The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-10

| ouHhBe HeIy meteOrs were seen IN the air, y
IN England, and we are gravely assured that
they were followed by sore famine and
Danish INVASION" In these early days, this was
manifest connection between cause and effect.
Again, we are told that in S29. for several
days together, ''very many little twlnkling
fires, like stars, ran up and down in the air.
| and that ''great tempests of wind followed
This was without doubt a regular display of
meteors or falling stars.
As another instance of the supersttlous man.
ner in which these meteoric showers were
looked upon by our ancestors, we take from the
old work quoted from above the following
description of celestial events in the year A. ID.
l000:-"This Year had many PTodgies, an
Earthquake, a Comet with long and terrible
Tail like Lightning. On the 10th of the Odie,ads
of January, it fell on the Earth with SO great a
Light, that not only these in the Fields but
People in Houses were smitten by it: for the
Fissure of the Heavens sensbly vanishing the
Serpent above appeared: The two Balls of Fire
which fell, one fell upon Ndgdeb,u'g, and the
other beyond the A6bis."
Fiery Dragons"
appear to have been quite a tayorite title for
these meteoric displays. Between the wears A.
d. 1913 and 1895 these monsters appeared on no
less than eight different occasions. One of the
earliest apparitions of the kind recorded hop-
pened in l0sS, when the 'Fiery Dragonr was
seen flying through the air, casting forth
flames out OF his mouth. Great thunder
and lightning accompanied the monster in his
course through the heavens, and fearful cpl
demic followed soon after. One-half of all the
people OF England are said to have been seized
with violent burning fever which proved fatal
to mutitudes The rinderpest likewise made
It's appearance, as we are told that fatal
murrain made sad havoc with the cattle. From
this last scourge, however, the tame fowls sucb
as hens, geese, etc." escaped by fleeing to the
woods. Nor Were these the only dire effects
of the 'Fiery Dragons" visit, as ''most of the
great buildings IN England were consumed bv
devouring flames; aud all sorts OF misfortuues
ensued, including a general famine and fatal
Ii would appear that St. George,
the Slayer OF Dragons and the Patron Saint of
England, was not in the flesh in those days else
he would surely have resumed his old and
iayorite pastime, and thereby saved mis- admirers
rom such sore distresse-,
Among these ancient records, however, there |
ire many accounts to which we can attach some |
;redence. Such is that given Of
The Great MeteOric shower of IIO6 and
the Comet Which Presaged IL.
Still the scene, according to the chroniclers.
vas one OF frghtful horrors, which have been
hus VivIdly portrayed
I'm JudeG, this Comet was seen 30 DAYS de.
,reaslng, as also three Suns one on each side |
he true; but the mock Suns were smaller and |
'ast less light than the true. They had great |
white circle environing them, and in it a rain.
)ow OF four colors; the bow towards the sun |
md reaching to the other two Suns. SbOJHY |
Stt6T Tie stars seemed 10 rain dO,Cn from hedyen
The heavens seemed all on fire, sun and Moon
'iten uncommoDly deficient, Besides the fall
ne OF Stars, burning tasces (or bundles), fiery
Iarts. and flying fire were often seen in the air:
lew Stars appeared; camps of bUtterfies-small |
Unknown fiery w0rms-hew through the air,
nq daiSened the Sun. Men, cattle, Ian Is, |
nd buildings suffered much by thunder, light
ing, hail, nigh winds, and tempests; grain and |
ruits were beat down and broken. Fiery bat,
les, companies OF horses, cohorts Of loot, cities
words, and bloody arms we're seen in the alr |
aIrenuess OF land from inundation. dearth
'om scarcity, plague from lamine-all pre-
allied"
he Dire Effects of Meteors and other
Celestial PrOdigIes,
is evident from the extracts which We have
st quoted, was an article OF faith with our |
lcestors. In the dark ages it would have been |
ore than ones lite was worth to have cast a |
Oubt upon this pet theory of ignorance and
lperstition. Not only would the doubter's
ody have been consigned TO the flames, but
is soul would have been given over to eternal
zrdition by the fiat of the Church.
Ignorance and superstition in the last genera
on even were not sufficiently extinct in our
Wn country to prevent anticipatons OF the
ost disastrous consequences as the result of
e great meteorc shower of 1888. planter
South Carolina has given the following de.
,ription OF the mannerin which 1t was regarded |
y the negro slaves:-
II was suddenly awakened by the most dis.
esslng cries that ever tell on my ears. Shrieks |
horror and cries for mercy could hear from |
lost OF the negroes of three plantations |
IN all to about six or eight hundred, |
lille earnestly listening for the cause, heard |
FAINT voice near the door calling my name. |
rose, and, taxing Inv sword, stood at the door |
this moment heard the same voice still be-
eChng me TO rise, and saying, o my God, |
le world is on irer ] then opened the door |
nd 1t is difficult 10 say which excited me most |
ne awiulness OF the scene or the distressed |
rles OF the negroes. Upwards of one hundred
W prostrate on the ground-some speechless |
nd some with the btterest cries, but with their |
amos raised, lmpOring God to save the world |
no them. The scene,n this writer adds ''was
.uly AWFUL lor never did rain fall much thicker |
l'tn M lhe ineleorS Tell towards the earth. East,
'est, north, and south, 1t was the same.n
The anonymous author of the "ChropoIoeical
history OF the AR, ETC., from which the above
apie Is taken, notwithstanding the faith which |
e appears to have placed in the narrations or
is predecessors, thus gravely discharges the