The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-14
-gEz&xTGu
G'hea Mailpsa Arans.


sA3 Nag81Ih0 81oW0 "a = 1eSn. ss ~
The extraordinary phenomenon Of a
shower Of. quivering flesh reported from
Sterling, KY, has puzzled the natives of
the, wLiskey state beyond measure. Acl
cordlne to che special telegram the occur
renee took place while the sun was shining
brightly in clear sky, and, large area
was covered by the. precipitation. The
hogs and chickens rushed to enjoy the
heavenly banquet and devour the substance
with evident relish. Itwould appear that
The centennial year is to become famous in
our annals for more than the mere politi-
cal associations which surround it. and
bountiful nature showers down the food for
the hogs and chickens of the west SO as to
allow the farmers of that happy region
more time for the contemplation of their
country's greatness. 1t is an unthankful
office to spoil mystery and to rob the
auidnunas OF their right to discuss its
wonderful details and compare notes re-
garding the relation it bears to the dura-
ton of the worlds lifetime. We feel
kind of compunction in, forestalling the
wonderful deductions of the village de-
batting societies and are in despair at spoil
ing the gossip of the husklDg parties; but
duty to mass Of our matter-of -fact read.
ers who have no time, for researches into
the mysteries of the aerial world compels
us to explain. & %et -
At different periods in history there
have been recorded such strange occur
rences as to shower live fish over consider
able areas Of land and all bearing the evi.
dences Of having been but lately trans
ferred FROM their natural element to the
ol hoso hon foil $tco
Vast numbers of small frogs have also
been known to fall during rain showers
aud in the middle ages the inhabitants Of
Europe were stirred to repentance fol
their manifold sins by an omir Gus shower
turned to account by the religi us teacher.
Of the time and pointed to as an evidence
of the Divine displeasure at he wickednes
Of men. But sceptical philosophers dis
covered that atmospheric whirlpools, sucl
as that recently experienced at ST. Charles
No., could suck all the water out Of ponds
and even create waterspouts that raised
vast bodies water from the sea, and OF
course frogs and fishes went upward will
the element they inhabited. The shove
of blood was proved to be caused by tn,
red pollen of certain plants growing in
Eastern Europe, and which, being born,
through the upper air by the force of th,
winds, became mixed with the falling rain
and impaired to it all the appearance c
blood. If the story from Sterling, KY, i
true the shower of quiveriug flesh wa
nothing more than mass of the larvae O
insects. which, having been caught up b,
a whirlwind and carried to an immens,
height, returned to earth again in the form
of shower of bruised and wrigglin.
worms. Many of the lonely western lakt
shores are surrounded with vast aecumu
ations of these larvae Of flies, which preseu
a most disgusting spectacle by the culver
ing, crawling movement of the little rel
worms that compose the mass. The up
ward centripetal motion of tornadoes i
: favorable for the raising of heavier object
than worms to great elevation. and Their
is no doubt tina; the deposit at Sterling
Ky, is due to this cause The quiverin
motion observed in the so called flesh
due to the 'last kicks of the worms i
their dying struggles or to the shrinking
of their tissues when exposed to the actio
u denser atmosphere Ia the far ives
Il e Indians dry these larva in cakes an
use them for food Innumerabe bird
diet on them also II is therefore not t
: te wondered at that the Kentucky hog
and chickens regarded as high living whs
roor Lo considers delicacy.-N y Her
MD ..ss-..a.