Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-12
StOnehenge at Sunrise-A Remark
able Spectacle. %s

Stonehenge at Sunrise-A Remark.
able Spectacle. ga
A London correspondent of the Edin-
burgh Scotsman, writing under recent
date, says Within the pastfew days
I have been informed of remarkable
spectacle that was witnessed on midsum-
mer's mornings at Stonehenge. I am
not aware that in any work on these
megaitkic circles is reference made,
however remotely, to what / am now
about to mention. On the morning in
question party of Americans, who had
left London for the purpose, visited
Stonehenge for the purpose of witness
ing the effects of the sunrise on this
particular morning. They were not a
little surprised to find that, instead of
having the field all to themselves, as
they had expected, number of people
from all parts of the roadside, principally
belonging to the poorer classes, were
assembled on the spot. Inquiries
failed to elicit any ineligible reason Of
this extraordinary turnout of the popu-
lation, except this, that tradition
which had trickled down through any
number of generations told them that
at Stonehenge something unusual was
to be seen on the morning of the sum-
mer solstice. This piece of rustic in.
formation put my informant, who is of
an antiquarian turn of mind, on the Qua
Vive. Stonehenge may roughly be de-
scribed as composing seven Fights of a
circle, from the open ends of which
there runs eastward an avenue having
huge upright stones on either side. At
some distance beyond this avenue, but
in direct line with it's centre, stands
one solitary stone in sloping position,
in front of which, but at considerable
distance, is an eminence or hill. The
point of observation chosen by the ex-
cursion party was the stone table or
altar near the head of and within the
circle directly looking down the avenue
The morning was unfavorable, but for
tunately just as the sun was beginning
to appear over the top of the hill, the
mists disappeared, and then for a few
moments the overlookers stood amazed
at the phenomenon presented to view.
While it lasted, the sun, like an I'M
mense ball, appeared actually to rest
on the isolated stone Of which mention
has been made, or to quote the quaint
though prosaic description of one pres
emit it was like huge pudding placed
on top of the stone?' Another very i'm
portant fact mentioned by an elderly
4 gentleman who had resided for many
years in the neighborhood was that on
the setting of the sun at the winter
solstice similar phenomenon was OBJ
servable in the direction of certain
other stones to the westward. Here,
then, is the very remarkable fact that
the axis of the avenue of Stonehenge
accurately comedies with the suns ris-
ing at the simmer solstice, and that an
other line laid down in the arrangement
Of the stones comedies with the setting
sun Of the winter solstice. Unless it
is conceivable that this nice orientation
Is the result of chance--Which would
be hard to believe-the inference is
| justlfiable that the builders of Stone
henge and other rude monuments OF
like description had special design or
object in view in erecting these crom-
lechs or circles, or whatever the name
antiquarians may give them, and that
they are really the manifestations
of the Baalistic or sun worship profess
! ed by the early inhabitants of Great
Britain, species of idolatry at one
time almost universal in Ireland, and to
which the round towers of that country
amply testify. This, of course, is re-
turning to the opinion originally enter
tanned as to the use and purposes of
these early and widespread monu-
ments, and is at total variance with the
opinion Of SO great an authority as Mr..
James Ferguson, who, in his work en-
titled Rude Stone Monuments in all
Countries and Ages disposes alike Of
the geologic antiquarian theory which
considers these stone monuments as an
evidence of the progressive develop
ment OF man from primeval savagedom,
as well as that which ascribed their orr
gin to the Druids, whose temples they
were supposed to be. If, according to
Mr.. Ferguson, they were the hastily
erected trophies of victories, and set up
by people who lived in the very darkes,
epoch of our history-viz. from A. d.
400 to A. D. 9O0-not the least extra
ordinary characteristic, then, which
Stonehenge possesses is the marvellous
precision Of it's orientation. One can
net help wondering how, under such
circumstances, this could have hap
pened."
Enn1