Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-04-01
VERY STRANGE SHOWERS.
The showers Of Flesh and 6hswers
Bleed..Whenco They Caue.


The showers Of Flesh and shswsrs Z
H'ssa'-"hsnce They Ca.e'
The so-called "showers Of flesh" /
Kentucky have been authenticated an
the substances analysed. What fell,
not flesh. were heshy substances, an,
history gives us numerous instances I
illustrate the truth Of what Is stated. I
will be seen that there have been show
ers Of blood and showers Of earth, q
well as of flesh. We copy the follow
Ing ~ very interesting from tho work o
FRmmarione:
| In the early part OF July, 1908, one o
these pretended showers Of blood fel
IN the outskirts OF AK (in Provence
and this shower extended to the dis
tsnce Of half league from the town
ssmc Pr1esOs, eitner pelng themselves
deceived, or wishing 70 WORK upon tn
cIeauiity OF me PeoPle, ~ once attrlo
uted 1t to diaDolio innuence:
fortunately q person OF education
NJ: de feirese, examined very minute!y
into TINS apparent prodigy' stndying II
particular some drops tnat ieil upon the
wall OF the cemetery ateaGned TO tne
principal church IN AK. dc soon dis
covered tnat tney were IN reanty the
excrements OF some Dutternies winch
mad 6een noticeo IN large numbers dur
ing the early part OF guy: Inere were
no Spots OF tne kind ~ tne center OF
the town: where the putternies mad not
maze ther appearance, ana none were
not'ced upon tne Mgner paits OF the
nouses' above tne level 10 wn1ca they
new. BESIDES, tne presence OF tnese
drops IN places pr01ecteo from tne aiI
rendered IL 1mPosslDie tnat tney could
nave naa their origin IN me amos
pnere. ne at once pointeo tn1s OUT 70
tnose VINO regarded the occurrence as
miraculous put, IN despite oi me
proofs wnicn ne aaaucea' tne h1aplt-
ants persisted IN attriDuting these drops
TO supernatural cause; :,
Severally speaking, showers OF blood
are not only red spots produced by GER
tain insects, but regular showers, color
cd ny the dust which the WIND carries
into the ar. This general origin was
not ascertalned until the present cen.
Jury. On March IA, 1873, one OF
these strange showers fell In the king
dom OF Naples and the two Calabrias.
There fell large drops OF reddish rain
which many persons took for blood. A
similar shower OF reddish dust occurred
at the opposite extremity OF Abruzzes.
This dust was OF a Yellowish hue, like
cinnamon, and had slight earthy taste;
1t was upctuous to the touch, and seen
through glass, contained small and
hard bodies resembling pyroxene. Heat
at hrst embrowned 1t, then made it
black and finally gave it a reddish
tint. After the action OF the heat. this
dust displayed, even to the naked eye,
an immense number OF small and bril-
liant points, which were OF yellow mica.
Its specific gravity, when deprived OF
hard substances, was 2.07; 1t was COM
posed OF silica, 55.U; aiumlnlum. 100;
hme, I!.6; chrome, 1.O; iron, $50; and
acld, ~. r .L..
whence came tnls ousts !n1s u was
iound Impossible TO ascertain at that
time. 1t was not until lS46 that gen.
eral examination OF these rains was
made and their origin found Dy follow
ing tnem up into space. In tne autnmn
OF TINS year a shower OF reddish slime
and earthy ram, wnlcn was Popularly
converted INTO shower OF plood' &C.
curreo III tne south OF france, az the
same time that a cyclone swept over the
Atlantlc. Fournet gives a calculation
whlch SHOWS that IN the department OF
the Drome the clouds must nave taken
up from, ana ag''n dlscharged upon,
me ground the enormous weight OF 72O
'ons. Ehrenberg, VINO anaiyzed sam
Pies OF this earth, found IN them ~
'rgan,c formations, some OF which were
peculiar TO southern America. Inns
,arth must therefore nave come from
me new world. Inc interval OF time
between their leaving America, got. 10,
md their arrival IN france, oct. II,
vas about four days, which gives a
'peed OF ABOUT 10! yards per second
This recital OF the showers OF Dlood
oCOQQly. that they are mostly due to |