The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-24
PKNysrLyaNLIs prENoMrNoM
What was Thought by the SupcrstItious o
the shower of yellow Substance.

READING, March 23.-The fall OF yellow
substance on the eve Of St. Patrck's Day which
WAS at first supposed to DO sulphur il still
the uppermost topic here. The shower
extended over an area OF about two hundred
miles. including the Counties of Berks. Lee
high. Carbon. Schuylkill. and Lu2erne. and
that tho yellow snow" came to stay with us
awhile is shown by the fact that quantities Of il
can yet be seen sticking to the stones and bricks
along the principal streets. Many theories are
nd vanecd as to what the substance really is.
Many persons still claim that it is genuine sui
phur. while others aver that 1t is the pollen Of
pine trees. waited on the wind from the pine
Forests of the Southern country. Those Of the
former opinion are mostly Of Il supersttious
turn. and believe that this sulphur is sont as "a
warning for rs to turn from our wicked ways.
and hereafter walk more circumspectly. They
say thNt the sulphur WIS found in the creates
quantities ia front of the doors Of the unrlgh-
trnu-' 'rprclally Keepers or saloons, Ihey
scout the idea that IL il pollen. and ask whore
So much ~ that article could come from. These
le pie with hlHnched faces, asked each othor
~ this was an omen that the world was coming
to an end In the near future.
The savauts of this region have been pay
Ing phri lcular attention 10 this matter since IL
fc,i. and many opinions are offered as 10 what
IL really L.. Dr. Trail Green Professor of
Chemistry IN Lafayette College Bethlehem.
writes as follows in reference 10 the shower OF
sulphur: Il is not surprising that the yellow
was supposed by many persons to be sulphur.
who Ind never observed it before. and had
never read description of il. may be surprised
when they are informed that the yellow which
they saw was niade up OF beautiful little plants
well known 10 naturalists. helOn.,ing 10 n great
class Of the vegetable kingdom. AlgR. some Of
which exceed in length our taliest trees. while
others are so small as L. be Invisible 20 the
naked eye except when collected in misses us
j. the case with the little plant which came to
us in our late snow storm. Many were pleased To-
sre the yellow snow resolved by tile mlrrOs cope
into b-aut. mi oval bodies. 10 observe them en-
ldrged midway between the terminal points.
nuu then see them divide aul hc 'oun two null
upying ly seli-division. THIS little plant car
rleS on tho various functions which are OH
served IN higher plants. such rs collecting anl
d g"sting It's food. s"crrtinx n peculiar fluid
with which the cell is illied. and performing MI
tho acts which belong 90 N living organism. No
ONE who sees Il with the help Of microscope
would ever imagine that II Is birthstone.
or any other inorganic substance II belongs 10
plants The PrOiOcOccuS Nirdiis. or rcd
snow. was observed 10y Stussure ON the
Brayan in 1860, and on n. Bernardo; in l77s 10y
Capt loss IN Bainn'~ Bay. and bv Parry and
Franklin in their northern voyages. Pliuy also
speaks oi u. and as'rib.s the red color 10 the
age Of thesnow. but Ar did not SEQ the red color
ia the microscope Held, and. II may be-. had
only heard of II. This 3pe'irs may remain in
q stat" oi dormant vitality Tor many years. Ii
is in this state that the little plants are waited
about IN atmospheric currents. and hning
brought down by the rain into pools. cisterus.
etc. they may present themselves where none
have been pr ylouSly known 10 exist. and there.
under favorable circumstances. they may un-
drrEo very rapid multiplied ION. SO with the
winter spores which W. havr !ust seen.
DR.. r. VI. /l"ger OF this city. DR.. :. H. ErVine
ot Mauch Chunk, aud other scientific nrn here
Hhouts agree on this subject. and give the same
eNplanation Of the phenomenon. Many OF our
people tried various experiments ON The sub
stntic. The fnupd IL H. h. ,vitb,,nt ta.t,, 80
smell and when lighted with a match would
burn readily, and was Of sticky, greasy nature.