching the rainbow.
"It continued so for half an hour, and heavy clouds then intervening obscured the moon, which set unseen. This phenomenon was seen by the hospital attendants, who were up at that hour - some of them very intelligent men -and by the guard and sentinels on post, and by several citizens of Weston, a little town five miles off. The next morning the sun arose accompanied by two sun-dogs, as they are commonly called, nearly equal in brilliancy to the sun, and resembling two other suns. This latter scene was witnessed by numbers."
Cross in the Moon
The Vincennes (Ind.) Gazette, in December, 1843, described a sight which was witnessed at that place on December 18, of the same year, as follows:-
"Shortly after the rising of the moon, two luminous appearances, similar to sun-dogs, were observed near the planet; and in a few minutes after, the form of a cross, similar to that of a Greek cross, was distinctly and clearly seen, extending from top to bottom, right and left, making the moon a center. This continued about half an hour."
Image on the Moon
The New York Express of May 25, 1843, contained the following, copied from the Penola, Miss., Register: "Wonderful Phenomena - Singular Appearance of the Moon - A Black Spot on the Surface -The Moon Split into Fragments -Lights Shooting Off from It and Forming into the Shape of a Man!
"Mr. James D. King, a respectable citizen of this county, and a gentleman of undoubted veracity, called at our office on Wednesday, and gave the following details of a most remarkable appearance of the moon for about an hour between seven and nine o'clock on Tuesday night last.
"He stated that, being in the habit of noticing the appearances of the moon at this season of the year, with a view to the common prognostication of whether it would be 'wet or dry,' he observed, while looking with that object, on Tuesday night, that it appeared at first much larger than common, nearly three times the usual size, and more like a circular sheet of fire than like an ordinary moon. In a few moments a very black spot was plainly discernible about the center of the moon's disc, which immediately commenced playing up and down, backward and forward, on the surface; and as the spot approached the upper edge, it grew less, and a faint light distinctly shone through it. This spot became stationary in the center, when the moon divided into three separate fragments, each giving distinct and separate lights, being of irregular forms, and appearing as though the spot had split them off. Then the moon gradually returned to its original appearance, and from that again looked natural.
"What he had already seen was so remarkable that Mr. King, with his family, continued the observation, and but a few moments had elapsed before the black spot again appeared, and again the moon divided -this time into four distinct irregular parts or fragments; and immediately a light resembling the tail of a comet shot from the lower fragment at the southeast corner, apparently some three or four feet downward, while another, much larger, from the upper portion, or northwest corner, struck off directly upward, to the length of between five and six feet. This last now went off and left the corner apparently four feet or more, and turned into the shape of a man standing erect. The figure was of the most perfect imaginable symmetry, of about the medium size and height, clothed in the purest snow-white, and the back alone presenting itself to view. It was visible a few moments, when gradually the figure changed to the simple light, the lights returned to the fragments, these again came together, and the moon resumed a natural appearance.
"The family of Mr. King, consisting of his wife and a daughter thirteen years of age, with another young lady, all witnessed what is above related. Mr. King lives about five miles east of this place. He protests that, in calling on us to make public these facts, he has no motive but to tell a plain, unvarnished tale of truth, and leaves others to judge of its import - that he was not in the least alarmed or agitated, but as much in his sober senses as he ever was in his life. And in order that no one should have occasion to doubt the sincerity of his narrative, he has authorized us to give his name and to refer to his family as witnesses of the scene with himself.
... He avows that his statement, from which we have deviated, if at all, in no essential particular, is true, and will at all times be maintained to be true on his honor and character as a man, as he will convince any one more fully who may choose to inquire of him further in relation to it."
Three Rainbow Rings Around the Moon
The following is an account of a phenomenon which appeared at Newark, N. J., on the evening of Feb. 15, 1843, and was reported in the Midnight Cry, of New York City. The scene was witnessed by hundreds of spectators with thrilling admiration. The article reads:-
"It was first observed between eight and nine o'clock in the evening, the moon being about at the zenith. It was surrounded by three concentric circles, beautifully marked with all the varied colors of the rainbow, of the most brilliant hue, the center space within the circumference of the lunar circle being of beautiful silvery whiteness.
