Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-10
AFTERNOONS OF OLD.
Statements Made a Century
Ago

Scientific Statements Made a Century
Ago.
A writer in the London Times calls at
tentiOn to the fact that Gilbert White, in
the year 1888, in his Natural History of
Selborne," village in Hampshire, about
80 miles from London, writes as follows:
''fhe summer of the year 1888 was an
amazing aud pOrtentOus one, and full of
horrible phenomena; for besides the
alarming meteOrs and tremendous thun-
der-stOrms that atfrighted and distressed
the different counties of this kingdom, the
peculiar haze or smoky fog that prevailed
for many weeks in this island and in
every part of Europe, and even beyond its
limits, was most extraordinary appear
ance, unlike anything known within the
memory of man. By my journal / find
that | had noticed this strange occurrence
from June % to July 20 inclusive, during
which period the wind varied to every
quarter without making any alteration in
the air. The sun at noon looked as black
as aclOuded moon, and shed ferruginOus
light on the ground and floors of rooms.
but was particularly lurid and blood-col-
Ored at rising and setting. The country
people began to look with a superstitiOus
awe at the red lowering aspect of the sun;
and, indeed, there was reason for the most
enlightened person to be apprehensive,
fOT all the While Calabria and part of the
Isle of Sicily were torn and convulsed
with earthquakes, and about that juno
ture volcano sDrang out Of the sea on
the coast OF Norway"
Other writers, says the correspondent
OF the Times, also mention volcanic dis
turbances in this same year. We are told
by LYell and Geikie that there were great
volcanic eruptions in and near Iceland.
A submarine volcano burst forth in the
sea, 80 miles southwest Of Iceland, which
elected so much pumice that the ocean
was covered with this substance to the
distance Of $50 miles, and ships were con-
siderably impeded in their course, and a
new island was formed, from which fire
and smoke and pumice were emitted. Be
sides this submarine eruption, the vOlca-
no Skaptar-J okull, on the mainland, on
June IL, 1873, threw out torrent of lava,
so immense IS to surpass in magnitude
the bulk of Mont Blanc, and elected so
vast an amount of fine dust that the at
mOsphere over Iceland continued loaded
with it for months afterwards. 1t fell in
such quantities over parts of Caithness-
a distance of 600 mlles-as to DESTROY the
crops, and that year is still spoken of by
the inhabitants as the year of ''the ashie."
These particulars are gathered from the
textbooks of Lyell and Geikie. l am not
aware whether the coincidence in time Of
the Icelandic eruptiOns, and of the pecu-
liar appearance of the sun, described by
Gilbert White, has yet been noticed: but
this coincidence may very well be taken
as some little evidence towards explain
ing the connection between the recent
beautiful sunsets and the tremendous vol
canic explosion Of the Isle of KrakatOa in
August last. The letter of the Rev. Mr..
White referred to will be found ON page
800 Of BOhn's edition of his charming
book, and the letters preceding it contain
further statements regarding the meteor
illogical wonders of 1888 and 1884.