The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1866-08-04
miscellaneous.


Frgh,ful a. have been the rayages OF
cholera. they are but insignificant when
compared with the devastation caused by
the dreadful plague that Overran almost the
whole world in the fourteenth century and
to which from It's malgnity. was given the
terrible name uf the Black Death"
This destructive pesiilence, like the chol-
era made its lrst appearance 10 the East
Il rose ia China. TaTtary India aud Egypt.
about tho wear I34j. Il Is ascribed By the
contemporary writers, Mezeray aud Gioyan-
nj william. TO general corruption Of the
atmosphere accompanied by the appear
ance of millions Of small serpents and 9TH
ct yeuomcus insects and. in other places.
quantities Of huge vermin. with numerous
legs aud OF 4 hideous aspect, which filed
the air with putrid eXhalations.
some jealous Christian writers ofthe time
derived It's origin from the arch.imposter.
Mahomei; for they say that at Mecca, in
Arabia Felix. il rained snakes and blood
from heaven for three days and nights TO.
gether that the temple Of Mahomet was
beaten down by terrible tempest, and his
sepulchre torn up and broken in pieces /;
and that the sulphurous yapors, and the
stencil Of the snakes and blood, so corrupt
ed the middle region ofthe air. that the in.
fictitious matter spread itself over iha world
in all directions.
Making every allowance for the ignorance
and creduli,y OF the age, it appears evident
that some natural causes hal contributed
10 corrupt the air and load il with pestiier-
Gus vapors. And Il Is remarkable, that be.
fore the disease appeared in Europe. sngu.
lar meteorological phenomena, Of u similar
nature, took place. Thus il appeared in
England in the latter part ofthe year 1886 !:
and IL had rained from the previous Christ.
mas almost 10 midsummer without ceasing
Great inundations followed, and accumula-
lions Of stagnant water, by which the whole
atmosphere was poisoned, In France sew.
eral strange meteoric appearances are de-.
scribed by writers Of credit. VILLAIN says
that on the Goth Of December, l3is. in the
morning. after sunrise, there appeared at
Avignon--then the papal seat.-over the
pope's palace, pillar Of FIRE, which iarried
there for the space Of an hour. producing
general terror and amazement
During the same period there were many
dreadful earthquakes. some ofthem IN plac-
es where such phenomena have since been
unheard Of. At Rome. an earthquake threw
down great number Of houses. steeples
and churches. At Naples there was an
earthquake. accompanied by tremendous
hurricane. which destroyed large portion
OF the city. On this occasion, II is related
that while lriar was preaching TO a crowd
ed congregation. he and his auditory were
swallowed up in au instant-all but one in.
lividual, who observed the trembling of the
earth in time 10 save himself by flight. \
great multitude Of the inhabitants were
buried In the ruins OF their habitations; and
the people durst not venture into their
houses, but remand terrified In the market
places or fields till the earthquake-which
continued at intervals for eight days-had
spent it, fury. In Greece, particularly in
| the Morea aud the Island Of Cyprus, whole
/ villages were overwhelmed. Even in Ger.
many, country not liable TO this calamity
/ there was an earthquake which extended
over great part OF Austria and Styria, and
destroyed many towns and villages Ia
those districts. Many other provinces al
50 suffered from the fury Of these strong
commissions OF nature. These earthquakes
were generally attended with storms oI
thunder and Tightening. wind and hail
In the year l3is, according TO an old
! chronicler. il rained blood in Germany, ant
meteors and other coruscatious appeared Ia
I the air. Mock suns were seen. aud tbs
heavens sometimes seemed on FIRE.
! There was. probably, grea, deal Of ex
aggeration In many OF these accounts bu
the testimonies are too numerous and re
spectacle 10 leave any doubt that, befoF'
aud during the pestilencc. the element
were In state OF general convulsion which
seems unparalleled In history.
The plague extended It's ravages frou
India into the more western parts OF Asis
into Egypt, Abyssinia, and thence into I'll
northern parts Of Africa. IL proceede
over Asia Minor. Greece. aud tho islam,
in the Archipelago, almost depopulatin
the regions over which Il stalked. II may b
literally said TO have decimated the world
though the term was understood 20 impl
that the destruction was nine, In place q
one, out Of every ten. According 10 sevei
81 writer's where Il was mort favorable
leh one out Of three. OF one out OF av'
but where IL ragged most violently, Il scarf
LEFT q fifteenth or twentieth person aliv'
! Some countries, partly by the plague an
partly BY earthquakes. were len quite des'
late. VILLAIN says, that In part OF MesI
amt.a -