"The opposers of the speedy coming of Christ seem to have been somewhat agitated by the phenomenon, and anticipated an application for us. A clergyman at Newark, on seeing it, said, 'I suppose the Millerites will see something of Miller in it,' -probably he 'supposed' we were not philosophers enough to SEE GOD IN IT! An elderly lady, who despises 'Millerism,' on seeing it, made the following beautifully prophetic observation: 'The Lord has promised that He will not drown the world with water any more, and He has set the rainbow in the clouds for a sign. But now He has closed the bow, and is going to burn the world with fire.'"
Cross in Moon, Two Extra Moons
The following is an extract from a letter signed "Veritas," dated Auburn, N. Y., Feb. 27, 1843:-
"I have seen no published notice of a singular phenomenon which was seen by the citizens of this place, and also, I understand, in the neighboring towns, on the evening of the 16th of February. Coming out of church about half past nine o'clock, with some friends, . . . the moon being then near its full, and in its ascension about one half above the eastern horizon, in a clear sky, there were seen in the same distance from the horizon and parallel with the moon, two bright representations of the moon, a little obscured, having the colors of the rainbow. These mock moons, as they were called, continued visible until about ten o'clock, the northern one fading away first. I understand that they had been visible some time previous to their being noticed by us. But the most extraordinary part of the whole was, that before they faded away, there was distinctly seen a light or luminous line running perpendicular through the true moon, commencing a little above and running down to near the horizon; then another, a similar streak, crossing the other horizontally through the center of the moon, giving the appearance of a cross. A brother was asked the next day how he accounted for it. He said it was the reflection of the false moons upon the true moon. When asked why these reflections were not horizontal or both perpendicular, he could not give the reason.
"The above you may depend upon as correct, as it was seen by many witnesses."
On the 14th of July, 1898, as I was exhibiting a diagram of this scene, in a hall in 125th Street, New York City, an old gentleman in the audience said: "I was living at Auburn at the time of that phenomenon, and saw it. It was exactly as here represented." On December 10, of the same year, while I was exhibiting the same at the St. Helena Sanitarium, in California, the late Judge Beebe, of Santa Barbara, Cal., who was there as a patient, saw the picture, and said: "I was living at Auburn, N. Y., at the time of that phenomenon. I was thirteen years old. I witnessed the same. It was exactly as here pictured out."
A Fiery Moon
Henry Jones, in a letter dated New York, May 9, 1843, writes as follows concerning strange phenomena witnessed at Patchogue, Long Island:-
"Several credible witnesses residing in the above place have recently informed me at their own dwellings that they and others saw on Saturday evening, April 29, 1843, between nine and ten o'clock, a very brilliant light in the northwest, brighter than the moon, which, increasing and diminishing in size, was sometimes nearly as large as the moon itself, apparently two hours high, and continued something like three fourths of an hour; and what was most singular, they say that there were streaks of fiery light, resembling red-hot bars of iron, which emanated from it, upward and downward, to a considerable distance, some of which would remain for a minute or so, and then vanish. Its disappearance was sudden, and at once, and at a time when it was brightest.
"The same witnesses testify that some six or eight weeks ago they saw very nearly the same image or appearance of the moon in the west, somewhat above the horizon, which continued, as they thought, about an hour. The singularities of it differed from that of April 29, in its having streaks of light more red than itself, of apparently three inches width, which passed directly through its center, forming a perfect cross, and extending beyond the edge of it twice the diameter of the light, with several spots like blood on its surface. Its size, like the other, increased and diminished, with occasional seeming sparks of fire thrown out from it in various directions, and, like the other, its disappearance was sudden, and all at once.
"Barnet Matthias, pastor of the Congregational Church in Patchogue, will witness to the correctness of this matter, if called upon."
A Band of Light
Near the last of December, 1843, there was seen in the sky, in the central part of the state of New York, a clearly-defined band of white light extending from the western to the eastern horizon. It was of about the same width as the disc of the full moon when half an hour high. It was in the "dark of the moon," with a cloudless, starlit night. Such an arch, extending over the zenith, and spanning the whole dome, was indeed a most beautiful and soul-inspiring sight. It was a mysterious visitor that none could explain - one of the Lord's wonders hung out in the heavens.
