Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-22

nsae cssssss sssaeslea = EarsAssakes asa

V0Vc VONU 20 a0Q pcopte WV INV pt3"-
dice against soap and water ought on no
scccunt 10 change their habit" Tor which
cage advice we are indebted TO the Fsgaro !;
especially for Captain Delaunay, that
srrior.scisnfist who claims to have
worked out the theory Of earthquakes
ana 10 Be able 10 hx the date. OF
their occurrence, 90 that people. ANXIOUS to
ner from tho coming wrath may DO so.
The Chinese sct down everything that does
not GO right to the baleful influence OF .
tailicss dragon, which thus rescnts the loss
suffered during HE youthful days while q
serpent. Captain Delaunay sets down oil
untowArd things to the influence OF the
starr, following In this the opinion Of the
ancicnts, who connected epidemics with
meteorological phenomena; which opinion
was also shared by many learned doctors,
who have collected facts establishing very
strange condolences, 10 say the least, be-
tween the appearances OF epidemics and
atmospheric and other perturbations, OF
which venture 10 quote the following ex-
smplcs taken from ChspePs work on the
asteroids:
b. c. So Earthquake in Judcs, In which
10000 persons persisted. followed by cat
tie plague. (Jesephus.)
A. ID. 17-Earthquake In Asia; twelve
cities destroyed; followed by the plague.
(Rockenbachius.)
A. d. 70--Esrthquake at Rome, accom-
panied by plague, Of which $4,000 inhsb-
fAnts died. Qd.l
A. ID. Earthquake, accompanied by
Q plague at Rhodes. Qd.)
A. ID. l66-Esrthqmke, foundations,
aud plague at Rome. ACADEMY OF
rranee.)
A. ID. 2ei-Great earthquakes at Rome,
In Africa, and In Asia; at Rome and
Greece 5000 deaths daily from the plague.
Nd.)
A. D. 3a3--salamis destroyed by an
earthquake; simultaneous Appearance Of
tine plague IN Asia. ud.)
A. ID. b6S-Earthquake during ten DAYS
at Constantinople, followed by the plague
In that city. (Sigonius.)
AID 616-Great earthquake In Italy. fol-
lowed by terrible pcstilence. Perrey9
A. ID. 6s3-Viclcnt storms In Italy and
fearful plague. French Academy
A. u. e23-Eartbquakes at Aix-la-Cha-
pelle and In Saxony; storms and plaques
In Germany. (Id.)
Fnrce, followed by violent cough [prob-
ably pneumonia, Of which many persons
died. (Perrey.)
A. d. l0s2-Great earthquake ia the
East: yiruient plague In Armenia and Cap
padocia. French Academy
A. u. 1905 Earthquake IN England. fol-
lowed by great mortality among men and
A. d. 1885 Earthquakes and plague in
Western Lorraine. (BouQuet)
A. ID. 1907 Great flights Of meteors, fol-
lowed by great mortality. (Quetelet)
A. ID. 1877. 1921, and Instantaneous
storms and exceptional mortality in France.
A. ID. 134S-Eartbquakes and showers OF
blood: thirty.six German cities destroyed.
followed by pest which lasted three years.
(Bsrtrand.)
A. ID. ISeO-similar perturbations and
disease at Florence. DID,
A. ID. 1877 Earthquake and epidemic at
Montpelier. Perrey)
A. ID. 1401-violent tempest and plague
at Florence. fRockenbachius.)
A. ID. 1403-Extraordinary tempest In
Tburingia, with simultaneous appearance
OF the pest In Saxony. DID,
A. ID. 1449--Earthquake and phgue in
Carniola. (Perrey.)
A. u. 1456--Tempests, earthquakes, and
plague IN Italy; 10000 victims. (Rocken-
bachius.)
AID. 1851 Violent earthquake, followed
by the plague, at Lisbon. (Babinet.)
A. ID. 1607-Numerous earthquakes,
storms, and epidemics in Europe. French
Academy
A. ID. 1047-G Great earthquake with i'm
mense disaster at Santiago; plague and
snow during three days. (Perrey.)
A. II. 1T30-Violcnt earthquake, followed
BY the plague nj Santiago. DID, ..
A. ID. 1TsS-Several shocks of earthquake
at Rome, followed by diseases OF different t.
kinds. DID,
AID. l79s-Great fight OF meteors aud
many pestileutial maladies on the Cont
nent. (Quetelet.)
A. u. 1s31-Earthq lake at AmbOyna,
sulphurous fog and the typhus. (Perrey.)
A. ID. 1S30--Second earthquake at Am
boyna. accompanied by violent epidemic.
A. d. 1S45.-Third earthquake at Amboy-
ma. coinciding with q fresh outbreak oil the
epidemic.
CAPTAIN Delaunay closes his catalogue OF
eataclysms here with an apology for its
length. IL is TO be regretted that he has
omitted all considerations OF other and
more recent earth upheavals and atmos-
phcric eccentricities, such as the disasters
of Ischia, Java, and Asia Minor, but he
thinks TO have cited enough examples TO
prove his thesis that " every epidemic is
connected with some meteorological phe
and derives with said phenome.
non from an identical primodial cause;
10 that all perturbations which affect
-"r globe belong 10 one or other OF the
-, ing three categories Atmospheric,
'nnes, &c, terrestrial, volcanic |
srvn1iors rs, and ,arthquakes.) or physio-
Logical. that is to say ridcmics: OF the
causes Of those perturbations Soout wh,ch
scientists DO not agree the Captain .u's us
own particular theory. He considers s"tt
spicc Is peopled with "meteoric swarms,"'
with corpuscuar conglomerations,'
which are disturbed by the revolutions OF
the planets, and that this eosmical mat
ter" meeting the earth, produces the
phenomenon Of shooting stars, and. while
Admitting that TO "proye the relations
between the perturbations In general and
the meteoric swarms" would be rather dli. !
Bcult. nevertheless he proposes 10 show
that they are intimately connected with
epidem5cs. The Chinese, he says-eyldently
being ignorant OF the influence OF the tail
less dragons-attribute every epidemic TO
the "appearance OF celestial fires" and he
agrees with the Chinese, pointing to (as
fxamples) the extraordinary number OF
shcc...ng stars seen during the pest of Flor
ence in l3is, the pestilential malsdies OF
1898, and the choleras OF 1917, 1918, and
1854, as well as to the epldemics OF 1882
and 1866.
Captain Chapel Is valuable auxiliary TO
CAPTAIN Delaunay. He even goes so lat ~
10 fix the exact celestial spot where all the
mischief originates, and which, will in
form you, Is meteorological swarm"
known as the Leonides, explaining further
more that the density Of this "swarm" not
being equal throughout, there Is variation
in the number OF shooting STARS which 1t
furnishes as each Of ITS meetings with the
earth's orbit. A maximum OF meteoric
fligJs has beer noticed every thirty
shrce years. the last observed being
those Of 1893, 1888, and 1866, all OF which
have coiucided, or nearly no, with the
dates OF atmospheric perturbations and
violent epidemies; witness the one cited
by Quetelet In 179S aud the cholera In
vssions Of 1882 and 1866, whence Captain
Chapel concludes that In or about the year
1899 something specially awful may be con-
fidently expected. Captain Delaunav quite
agrees with his colleague, but seems not
no eanguipe about the fifteen years res plte
promised by him. The Ngaro's prophet
thinks that the heavy rains which
have wrought such damage in Spain,
Poland, and Austria are symptoms
- Ill