Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-05-09
NUMBER II.

Ollie Influence.
Fortunately, a person OF education, NJ.
de Peirese, examined very mnltely into
this apparent prodigy, studying in par
ticular some drops that fell upon the wall
Of the cemetery attached to tie principal
church in AK. lie soon discovered that
they We're in reality the excremeuts OF
some butterflies which had been noticed
in large numbers during the early part
of July. There were no spots OF the
kind in the centre OF the town, where the
butterflies had not made their appear
ance, and none were noticed upon The
higher parts Of the houses, ABOVE The
level to which they flew. Besides, the
presence of these drops in places protect
ed from the air rendered il impossible
that they could have had their origin in
the atmosphere He at once pointed this
out to those who regarded the occurrence
as Miraculous; but, in despite Of the
proofs which he aiduccd. the inhabitants
persisted in altribu.ing these drops TO u
supernatural cause.
Severally speaking, showers of blood
are not only red spots produced by cer-
tain insects, but regular showers, co.ored
by the dust which The wind carries into
the air. This general origin was not as
certaned until the pTesou. century. On
March II, 1913, one OF these strange
showers fell in the kingdom Of Naples
and the two Calabrias. There fell large
drops of reddish rain which many per
sons took TOR blood. \ similar shower
OF reddish dust occurred 80 the opposite
extremity OF Abruzzes. This dust was
OF yeliowi-h hue, ike cinnamon, and
had slight earthy taste; :. was uuc,uou5
to the touch, ana seen through % glass,
contained small and bard bodies resemb-
ling pyroxene. Heat AZ frs. embrowned
it, then made ii black and finally gave il
reddish tint. After The action Of the
heat this dust displayed even to the
naked eye, an immense number OF small
and brilliant points, which were of yell
low mica. l. specific gravity. WHOM de-
priyed of hard substances. was 2.01 it
was composed OF silica, 80 o.; aluminium,
15.5; lime, II chrome, o; iron, l4ji
and carbonic acid. 80.
Whence came this dus2 This it was
found impossible 10 ascertain at that time.
1t was not until 1916 that . general cx-
animation OF these rains was made and
their origin found by following them up
into space. In the autumn OF this year
= shower Of reddish slime and earthly
rain, which was popularity converted in
to shower of blood, occurred in the
south OF France, at the same time that a
cyclone swept over the Atlantic Four
net gives a calculation which shows that
in the Department of the Drome. the
clouds must have taken up from, and
again discharged upon the ground, the
enormous weight OF 720 tons. Ehreu-
berg, who analyzed samples OF this earth.
found in them % organic formations,
some of which were peculiar to Southern
America. This earth must therefore have
come from the new world. The interval
of time between their leaving America,
Oct. IS. ard their arrival in France, oct.
Il. was about four days, which gives
speed OF about Is / yards per second
This recital of the showers OF blood
shows US, first. that they are . reality
secondly, that they are mostly due to
dust taken up by the winds into very dis
tant regions; thirdly. that they are no
infrequent, as they have occurred on no
less than q different occasions during the
present century in Europe and Algeria.
These remarkable showers mostly take
place in the spring and the autumn, az
the epoch OF equinoctial gales.
There are many instances cited in
which nutritious substances have de-
scended in q shower. Thus, in 1924, aud
1928, there was a shower so abundant OF
this kind, in one OF the districts Of Per-
sia. that it covered the ground 10 the
depth OF five or six inches. 1t was kind
OF lichen OF sort already known. Cat
tie and sheep deyoured it eagerly, and
some bread was even made OF il The
descent of soft substance Mushenbro.
eek states TO have occurred in Ireland in
1915. This was glutinous and fatty, and
softened when held in the hand, and
emitted an unpleasant smell when ex.
nnrnd "a ihn nniinn Of ihn fro