Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1881-03-30
NW York Htar.

About the Planets aud Plagu.s of tn,
Past.
NsT York Htar.
San Antonio. Texas, March II, 1884,
As 30 much has been written upon the
epidemics Of past ages, in connection Will
the perihelian disturbances Cor more
properly,as I think. the electric or magnet
ic changes, by means Of the plan :
passing through certain degrees Of Hello
centric lougitude). q few facts connected
with both theories may excite the inter.
est Of those who accord ne much liberty
in the way Of conjectures to the common
citizen as to the scientists.
When we know absolutely nothing as
to the primal causes which produce dis.
eases. we may deduce the argument that
similar diseases may come ut periods
when similar influences are Of work.
And whether the planetary sdisturbsnces
have anything to do with This, one man
can judge just as we'll as another, when
lie reads the facts which history tells US
in connection with the discoveries which
science processes to have made.
We know exactly where planet Of the
earth or the sun is to be on any given
day i'll the heavens, and 80 We know ex.
actiy where they were in past ages. The
time when the planets, outside Of the
earth's orbit, come to their perihel;on or
nearest distance to the sun has been
considered by some in late years to pro.
duced marked effects upon the earth.
Since the great progress in electrical
Developments. the theory is also advan.
ced that at given points in the solar cir
Gle the tremendous currents OF electrici-
ty which are thrtlwn from tho suns equa-
tor throughout space, intersect the plan.
etary bodies in their orbits and expose
them to the greatest influence Of the
wonderful magnetic forces Of the sun.
Rrees for maximum intensity, and ITO
degrees and $50 degrees for lesser.
Prof. Tice has advanced the theory
also that the sun spots are the cause Of
great caiamities on earth, and that Jupi-
ter in great measure affects the sun
spots when passing through the solar
nodes. He says:
"No solar outburst can occur without
the solar system and consequently the
earth instantly being thrilled from GEN.
ire to circumference by an electric shock.
This was exemplitied in the notable case
that occurred on the Ind OF September,
1859. A fiery bridge was seen to spring
across and span large sun spot. In.
stentaneOueiy the magnetic needle in all
parts Of tue earth swayed to and fr6 in
great oscillations that continued for thir.
ty.six hours; an electric current darted
through the telegraph in America, pros.
trating operators near the instruments;
in Norway setting the instruments on
fire, ano in England flame poured from
the pen Of the Balm telegraph.
At the same moment, in CircaRsla, an
earthquake hurled mountain upon q
city ut its base, and at night the skies in
both polar hemispheres were illuminated
with brilliant auroras."
Unquestionably such facts as these
would indicate IN electrical or magnetic
interchange almost Immediately between
the sun aud the earth. And if thus power.
fully demonstrated through a space Of
ninety millions Of miles by tho distur.
bling element (whatever it might be) iu
the vapory matter surrounding the sun
and distant tens of thousands Of miles
from this body, as astronomers now in
form us, what must be tho disturbing
powers ot q huge body like Jupiter OF
Saturn.when 1t passes through the points
to which are conveyed the iull power OF
the suns equatorial currents2 The sun
spots occupy great areas. And sheets OF
flame are said to pass over the suns sur
face with such rapidity that one waa
lneasured as shooting out 10000 mile,
and returned in ten seconds.
If this theoey as to the SUMS influence
is correct, the periods OF fnmines and pes
tilences can be calculated and toreseen
and in measure their destructive caree
can be checked, SO far as man has power
by wise foresight and preparation. l
-, s1>o<s .>f ~ 0f III,
solar system. it is argued that it aifect
the whole. Prof. Tice says Of this:
"When continent is shaken from it!
center to its circumference by earth
quakes, and when electric currents Of tn
greatest intensity circulate through til
crust of the earth, it is natural that nox
ious gasses will be liberated and infec
the air which will have more or less in
tluence upon the health of animal an
vegetable life. Hence we are justified il
expecting that infectious Diseases of som
form or other will prevail at the time 9
Jupiter's passage through the node 9
degrees"
He, therefore, more than five years age
published his opinions "that the year
1924 would be sigaalized by su
spots. earthquakes, anroras and the tr'
quency and violence of tornados in tn
temperate zones and hurricanes in th
tropics"
Now, as the opinions Of all scientists g
to questions Of which we have no proc
are simply surmises. whether it relat.
to the existence Of Il
earth 5OO,OoO,OOO years, of Jupit
9,00O,00oOOO years, or the 100000 yeal
which they say it takes a ray Of light
reach us from some of the known stars
we can only surmise also that the pei
helia or the electrical causes have pr
duced the epidemics. even il we shoul
find that the condolences Of one or Il
other are uniform in the years cited
history.
There have been in the past 2,G
years about fifty periods Of severe el
denies. Selecting the most severe ai
comparing them with tho perihelia q.
the passage through the solar nodes,
ind the following results.
The first general plague was Ill 761,
9. It ravaged every spot thnt manki'
inhabited in the then known world. s.
urn had just passed through the sol
node 80 degrees, and came to perheli
in 967 at s6ISs degrees. Jupiter was pa
ing through the corresponding node
$50, while Saturn was ut 10. In the ye
53i, B. G. people sacrificed their o,
children to appease the wrath Of I
gods aud to stay the plague. ,Inpi
was q perhelion that year.
In $50 B. q. Thucydiles describe,
great plague in Greece, spreading thel
into Egypt and Ethiopia with terri
devastation. Jupiter was Ill parihell
that year.