From the Detroit Post, Feb. 1
A gentleman employed at the Detroit and Milwaukee depot stated that about 12:45 o'clock yesterday morning he witnessed a most curious phenomenon, which found non parallel in his own experience. He was passing up Woordward avenue, when he suddenly discovered that he was surrounded by a very brilliant light. The moon was down, the sky was clouded, and there were no direct lamps lighted, so that the night was unusually dark. His first thought was that there was an explosion in the street lamp, underneath which he was fast passing: but looking up he discovered that this could not be. He then supposed it to be the aurora borealis, but there was none of the well-known characteristics of this this illumination of the heavens. The thought of meteors next occurred to him, but he saw no meteroric bodies, and the appearance differed altogether from what he had before witnessed when large meteors had fallen in close proximity to him. The whole city was illuminated as light apparently as day. He was looking up the street, and saw both buildings and trees, and then turned and looked down, seeing the whole length of the avenue to the river and the Canada shore beyond. The light lasted from a quarter to half a minute. He described it as very peculiar. It was not a flash, nor yet a steady light, but seemed to come in waver, and he could think of no comparison except the flapping of the wings of a bird. This phenomenon was also witnessed by other persons. A gentleman employed at the Michigan Central was at the time passing along Third street, near Howard, and his description of the appearance agrees with that given above. Another gentleman living in the eastern part of the city also witnessed it. The same phenomenon was also seen at Ypsiland by a gentleman who became somewhat nervous thereat.
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