Show freak thunder storm made weird spectacle in the log of the british steamer moravian lor avlon C capt apt A simpson Sl described a thunder storm on december 30 1002 just within range of cape verde lighthouse at 1 30 a in a puff ot of dust laden wind came orf off the african shore lightning nt at first distant on the northeast horizon became almost continuous with loud thunder all the stars were visible only upper clouds no cumulus in the sky captain Sl had never before experienced a severe thunder storm without cloud charles fitzhugh tolman who describes this freak thunder storm in his science service feature why the weather goes on for fully nn an hour the sky was one blaze of lightning and wire ropes mastheads mast heads yardarms yar danns darms derrick tends ends etc were lighted up all the stays seemed to have glow lamps three to four feet apart and the mast mastheads heads and yardarms yar darms a bright light tit at their extremities the most remarkable part of the phenomenon was the extraordinary sound emitted throughout it was says the log exactly like the noise of the sparks from thet th carbons ot of an arc lamp or as if several thousands of cicadas had bad taken up their quarters in the rigging or the crack ling of burning grass or twigs this noise was not local near the bridge but the officers reported it all over the ship even in the neighborhood of the noisy steering gear 1 literary digest |