1881, J. Minshull (translator), Land, Sea and Sky, or, Wonders of Life and Nature, page 366:
As to its appearance upon the masts of ships, Forbin relates that in the year 1696, during a terribly stormy night, near the Balearic Isles, he saw no less than thirty St. Elmo's fires in different parts of the ship, one of them being on one of the sails of the mainmast.
1907, Edwin J. Houston, The wonder book of the atmosphere, page 291:
Referring to the superstition on the part of the sailors as regards the St. Elmo's fires, Lieutenant Bassett, in his book called "Legends and Superstitions of the Sea," says...
1936, Napier Shaw, Manual of Meteorology, page 32:
St. Elmo's fires are extremely frequent at the Pic du Midi on lightning-conductors.