Show wayside optics As the train proceeds rapidly over the level desert my eyes fix L e gaze steadily kiyat bt a clump of sagebrush which Is pro probably ba two miles distant the bush seems to move slowly with the train while objects between it and my eyes have bare an apparent motion in the opposite direction of these latter the near ones fly past with great rapidity but the tile apparent velocity of those farther removed diminishes until just before the point of fixation is reached objects come to an apparent standstill beyond the point fixed by my eyes objects move in the same direction as the train their velocity apparently greater the far arther away they lie suddenly I 1 shift my gaze from the sagebrush to a large boulder bowlder which is sailing slowly past probably 1000 yards from the train everything Is 1 changed at once the bo bowl ders retrograde progress Is arrested near objects fly past with accelerated speed the sagebrush forges ahead as it if to make up for lost time while the plain beyond it indistinct in the distance races ahead of every object in view and soi so I 1 while away a full half hour making ono conspicuous object after another stand still go ahead or sail fall past at will w ill all upon the surface of this apparently boundless plain trying to realize meantime that things are not us its the moving panorama be fore roe me indicates for relatively to the train all objects are passed at an equal rate the near as well as the distant those seen by direct as well as 01 those seen by indirect vision dut but in looking from my car window I 1 am made the subject of optical illusions co common ammo in a journey of this sort dr casey A wood in popular science monthly |