Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-02-04
GIRLS STRANGE VISIONS.

Remarkable Outburst of Religious
Enthusiasm on the island OF san
saiyador-AnE Epidemic of Hysterin.
A remarkable outbreak of religious
| halluclnat:on occurred on this island,
| says the San Salvador correspondent of
the London Times. About January last
a report was out that young girl had
seen visions, and was under some in
iuence not belonging to this world.
Her excitement soon communicated it.
self to others, and in the course of few
weeks some twenty young girls were Of
fected. They then organized religious
meetings., and much excltemeriS, was
caused. i went once to see what took
place at these meetings. About fifty
people sat round in room, singing,
| ciapplng hands, and stamping the feet,
keeping time to kind of monotone
| chant. The girls who saw visions were
standing In the center, sometimes walk
ing up and down. They had vacant
kind OF stare. Gradually the singing
quiekened. until at last it became fast
and furious. Then the girls would
dance, shout, and bark like dogs.
Alter twenty minutes of this they
would fall down with a shrek. Their
struggles, criee, and foaming at the
mouth were dreadful to see, and in many
| cases Il took four or five men to hold
them still. Alter the fit was over they
would lie exhausted for about an hour;
then, when they came to, they gave de-
tailed accounts of the VISIONS they had
seen. A great deal of these visions,
was, of course, nonsense-but one thing
| was remarkable-Ihey spoke OF people
doing things many miles away from
| the place. Upon inquiry it was found
in some cases that what they had seen
correspondent exactly with the events.
One moet remarkable feature in this
outbreak was that it was not confined to
ore spot. Almost simultaneously in
every settlement on the island (the
island is forty-fve miles
long aud twelve broad in
places), similar outbreaks occurred.
Girls living ut distances of FIVE or ten
miles from the scene of the Shouting
meetings. as they were called, would be
seized. Being seized with kind of
frenzy, they would run, as If by inspira
ton, to the spot where the rest were as
sembled, no matter how far. Most of
those attacked with the fits were people
who belonged to the Baptist society,
Consequently their visions were not to be
of the Madonna, but Of the distinctive
predestination doctrines of their sect.
Very glowing accounts were given OF
the various punishments and tortures
reserved for the wicked in hell, and they
were most liberal in dispensing these
punishments among their friends.
Up and down the island about 400 or
500 people were seized, and it was at
FIRST thought it Was kind of epidemic
or hysteria. In few cases girls OF
highly respectable character were seized,
and, though they did not see visions,
yet for weeks they would have fits daily,
and such was their superhuman strength
that / have seen young girl OF sixteen
struggle ont OF the grasp of four strong
men. The outbreak lasted from January
to July, and at one time it was feared
that 1t would lead to serious conse-
quences, for all the people who gave
creaence to the. visions neglected Work
and abandoned themselves to
holding meetings day and night
for singing, shouting, barking, and lis
tening to accounts OF the visions seen,
In the daytime, and especially on Snn.
days, they had PROFESSIONS with banners
This led to some bad feeling, and in o
| few cases the law Lad to be appealed to
in the interests of the peace. 1t was 8
singular thing that, although they orga
| nized themselves into a sect, and al
who disbelieved in the visions were
| "heretics,D yet they showed the utmost
courtesy ard good will toward the
church, but to their own particular de
| nprninot;op ou5 tho yar;opu otha, eaot,
they displayed great animosity. Th.
excitement has died out now, and the,
have ceased to exist as q sect.