The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-02-27

KAvAGEs OF THE PLAGUE.
| What; Mankina suffered In tho
14th Century-The Planetary
Movement of 1881.
If we glance at the history of the
frightfnl devsstations that have mark
ed the visits of the plague to tho earth,
mankind has reason to tremble before
the dread spectre whose appearance
the Russians evoked on their pleasure
trip to Constantinople,a and which now
threatens all Europe. Plague epidem-
les are recorded of almost every CEN
tury. In the first year Of the Pelopon-
nesian war the plague ragged with ter
rible violence in Athens, and Greece's
greatest statesman At that time, Peri
cles, was enc of its victims.
But not until the fourteenth century
did it become scourge to the entire
world, travelling, as it did then, from
the eastern boundaries of Asia through
China, India, and Russia, and punish
ing with equal severity the inhabitants
of the Pyrenean peninsula and the
hardened peoples of Scandinavia and
Iceland. And if the western hemi'
sphere had been discovered at that
time, and active communication and
traffic with it had existed, there can be
no doubt that the grim destroyer
would have visited America also. Ii
is, indeed, by no means certain but
that the plague did reach this conti'
nent, since there are Indian legends
which speak of time of great NOR
tality long before the advent of Euro
peans.
It is estimated that not less than
50, 100000 persons fell victims to the
black death in Asia and Europe to.
ward the middle of the fourteen th
century. Ofthese, 100000 are sup
posed to have perished in Europe
q, 100000 in Asia Minor, India, and
the adjacent countries, and $4,000, ,OOC
in China. One historian writes con.
cerning the appearance of the plague
in Europe: "Terrible omens in the
heavens overwhelmed the nations with
dread. In 1887, large comet appear.
ed in following years came in i'm.
mense multitudes of locusts; but in
l34S the end of the world seemed al
hand. An earthquake devasted Cy.
prus, Greece, Italy and the Alpine
valleys. Mountains csved in. In the
province of Carnthen, in Austria
thirty villages and town were utterly
destroyed. The atmosphere became
thick, fetid and confusing. Wine be.
came turbid in the barrels. Fiery me-
teors illuminated the sky. A pillar o.
fame was seen over the Papal palace
at Avignon. These terrors were fol-
lowed by a murderous plague. II
originated in China, was carried
through the whole of Asia, and ir
Germany received the name of Black
Death because it covered its victims
suddenly with black pustules, and Of
ten killed them simultaneously. II
spread over the whole of Europe, and
it is said that it did not rage most vir
ulently in Germany. Nevertheless
ZOO persons died in Basic, 10000 in
Strasburg and the same number il
Erfurt, and they perished in all othel
places in similar proportions. In Os
nabruck only seven families are said
to have survived.
For twenty-five years the awful epi
demic maintained its annihilatine
sway, while at the same time drought
famines, floods, and earthquakes de
stroyed city aud country, and vast
Iswarns of locusts every where inflict
ed the dirsst ravages. Meantime the
whole order of nature seemed revers
cd. In midwinter the severest rainI
were experienced, and in summer lonf
continued and severe frosts, and vol
canoes that had been long thought ex
tinct opened their cratsrs anew. Som
have attributed the origin of the cpl
demic to tho atmospheric changes pro
duced by the conyulsions of the earth
combined with the decay of organic
matter-the myriads of locusts and tn
unnumbered bodies of men and ami
mails.
Some have also attributed tha
frightful epidemic to the then record
, ed approach of several planets to tn
sun. Inasmuch as four planets ente
the perihelion in 1881, we have a
least this similarity between the pres
ent time and that dreadful period
and this circumstance, combined witt
, the sudden outbreak of the plagu
, that is reported from Europe, ma,
} give rise to the fears that the comm
planetary proximity to the sun is pei
haps to have an evil import for poo
humanity. -[German Correspondent
of Baltimore.
} A SECRET WORTH KNOWING Il
HOUSEKEEPERS.
: A sort of trade-sccret among uphO
sterers, it is said, is this recipe for rit
ding furniture of moths: A set
furniture that seemed to be alive wit
{ larye. and from which hundreds