On a remarkable phenomenon observed at Rangoon / by C. Collingwood.

  • Collingwood, Cuthbert, 1826-1908.
Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On a remarkable phenomenon observed at Rangoon / by C. Collingwood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    From the Philosophical Magazine for January 1868. ON' A REMARKABLE PHENOMENON OBSERVED AT RANGOON^, I- BY Dr. C. COLLINGWOOD, E.L.S. C££X i i < l •H*- y/’ I ACCIDENTALLY heard mention by an eye-witness (a lady residing at Hong Kong) of a circumstance which struck me as so remarkable and interesting that I collected the particulars with care, allowing the narrator to tell her own story, and filling up important particulars by putting questions as little as possible calculated either to lead or mislead. It was in the year 1846 that she was on board her husband’s ship the fManook/ in the Rangoon River, and was walking up and down the poop in company with the chief mate and a child four years old, the poop awning being at the time spread overhead. It was about half-past 7 in the evening, and then quite dark, when suddenly, without any warning, a tremendous sheet of light appeared to rush across the bows of the vessel in a horizontal direction. The light was not like lightning, but appeared to pass swiftly along, and had the aspect of a red thick flame, occu- pying the whole space left visible between the awning and the ship. The suddenness and terrific nature of the glare was such that she fell down upon the deck, believing, as she expresses it, that the world had come to an end, while the child screamed aloud with terror. As this frightful luminous appearance rushed by the ship a considerable accession of heat was felt by both the adult persons, and a strong sulphurous smell also accompanied it, though how long this feature lasted cannot now be stated with any certainty. But the phenomenon was unaccompanied by any sound, and sped noiselessly on ; nor could they see where it went, or what finally became of it. The whole affair lasted but some seconds, the light having dashed past them with a speed only inferior to lightning. The captain of the ship, and Captain Brown, postmaster and only European resident at the time, were in the house of the latter, situated but a short distance from the shore and from the