The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-02-06
The Approaching Planetary Quartet
and its Dire Influences.
TProvidenrs Journal ]


1t seems unnecessary to have In
CURED the expense and trouble of a
Commission to investigate the causes Of
the pestilencs that ragged during the last
summer In the Southern States, when
astronomers tells us that the yellow fever
#as only premonitior of the dire ca
lamities to be expected from physical
disturbances shortly to be initiated.
The four great planets Of the system
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Nep-
tune-have mighty influence ID the
solar economy, even though they reyolye
at immense distances from the center of
the scheme. When one or more of
these planets are at their nearest point
to the sun, great disturbances are sure
to take place from the increased attrac.
tion Of the masses upon each other. Agi-
tation-of the solar surface is reflected to
the systems remotest bounds, and our
planet bears witness to the solar out
bursts in terrific storms on land and
sea, long continued drought, failure of
crops, and consequent disaster and pes
thence in myriad forms. Jupiter, being
the largest and nearest of the giant
brotherhood, produces the greatest dis
turbances. So well is this fact estab-
lished, that the SUMS maximum year for
spots and general commotion is coinci-
dent with Jupiter's nearest approach to
his surface. Many observers will re-
member the last recurrence of this
period about 1869, when brilliant au-'
roras illuminated the heavens, rosy
protuberances flashed from the SUMS
protosphere, and huge spots dotted his
disk, while evidences of intense excite
ment were visible on the Jovian surface,
and terrestrial tempests, hurricanes, and
all manner cf physical ills bore evil
dence to the malignity of the celestial
conjunction.
1t takes Jupiter less than twelve
years TO complete revolution around
the sun, Saturn little less than thirty
years, Uranus about eighty-four years,
and Neptune about one hundred and
sixty years. The year of maximum
sun spots coincident with Jupiter's peril
helion is looked upon as an epoch when
all manner of evils affecting humanity
may be anticipated, and this direful
period is near at hand. A much more
lamentable period is near at hand; one
of those eras that occur at intervals
counted by thousands of years is about
to take place. The four great planets
reach their perihelia very nearly to-
gether, and the mighty planetary quartet
will pull upon the sun with one accord.
They will be at their nearest approach
in 1880, or soon after, and the influence
of their unwelcome union may continue
for several years. Such a conjunction
of forces has not occurred since the
Christian era. What will the sun do
with his blazing surface tossed into such
fiery commotion? What will the earth
do as she responds to every troubled
pulsation of the great luminary? There
is a fearful prospect ahead, and it may
be that the pestilence Of last summer
was but the shadow of events to follow
in its train. There is nothing for poor
mortals to do but to take proper pre-
caution and wait results. Seed time
and harvest have not yet failed, and the
time for the earlh's destruction will mo-
occur in the present generation.
A careful observer announces that tht
perihelia of three of the great planet'
took place at the same time in the sixth
and also in the sixteenth century, ant
that the epochs were marked by thu
occurrence of the most pestilentia
periods on record. Every sensible per
son will understand that when Jupiter
planet whose volume is thirteen hun
dred times that of the earth, reaches hi
perihelion, being then forty-six million
of miles nearer the sun than when Il
aphelion, the increased attraction mus
create commotion in the SUMS seethinl
mass, as well as in the chaotic element
of the planet. 1t is just as certain tina
our atmosphere and temperature will b
disturbed, and that the disturbance viii
be unfavorable to health and prosperity
In the same way it will be seen that tn
coincident perihelia of the four grea
planets will vastly increase the uI
toward influence. This period we shal
probably enter upon before another yea
closes, and we can only trust that scienc
and observation will do their level bes
to avert the calamities threatened b
the malignant influence of the sun an
the four remotest members of To
| system.