1884: Signs in the Heavens

The Dublin [Georgia] Post, July 23rd 1884  


Signs in the Heavens


[From the] Monroe Advertiser


Many people in this section were
awakened last Saturday night by the
vivid and almost incessant lightning
in the northwest. Soon after a strong
wind from the same direction sud-
denly sprang up, blew for a few minutes,
and then as suddenly ceased. Those
who noticed these reconized (sic) the fact
that they were phenomenal; but there
was another sight seen by Mr. W.
P Ponder and his family, which was
far stranger, and was different from
anything we have ever heard of.


About one o'clock a young lady
in Mr. Ponder's house was awakened
by a light so bright that she was sure
the house was on fire, and she ran
down stairs and gave the alarm.
Finding that the house was not bur-
ning, the family thought the woods
were on fire; but a minutes invseti-
gation (sic) showed this to be a mistake.
The cause of the brilliant light
was discovered, and it caused the
spectators to gaze with wonder and
awe. Above the eastern horizon--a
little north of east--about where the
sun would be, if an hour high, was a
brilliant light, apparently about
the size of a full moon. It looked
like a large star, its light white like
that of the sun or of an electric
lamp. At intervals it would expand
and throw out luminous rays in all
directions, making the surrounding
brightness still brighter; and then it
would immediately contract again to
its former size. The light was as
bright as sunlight, and objects could
be seen as plainly as in the day-time.
The sky to the south was especially
bright. The body of light was appa-
rently stationary. Mr. Ponder's fam-
ily wathed (sic) it about an hour, and then
retired, leaving the mysterious lumin-
ary still blazing in the heavens. What
was it?


Finder's Credit: Rod Brock