It was the privilege of the writer to behold this grand sight at Victor, N. Y., about ten o'clock at night, on coming out of the meeting-house where Elder James Barry (an Adventist) had just delivered a very solemn discourse on the subject of the final judgment. The sermon was characterized by great solemnity, and made a deep impression on the audience. On beholding this "token" in the sky, more than one gave utterance to their convictions by saying, "The Adventists' doctrine is true."
The band of light continued in the heavens all that night. The next night being just as clear, it was again visible all night. Some few illiterate persons said, "This light must be the tail of a comet." A few nights after, a large comet did appear for several nights in the southwestern heavens. Its tail was of a fiery red color, and apparently about three feet in length. The band of light was as white as a summer's fleecy cloud, and extended from the eastern to the western horizon.
Cross and Rainbow Arcs
Another view worthy of notice is a grand display which was visible in the heavens for two days in northeastern Iowa, the last of November, 1856. The sky was free from clouds, and the sun was shining brightly. In the morning there were particles of frost floating in the air. At about ten o'clock there formed a most magnificent sight in connection with the sun. There first appeared a Greek cross, with the sun at its central point of intersection. The bars of the cross were of the same breadth as the sun, and the ends extended beyond the sun's disc, apparently about six or seven times the breadth of the sun. When the cross was formed, the point of intersection covering the sun could be looked upon without any inconvenience to the naked eye; still it was clearly apparent that the sun was there. No sooner had this cross formed than a still grander scene opened to view; on the outer end of each bar of the cross appeared a section of a rainbow, in bright colors, with the convex of the arc toward the sun, as represented in the cut.
This phenomenon continued with the sun until it set at night, and appeared with it the same when it arose the next morning, continuing until about four o'clock in the afternoon of the second day, when suddenly it vanished, and the sun shone out brightly. This phenomenon was witnessed by the writer at Waukon, Allamakee County, Iowa.
A Year of Wonders
At the close of the year 1860, there appeared in the Chicago Journal an article giving a summary of mysterious events of the year, in which the writer says: "Regarding the year that has just closed, with an eye to its celestial as well as planetary phenomena, it has been a remarkable one, and might well create in the mind of a Millerite an irrefutable conviction that he had at last the data for a final prophecy. Thunder and lightning storms have been more violent and disastrous than usual. Tornadoes, unprecedented in fury, have ravaged every part of the country. Our western frontier has been parched and blighted by burning simoons. While one section reaped a bountiful harvest, another had its crops cut off by the lack of vivifying showers. Terrible storms and gales have swept our inland waters and seaboard. Freshets and inundations have ravaged the country in different quarters. Meteors of unusual splendor and size have burst in upper air. Comets have brandished their fiery traces. The aurora has flaunted its banners of crimson and pearl in the northern heavens with unusual brilliancy. We have had rain-storms and lightning, hail-storms and gales of wind, sunshine and a variation of twenty degrees by the thermometer in a single day. The predictions of the weather-wise have been falsified, the astronomer confounded, and the almanac man at fault. Is there not here a magnificent field for the man of science who shall explain these things, trace out secret agencies at work, and show the cause of the phenomena of 1860?"
A Full Moon in Four Quarters, Each a Different Color
The accompanying phenomenon, which was seen in Nord Laen (county), Sweden, in the midsummer of 1870, was related to me by an eye-witness. It was at the time of the full moon, in a clear night, when their hay was just in the condition to "house." Fearing a storm was coming on that would injure the crop, hundreds of people arose at three o'clock in the morning to draw in their hay by clear moonlight. Their astonishment was great, when they beheld the moon lined off into four quarters, and each quarter of a different color. The upper righthand quarter was a bright red, while the left-hand upper quarter was natural color, the left-hand lower quarter a bright yellow, and the lower righthand quarter a livid green. Hundreds were on their knees, calling on God for mercy, fearing that the end of all things was right upon them.
