Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-01-18
Predictions About the End Of tie
World.

LnCarrnnfed Harm Regarding 1881
The New York San some ten days or so ago
oostained en- ~artisln on the 'Terrible Year at
Hand" which has been widely copied and
commented upon. 1t is an article calculated
to create alarm. The SIN says:
at would hs difficult to describe all the
sinister professions that have, us by common
consent, been concentrated upon the coming
year. The gOOthsnyers, dIviRes, oraclc makers,
a~strolOgcrS, and wizards seem to have conn
bIned to cast their spsIi upon it. Super>
stit.eus people Of every sort, and soma who
are not willing to admit that they arc supcr>
%stitious, regard the year 1881 Wits mere or
less aa4lous expectation and dread
"TImld persons frat began to look forward
with some alarm to the year that is about to
open, when, several years ago, tho KEY to tho
so>oaIiad prophetic symbolism of the Grea,
Pyramid of Egypt was made public, backed
by tse name and reputation of the British
astrenomer, PIazzi Smyth. Others, using
Mr. Spyth's observations and measurements,
have gnue much further than he did in draw.
Ing startling intereDoss, but no one can read
his book without Perceiving hew powerfully
1t must Affect those who have the slightest
leaning toward superstition OF credulity.
"Aother Shiptsn's se>called prophecy Gxos
upon the same date for the end OF the world.
$50 far as Mother Shipton's prophecy is
concerned No one need feel anxiety. She is
credited with saying:
"To an end the world shall come.
In elghtsen hundred snd eighty one"
with regard to Piazzi Smyth's aoduc-
lions different opinions may exist.
The planetary porihelia have been treated
upon . number Of times in those columns,
ard cEtrolODJoaI -rita-o -oHaroII- L.. \
ventilated their viewE elsewhere on the sub
jest, but certainly no one has predicted any
such tremendous catastrophe "a the end Of
the world.
"This is only asserted that, wiihir the
next six years, tho four large planets will
make their periheliOn passages. When in
perIhelIon these bodies are nearest the earth,
aud consequently their magnetic and chcm>
ical influences must affect US and our atmos-
Phere in some extraordinary and probably
violent manner. The as,rolsgsrs believe that
these great bodies of matter will, in the
words Of "a English writer, tend to draw
from the atmosphere (of the earth its most
saiutRry qualities, or vital principles, the
least tamPering with which. not to say alb
stractlon OF. must result in q fearful mortality.
The atmosphere, deprived of it's healthful>
ness, must lead to plaques and pesti!snee.
These were the effects seen to synchrcaise
with previous cOincidsnt perikelia it is
reasonable to expect them again, but now in
a lesser degree because of the superiority of
our sanitary conditions and our CONSEQUENT
ability 10 resist the approach of the DESTROYER.
DIR. fulton, the eminent Brooklyn clergy
man, believes that We are already experienc-
ing a forstasto of what may be expected in
the malignant aiphthsria which is raging in
Russia, America and other parts Of the world.
The planetary conjunction during 1881
will DO numerous and remarkable tina. of
Saturn and Jupiter in April the most i'm por>
tant. It occurs in the sign Taurus. which
governs Ireland and Turkey, aud nomentous
chsnges will occur in those countries"