BOOK OF THE DAMNED 285 



But they were of different sizes, and of different susceptibilities 

 to all forces of this earth and of the air. 



Monthly Weather Review, Aug., 1898-358: 



Two letters from C. N. Crotsenburg, Crow Agency, Montana: 



That, in the summer of 1896, when this writer was a railroad 

 postal clerk or one who was experienced in train-phenomena 

 while his train was going "northward," from Trenton, Mo., he and 

 another clerk saw, in the darkness of a heavy rain, a light that ap- 

 peared to be round, and of a dull-rose color, and seemed to be about 

 a foot in diameter. It seemed to float within a hundred feet of the 

 earth, but soon rose high, or "midway between horizon and zenith." 

 The wind was quite strong from the east, but the light held a 

 course almost due north. 



Its speed varied. Sometimes it seemed to outrun the train "con- 

 siderably." At other times it seemed to fall behind. The mail 

 clerks watched until the town of Linville, Iowa, was reached. Be- 

 hind the depot of this town, the light disappeared, and was not seen 

 again. All this time there had been rain, but very little lightning, 

 but Mr. Crotsenburg offers the explanation that it was "ball light- 

 ning." 



The Editor of the Review disagrees. He thinks that the light 

 may have been a reflection from the rain, or fog, or from leaves of 

 trees, glistening with rain, or the train's light not lights. 



In the December number of the Review is a letter from Ed- 

 ward M. Boggs that the light was a reflection, perhaps, from the 

 glare one light, this time from the locomotive's fire-box, upon 

 wet telegraph wires an appearance that might not be striated by the 

 wires, but consolidated into one rotundity that it had seemed to 

 oscillate with the undulations of the wires, and had seemed to 

 change horizontal distance with the varying angles of reflection, and 

 had seemed to advance or fall behind, when the train had rounded 

 curves. 



All of which is typical of the best of quasi-reasoning. It includes 

 and assimilates diverse data: but it excludes that which will de- 

 stroy it: 



That, acceptably, the telegraph wires were alongside the track 

 beyond, as well as leading to Linville. 



Mr. Crotsenburg thinks of "ball lightning," which, though a 

 sore bewilderment to most speculation, is usually supposed to be 

 a correlate with the old system of thought: but his awareness of 



