The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1850-07-26
THE KNOCKINGS,

The ANOCNlNGS.
An attempt was made in the city
of New York. last week, to unravel
the mystery of the secret knockings.
Declarations having been very freely
made, that Mrs. Fish and her sisters
were arrant imposters, and that il
they would submit to fair examina-
ton they could be proven so, they
accepted the gage. and number of
ladies' and gentlemen. strangers to
them, waited upon them at their
rooms. The gentlemen were soon
requested to retire. when the ladies,
four in number. were left alone with
the "Knockers." An hour afterwards
the gentlemen we're recalled. 10 hear
the report Of the examiners. the stb.
stance of which, as published in the
Tribune, is. that the three sisters had
been sufficiently Invested of their
clothing to make it perfectly apparent
that nothing was concealed about
their persons by which they could
produce the knockings; that while
they were in that condition. the knock.
ings were heard in different parts of
the room. Their feet and ankles
were particularly examined and
watched while the knockings were
heard, though Mrs. - stated that
once she did not hear them when the
feet of three ladies' rested fiat upon
the floor Two of the other ladies
said they did. and the sounds appear
ed near to themselves. Sofa and
tables also underwent a thorough
search, but nothing suspicious was
found.
So the great question, How are the
Spirit Knockings produced? remains
unanswered. 1t is more puzzling than
either the price of putty, the explosion
Of salt.petre, Kissing of snakes; or the
hageIlation of Bill Patterson. Nothing
but the old and celebrated inquiry as
to who it was that took the life of
Cock Robin, equals the mystery rest.
ing upon this question.
SAD MORTALITY. We have before
US letter written by George r.
Bradley. and dated Liberty. June 2lst
which gives sad account Of the fate
of one Of the California emigrating
companies. The writer says that
his wagon, to which were attached
his brother and himself. from Union
county. Illinois. H J. Ostettcr. from
Chester. Illinois, and two of the Nc.
DIls, from Union county, Illinois, left
independence in CONF any Of twenty
seven persons on the 18th o. June:
that when one day ont one Of the
company was attacked with the
cholera; that on the third day. having
travelled sixty miles. thew were stop.
ped by the cholera and smallpox
breaking out among them; that they
remained encampei two days. during
which time they lost ten men Next
day the men were so alarmed that
they proposed to turn back, and the
resolution was adopted almost unani'
mously. On the return route there
were seven more deaths before they
reached independence, where the
company separa,ed-only ten Of the
twenty.seven surviving. They left
every thing behind them except their
mules. ISL. Louis Repub.
The Comet is now plainly visible
to the naked eve. near the bright star
Arc.urus, in the constellation Bodies,
which is nearly vertical to the
spectator, and in w. S. w. part Of
the heavens. 1t is only distinguisha.
Bile from common star by its bury
and hazy appearance. The hest time
in the evening to see it is about half
past nine. The Comet is better seen
wifi a small telescope or with an
opera glass. A tail of five degrees
long. too faint to be discerned with
the naked eve. is visible in large
telescopes. Its length is four million
of miles. and daily increasing. The
nucleus Of few hundred miles in
diameter. is very dense apparently a
solid body.
About the 2O,h Of this month the
Comet will pass very near to the
place occupied bv the earth on the
25th of June. Its velocity at that
poin. will be one hundred miles an
hour.
Its distance from the earth is now
forty millions of miles. and from the
sun one hundred millions. 1t passes
its Perheii6r on the 22d inst.-Ph,l.
adelphia Sun. 10th inst.
DECEpTIoN-A gentleman in Al.
hanv purchased couple of rolls of
butter the other day. They looked
very nice and tempting and he. took
them home, Boosting to his wife OF