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TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



the streak outwards. From the lower streak a similar mass of 

 light extended. The only difference noticed in the two sti-eams 

 of light was that the inclination of the lower was greater than 

 that of the upper. 



(Fi- No, ■ 



I appeared on the scene about fifteen or twenty minutes after 

 the beginning when the brilliancy of the display was approach- 

 ing a maximum. Soon after it began to fade, the balls and cords 

 first gradually disappearing, then the streamers of light on both 

 sides, and finally the two horizontal streaks — the whole being 

 lost to sight in the darkness in the course of about fifteen min- 

 utes. 



When first seen the phenomenon had the appearance shown in 

 the sketch (Fig. 2), kindly furnished me by Prof. Halsey C. Ives, 

 who had the good fortune to see the display at the beginning, 

 but lost the latter part of it. The sketch gives an idea of what he 

 saw only in general form. He says that it did not seem to him 

 that there were clouds, but rather a space between clouds through 

 which light was streaming ; the upper luminous appearance 

 seemed to him to be an inverted refiection of the lower one. The 

 position remained unchanged during the whole time. 



No explanation of the phenomenon is offered. 



