| 150 steering the boat along, it being a star bright night, excepting a few clouds in the west, low down, sky clear, when of a sudden a light burst forth, the whole face of the earth appearing to be lit up, which so blinded him that it was with difficulty he could see any thing, even the most near object. His first impression was that it lightened very sharply, but its continuing convinced him it must be something else, which he could not account for. The Captain of the Penn, James Pratzman, was sitting in the cabin at the time with three or four candles; he saw the light notwithstanding, ran out to the guard anxious to know the cause-asked Mr. Frances if he saw the light: Mr. Frances said he did. What is it? said Captain Pratzman. Dear only knows answered Mr. Frances, for I don't. From that the Captain disappeared from looking over the hurricane deck and went below.
Mr. Frances now being very anxious to discover whence this strange light came, looked dilligently [diligently] out at the side of the pilot-house, in rather a south-west course, but nearly over head, when he saw the outlines of a Serpent in the sky, in a crooked position, except the tail which was straight, the head toward the east. It turned to a lived bright red, deep and awful, and remained stationary in the stars. Mr. Frances watched it for two or three minutes, when the tail part disappeared nearly to the middle, and the remainder in a gradual manner formed into a distinct Roman
G
Mr. Frances had time now to mind the channel of the river, and deliberate upon the beauty and grandeur of a letter in the sky! It was remarkably interesting to him, as may well be supposed, from the accuracy of its formation. After about one minute and a half, he watching it and the boat alternately, it changed, turning into a distinct
O
as perfect as was ever seen, in which position it remained as before. Mr. Frances stated that he was surprised greatly at this, but not scared or frightened in the least, and immediately tapped the bell for the Captain to witness the scene. The Captain did not come immediately, but after a moment or two appeared, but ere this, the figure in the heavens had changed to a plain distinct letter
D
The Captain said to Mr. Frances, 'What's wanting?'
'Come here quick said Mr. Frances, 'and look up yonder, did you ever see the like?'
The Captain answered, 'I see it!' and looked at it till it disappeared.
Mr. F. states that when the O turned to a D it formed a kind of oblong shape, and then came straight on one side as a D should be. When it disappeared it turned into the same oblong shape as before, and, gradually the sky returned to its original appearance.
Mr. Frances states that he did not leave the wheel of the boat, but steered it to this city. He declares that let others think or say as they will, what he has related is strictly true. He is no Millerite, neither is he crazy nor frightened, and if gentlemen or ladies will call upon him he will convince them that what he has told is truth. Captain Pratzman remarked at the time, that it was something quite inexplicable, and was sorry he did not come to the deck sooner so as to have had a full view of this grand, wonderful and unaccountable phenomenon.
From the Palladinm [Palladium].
The Strange Light.
The luminous beam which has recently appeared in the south-western portion of the heavens, has no doubt attracted the attention of many of the readers of this paper. As a brief record of the phenomenon may be of future service, I offer the following particulars for publication.
The light appears to have been seen so early as the 6th inst; its latest appearance here was on the 13th; not being visible on subsequent evenings in consequence, perhaps, of the cloudiness of the atmosphere. It was visible between the hours of 6 and 9, P .M. but not during the whole of this interval.
It was apparantly [apparently] a straight trail of light 40 deg. in length: about 2 deg. in width; gradually fading in brightness, and diminishing in breadth toward the extremities; and having considerable resemblance to the delineated tail of the comet of 1680.
It seemed to extend from near the sun, upward at an angle of about 26 deg. with the horizon, toward and nearly to a star of the 4th magnitude in the check of the constellation called the Hare; or more technically expressed, to the star Mu Leporis.
There appears to be a difference in opinion respecting the character of this luminous beam; some supposing it to be the tail of a comet; while others conceive it to be the Zodiacal Light. Vesper.
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