The phenomenon of the red cross was witnessed at Urskong, some twenty English miles north of Christiania, Norway, in the month of August, 1896. About two hours after sunset, in a clear sky, at an angle of forty-five degrees, in the western heavens, was seen, for an hour or more, a large red cross, and under it, in great red letters, "J. K. S." Those who saw it recognized at once the initial letters for an important sentence in their language - "Jeg kommer snart." The English of this sentence is, "I come quickly." So great was the impression of this scene upon the people, as I was told by one who not long after made a trip of some fifty miles above Christiania, that the people had painted on the flat surface of the perpendicular rocks, in red letters, in various places, a red cross, and under it the letters "J. K. S." On inquiring as to what this meant, he was told that it was to keep in the memory of their children the wonderful sight that just before had been seen in the heavens.
Wonder Seen in South Dakota, 1897
Observations of a more recent date are brought to your notice. First, a phenomenon that appeared in the horizon at Alexander, Dak., about Feb. 10, 1897, an account of which was furnished the writer at Mitchell, Dak., in June, 1897, and attested by several persons who witnessed it. From the description given, a diagram was prepared, and the description written out and sent to Judge Miller, of Alexander, Dak. In a letter accompanying a testimonial which he sent, with his signature attached, he said: "The diagram is as nearly correct as I can describe it at this time."
The testimonial reads: "This certifies that at Alexander, Dak., on or about Feb. 10, 1897, from 9 A. M. until about 4 P. M., there was a rainbow-colored band around the whole heavens about one hour above the horizon. In this band were four suns. Around two of the suns were rainbow-colored rings, having the suns for their centers, and two other rainbow rings with the suns in the circumference of the circles, as here represented. By two o'clock some of the people began to wonder if the Adventists would not think this a sign of the Lord's coming. J. H. Miller."
Why should such a question be asked, unless the mind was impressed with the thought that this unexplainable "wonder" in the heavens might be one of the last-day tokens? And such is the case, for the Word says that when the great and terrible day of the Lord is drawing nigh, He will show wonders in the heavens, and signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.
Two Circles and a Grecian Cross
That wonderful sights in the heavens have not yet ceased, the following from the Louisville (Ky.) Evening Post of Feb. 28, 1898, will show:-
"There were strange happenings in the heavens last night. . . . The appearance of two large circles of light, followed by a large Grecian cross, with the moon in the center, is not an every-night occurrence.
"The first circle appeared at about eight o'clock, when the moon could be seen about seventy degrees above the horizon. It stretched from the south-west corner of the heavens over the center to the north. . . . In about half an hour, as the clouds became heavier in the east, the other circle appeared. For a while the circles remained apart, but toward the end they arranged themselves at right angles, with the moon in the center, thus forming the cross. While the display was remarkable, it is thought, as was stated, that it was due to the refraction of the moon's light on the thin layers of cloud and mist that covered the heavens last night, but which were so light that even the starlight penetrated them."
The Louisville Courier-Journal of February 28 said of the moon's appearance: "No similar phenomenon was ever before witnessed in this vicinity. Its appearance was enough to cause more than a passing notice. It [the moon] was first surrounded by a small circle, and then there was a segment of a second circle that made a magnificent sweep around the zenith. The large circle cut the little circle in two, and when they finally faded away, a little before midnight, they were followed by a well-developed Grecian cross, with the moon in the center. This was the phenomenon every one who looked at the moon saw.
"It was an extraordinary phenomenon, which, for all that is known, may have transcended the domain of meteorology. The general impression is that it was a 'lunar rainbow.' In its earlier stages of development, a greenish tinge was quite perceptible; but there were numerous other phases about it that were difficult to reconcile with the theory of rainbow. It was, in all probability, due to the reflection and refraction of the rays of moonlight upon the thin stratum of cirrostratus clouds at the particular altitude at which they were flying during those hours."
If, according with this theory, this phenomenon was such an ordinary affair - simply the rays of the moon shining upon clouds so thin that stars shone through them -why so rare that no such sight had ever been seen there before? Why not acknowledge the power of God so combining the rays of light at that time as to produce this "wonder" in the heavens?
Circles Around the Moon
The New York and Jersey City papers of April 5, 1898, contained full accounts of a sight seen in connection with the full moon of the night before. It was a clear night, and the moon was near the zenith, when there appeared a large circle, with the moon in its circumference. This circle was to the north of the moon, and displayed, distinctly, all the colors of the rainbow. At the same time there was a smaller circle of white light, with the moon in the center of the circle, which intersected the other circle on the east and west of the moon. At each of the two points of the intersection there was an extra moon, three moons being visible in the heavens for more than an hour, when all passed away. Many thousands of people in New York, Brooklyn, and Jersey City witnessed this phenomenon.
