New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-04
A Remarkable Spectacle.


Scotsman, writing under recent date, says:
Within the past few days l have been in
formed of a remarkable spectacle that was
witnessed on Midsummer's morning at
StOnehenge. am not aware that in any
work on these megalithic circles is refer
am now about to mention. On the morn
ing in question party Of Americans, who
had left London for the purpose, visited
Stonehenge for the purpose of witnessing
the effects of the sunrise on this particular
morning. They were not little surprised
to find that, instead of having the field all
to themselves, as they had expected, a num-
Der Of people from all parts OF the country
side, principally belonging to the poorer
classes, were already assembled on the spot
Inquiries failed to elicit any ineligible rea-
son for this extraordinary early turnout OF
the population, except this, that tradition
which had trickled down through any num-
Der of generations told them that at Stone
henge something unusual was to be seen at
sunrise on the morning OF the summer
solstice. This piece of rustic information
put my informant, who is Of an antiquarian
turn of mind, on the gui vire. StOnehenge
| may roughly be described as composing
seven-eighths of circle, from the open
ends OF which there runs eastward an ave-
| nue. having huge upright stones on either
| side. At some distance beyond this ave-
| nue., but in a direct line with it's centre,
stands one solitary stone in slOping posi-
| tion, in front Of which, but at a consider
| bic distance, is an eminence or hill. The
point of observation chosen by the excur-
| sion 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 fortunately just as the sun
was beginning to appear over the top of the
hill, the mists disappeared, and then for a
| few moments the OnlOOkers stood amazed
| at the phenomenon presented to view.
While it lasted, the sun, like an immense
ball, appeared actually to rest on the iso-
lated stone of which mention has been
made, or to quote the quaint though pro-
sale description Of one present, ''it was like
huge pudding placed on the top of the
stone" Another very important fact men
toned by an elderly gentleman who had
resided for many years in the neighbor-
hood. was that on the setting of the sun at
the winter solstice, a similar phenomenon
was observable 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 coin
cides with the suns rising at the summer
solstice, and that another line laid down in
the arrangement of the stones comedies
with the setting sun at the winter solstlce.
| Unless it is conceivable that this nice Orien-
ba hard to believe-the inference is justif-
able that the builders of Stonehenge and
other rude stone monuments OF like de-
scription had special design or object in
view in erecting these cromlechs or circles,
OF whatever the name antiouarians may
give them, and that they are really the
manifestations of the Baalistic or sun wor
ship professed by the early inhabitants OF
Great Britain, species of idolatry at one
time also universal in Ireland, and to which
the round towers of that country amply
testify. This, of course, is returning to the
opinion originally entertained as to the use
| and purposes Of these early and widely
scattered monuments, and is at total vari
ance with the opinion of so great an author.
ity as Mr.. James Ferguson, who, in his work
entitled Rude Stone Monuments in all
Countries and Ages" disposes alike OF the
geologic-antiquarian theory which con
siders these stone monuments as ar
evidence Of the progressive development O.
men from primeval savagedOm, as well al
that which ascribed their origin to thu
Druids. whose temples they were supposed
to be. If. according to Mr.. Ferguson, they
were the hastily erected trophies of vic
tories, and set up by people who lived IL
the very darkest epoch of our history-ylz
From 400 A. d. to 900 A. D.-not the leas
extraordinary characteristic. then, which
Stonehenge possesses is the marvellous pre-
cision of its orientation. One can not hell
wondering how, under such circumstances
this could have happened.