The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-24
EOLIPSEs IN TIMES PAST.

"Coggia's comep has departed, leay-
ing not so much US streak of light, or
a snuff of birthstone in his wake, so that
timid ones may now sleep at case, dis
missing for time their fears OF speedy
and indiscriminate cremation.
1t would seem that the days should he
past when comets, eclipses and like
phenomena are regarded as precursors
Of war, pestilence or other dire calamity,
and that persons should understand
that there is nothing more remarkable
in an eclipse than may be seen in the
shadow Of man who walks in the sun
shine. Even the most ignorant of the
present day, however, do not regard
such phenomena with the shuddering
terror with which they were viewed by
the most enlightened of former times.
The total eclipse of the sun which oc-
CURED 7sS years b. c. filled the-people
of Rome with frantic terror, and caused
three days of supplieation to be decreed.
We have authentic accounts of total
eclipses of the sun occurring in the fol-
lowing years: A. ID. 80, 96S, 1893, 1910,
l19l, 1881, 1715, and 1920. OF these, the
most impressive, and the one causing
the most terror, was the one of 17l5,
when it is said that the darkness was so
great at noon in England, that the stars
shone brightly, and the birds went to
roost. In the solar eclipse early In the
present century, many persons supposed
the world was coming to an end, and in
their terror and dismay some committed
suicide; though just how they expected
thus TO avoid or avert the general catas-
trophe is notapparent. Itissaid that the
whole aspect Of nature was so appalling
during this eclipse that even the cattle
partook of the general fright, and ex-
pressed their terror by running TO and
fro, tearing up the ground, and hideous
bellowings.
Milton, in portraying the obscured
glory Of Satan, institutes an eclipse as a
comparison, and in connection with II
refers TO the popular belief concerning
the evil portent of the phenomenon
thus:
''As when the sun, new risen,
Looks through the horizontal misty air
Shorn or his beams; or from behind the moon
In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear OF change
Perplexes mOnarchs."
The word ECLIPSE" is derived from q
Greek word which signifies "to fail, to
faint, or swoon away" since the moon
at the period of her greatest brightness,
falling into the shadow of the earth,
was imagined by the ancients TO sicken
and swoon as if she were going to die
In solar eelipses also, especially when
total, the sun was supposed to turn
away his face in adherence of some
atrocious crime, that either had been oI
was about to be perpetrated, and {,
threaten mankind with destruction.
The light of science has however dis
PEELED the mists of superstitution tina
in olden times caused such frantic terro
at the occurrence of an eclipse. Yet ther
) be those among the unlearned and su
perstitious who believe such an event L
be the precursor of some dire nationa
calamity, and who, when a come
puts in an appearance, find their night
devoid of ease, lest the heavenly Wis
liant be the agent bearing the divin
commission to let fly the spark tina
shall wrap the world in its winding
sheet Of flame. To such we again re
peat what must be welcome tidings
"Coggia's comet has left u.s."