There could be no doubt that a light had been observed at different places, in succession, at intervals, during some hours.
Hence, whether it had been produced from many centers in the terrestrial atmosphere, or from one center, it was plain that the light must have traveled at a speed of over one hundred and twenty miles an hour.
In the United Kingdom there was much perplexity.

The observatories were not in agreement.

Greenwich would not consent to the proposition of Oxford.

They were agreed on one point, however, and that was: "It was nothing at all!" But, said one, "It was an optical illusion!" While the other contended that, "It was an acoustical illusion!" And so they disputed.

Something, however, was, it will be seen, common to both "It was an illusion." Between the observatory of Berlin and the observatory of Vienna the discussion threatened to end in international complications; but Russia, in the person of the director of the observatory at Pulkowa, showed that both were right.