A Flaming Sword
In the Chicago Inter-Ocean of Sunday, March 20, 1898, is an account of a "flaming sword" seen in the sky by the people of New York City on the evening of Monday, March 14. It reads:-
"Thousands upon thousands of people in New York, Brooklyn, Jersey City, and neighboring places saw a wonderful sight in the heavens Monday night of last week. It was a sword of flaming fire, sharp, and well defined. None of those who saw it had doubt concerning its nature; what they asked themselves was, 'What does it portend?'
"The sword was first seen in the western skies, well above the horizon, at 8:10 P. M. Mercury was then descending, and as this was then the ruling planet, but on the wane, astrologers will have it that the flaming sword means war, and quick war at that."
So we see, as expressed by the apostle Peter, men seek to explain away - "all produced by natural causes" -those tokens and wonders the Lord has promised as reminders of His power, and evidences that the end approaches. The apostle affirms that in the last days the people would say: "Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2 Peter 3:4)
Four Extra Suns and an Inverted Rainbow
A phenomenon was witnessed for two hours in southeastern England on the afternoon of Oct. 11, 1899. I give the account as described in several English papers.
In the London Daily Mail of Oct. 16, 1899, we read: "A correspondent, M. D., sends us the following description of an interesting celestial phenomenon which he and others witnessed at Tonbridge on the afternoon of Wednesday last:-
"'Soon after two o'clock, a halo round the sun was observed, with brilliant mock suns east, west, and north. The southern one was below the point of our vision, hidden by the trees, while over the upper mock sun was an inverted rainbow, in strong prismatic colors. At four o'clock only one sun remained visible, of an intense white.'"
From the Kettering Daily Telegraph of Oct. 23, 1899, we quote: "A correspondent writes from Bushy, Herts, to the Spectator: 'On the afternoon of Wednesday, October 11, at three o'clock, . . . I observed what few of your readers, I believe, will have ever seen. Almost directly over the sun, and high up in the zenith, in a clear blue sky, was the portion of the arc of a rainbow. Its colors were vivid. . . . Several others, countrymen of Hertfordshire, were looking up at the same time, and I heard the words, "Never saw such a thing as that in my life." ' "
In the London Echo of Oct. 23, 1899, is the following: "The singular rainbow phenomenon of October 11 seems to have been visible over a very wide area. Correspondents writing from Ipswich, Ventnor, and Bournemouth all bear testimony in the Spectator to having seen it. The Bournemouth gentleman saw 'a highly respectable tradesman in a rather excited state, as he said he had just seen a thing he had never seen before in his life. A neighbor had called him into the open to see a rainbow which was upside down, reversed. I said, "What, concave instead of convex?" He said, "Yes, reversed like a cup." It must have been about three o'clock when these men saw it.'"
Great Cross Seen in Pennsylvania
New York World, September, 1909:- "Pittsburg, Sept. 6. -A beautiful and marvelous 'sign of the cross' shone in the sky here last night. Two great bars of light were crossed in the east. In the center, like a jewel, the three-quarter moon was set. No stars were near and there were no clouds. The great cross glowed for more than an hour."
Having called attention to a few of the many "wonders" that have been observed in the heavens during the present century, perhaps it may be well to quote the testimony of an able writer respecting the future:-
"Greater wonders than have yet been seen will be witnessed by those upon the earth a short time previous to the coming of Christ.
"In the day of the Lord, just before the coming of Christ, God will send lightning from heaven in His wrath, which will unite with fires in the earth. The mountains will burn like a furnace, and will pour forth terrible streams of lava, destroying gardens and fields, villages and cities; and as they pour their melted ore, rocks, and heated mud into the rivers, it will cause them to boil like a pot, and send forth massive rocks, and scatter their broken fragments upon the land with indescribable violence. Whole rivers will be dried up. The earth will be convulsed, and there will be dreadful eruptions and earthquakes everywhere." [1]
A Remarkable Phenomenon by M. C. Wilcox
One of the precursors of the great day of God, as given by the prophet Joel, is "wonders in the heavens." The passage in which it is found reads as follows:-
"And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come." (Joel 2:30,31)
The darkening of the sun and moon occurred May 19, 1780. The "blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke" are common, graphic appearances of various electric and light phenomena, manifest especially in the aurora borealis, the marvelous forms of which have excited alarm, wonder, admiration, and curiosity in earth's children during the last century or so, for it is only in later times that these wonders have become so manifest. They are evidences of decay, disintegration, and disturbance in the earth and its atmosphere. The Bible, more than twenty-five centuries ago, foretold their appearance. God is now confirming that word by hanging these predicted signs in the heavens.
