London Falling Stars and Northern Lights
LONDON, Sept. 5—Between the hours of ten, on Tuesday night, and three yesterday morning, in the heavens, was observed one of the most magnificent specimens of those extraordinary phenomena, the falling stars and northern lights, witnessed for many years past. The first indication of this singular phenomenon, was about ten minutes before 10, when a light crimson, apparently vapor, rose from the northern portion of the hemisphere, and gradually extended to the centre of the heavens, and by 10 o'clock, or a quarter past, the whole, from east to west, was one vast sheet of light. It had a most alarming appearance, and was exactly like that occasioned by a terrific fire. The light varied considerably; at one time, it seemed to fall, and directly after rose, with intense brightness. There were to be seen mingled with it, volumes of smoke, which rolled over and over and every beholder seemed convinced that it was a tremendous conflagration. The consternation in the metropolis was very great; thousands of persons were running in the direction of the supposed awful catastrophe. The engines belonging to the fire brigade stations in Baker street, Farringdon street, Watling street, Waterloo Road, and likewise those belonging to the West of England station in fact, every fire-engine in London were horsed, and galloped after the supposed scene of destruction with more than ordinary energy, followed by carriages, horsemen, and vast mobs. Some of the engines proceeded as far as Highgate and Holloway, before the error was discovered. These appearances lasted for upwards of two hours, and toward morning, the spectacle became one of more grandeur. “At two o'clock in the morning the phenomenon presented a most gorgeous scene, and one very difficult to describe. The whole of London was illuminated as light as noon-day, and the atmosphere was remarkably clear. The southern hemisphere, at the time mentioned although unclouded, was very dark; but the stars, which were innumerable, shone beautifully.—the opposite side of the heavens presented, a singular, but magnificent contrast; it was clear to extreme, and the light was very vivid; there was a continual succession of meteors, which varied in splendor. They appeared formed in the centre of the heavens, and spread till they seemed to burst; the effect was electrical; myriads of small stars shot out over the horizon, and darted with that swiftness toward the earth that the eye scarcely could follow the track. They seemed to burst also, and to throw a dark crimson vapor over the entire hemisphere. The colors were most magnificent. At half past two o'clock, the spectacle changed to darkness, which, on dispersing, displayed a luminous rainbow in the zenith of the heavens, and round the ridge of darkness that overhung the southern portion of the country. Soon after, columns of silvery light radiated from it; they increased wonderfully, intermingled among crimson vapor, which formed at the same time, and when at full height, the spectacle was beyond all imagination.—Stars were darting about until 4 o'clock, when all died away. During the time that they lasted, a great many persons assembled on the bridges across the river Thames, where they had a commanding view of the heavens, and watched the progress of the phenomenon attentively.”—New York Commercial Advertiser, Oct. 22, 1839.