A remarkable wonder, worthy of note, occurred last August. A correspondent, Mr. W. H. Holden, of Choteau, Mont., under date of August 24, 1903, writes us that this remarkable phenomenon was seen by him August 21, 10:15 P. M. It consisted in a clearly defined band or belt of light, extending athwart the heavens, from the northwestern to the southwestern horizon, "passing directly overhead, and cutting the heavens into two equal parts. At the zenith it seemed a little wider than the disc of a full moon when half an hour high, and tapered toward either end." The edges were clear-cut and regular. There was no moon at the time. As the time passed (illustration No. 1 is from a rough drawing furnished by Mr. Holden), the north end swung slowly to the west, as if moved by a gentle breeze, but did not break. "After maintaining its appearance for nearly an hour, it suddenly began to fade equally throughout its length, and in about ten minutes it had entirely disappeared."
A similar phenomenon was witnessed at York Harbor, Me., on the same night, at 9:30 P. M., preceded by an ordinary display of aurora borealis, which gradually faded. The one who records this is Dr. A. F. A. King, a scientific observer, in the Popular Science Monthly for October. He thus describes it:-
"At 9:30 P. M. there appeared a magnificent arch spanning the heavens from east to west, the top of the arch being a little north of the zenith, and almost overhead. As shown in the diagram, at least three fourths of the eastern half of the arch consisted of a pale, only half-luminous column of visible streaks, the band being perhaps as wide as the diameter of a full moon appears to be. The western segment of the arch presented a most extraordinarily magnificent spectacle. [See cut No. 2.]
"Beginning a little east of the zenith and continuing almost to the western horizon, there appeared what might easily be likened to a string of tremendous comets. These pendants of light, however, unlike comets, were more brilliant at their bases, less so at their apices. Their bases were directed upwards, their points down. They were constantly changing, appearing and disappearing, but not very rapidly. . . . At the western end of the arch, one long, half-luminous streak shot up obliquely (as shown in the figure), and remained some minutes after the arch had disappeared. The arch lasted from 9:30 to nearly 10 P. M. . . .
"No visible connection existed between the arch and the nebulous masses and streaks of light near the northern horizon.
"In looking at the diagram, the reader may well conceive it to be too toy-like and artificial to come within the range of truth or possibility, but so was the arch itself. No one could have conceived such a display to be either natural or possible. To some it suggested a festive arch, adorned with luminous cornucopias, like a Christmas decoration. Those of us who, for a few weeks before, had obtained telescopic views of Biela's comet with some difficulty, seemed now to be rewarded by nature exhibiting a whole string of far more brilliant comets for our special delectation. The kind and degree of luminosity appeared to be almost exactly like that of the comet when seen through a good glass.
"The splendor and magnificence of the display were beyond description, startlingly beautiful. The spectacle seemed almost to overstep the modesty of nature, but its coming unheralded during the majestic silence of night served to banish so unjust a thought. Surprise, delight, admiration, and awe, -these were the feelings which thrilled with pleasure those of us who witnessed the sublime, mysterious scene.
"The writer remembers witnessing a similar phenomenon just before the Civil War, probably in 1861. This was in Theresa, N. Y. Many looked upon it and the remarkable display of aurora borealis that winter as precursors of coming war. The belt of light was uniform throughout, in width about the face of the full moon, extending from the eastern to the western horizon, athwart the heaven. It must have lasted over an hour."
These are among the many tokens of the soon-coming day of God, when before His face the very heavens shall seem to be rolled up as a scroll, and all nature marred by sin shall crumble in His presence. M. C. Wilcox.
Oakland, Cal., Dec. 30, 1903.
Notes: