Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-09
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS; SATURDAY, JANUARY g. 1885,
STRANGE VISIONS OF YOUNG
GIRLS.
Remarkable OutboSaIS of Religious En-
thusiasm 10 the Bahamas.

from me London IemGS.
SAN SALVADOR. BAHAMAS, Nov. IA
remarkable outbreak of religious halluci-
nation occurred on this island this year.
About January las a report was out that
a young gill had seen visions and was
under some influence not belonging to
this WGrld. Her excitement soon COM
municated itself to others, and in the
| course of = few weeks some twenty young
! girls were affected. They then organized
religious meetings, and much excitement
was causG&,
went once to see what took place at
these meetings. About fifty people sat
! round in q room singing, clapping hands,
and stamping the feet, keeping time TO
KIND of monOtOnic chant. The girls who
saw visions were standing in the cenGa,
sometimes walking up and down. They
| had = vacant kind of stare. Gradually
! the singing qulckened, until at last 1t be-
came fast and furious. Then the girls
would dance, shout, and bark like dogs.
After twenty minutes Of this they would
fall down with shrek. Their struggles,
cries, and tOaming at the mouth were
dreadful to see, and in many cases it took
four or i've men to hold them still. After
the tit was over they would lie exhausted
for about one hour; then, when they came
to, they gave very detailed accounts of
the visions they had seen. A great deal
OF these visions was, of course, nonsense,
but one thing was remarkabie-they spoke
OF people doing things many miles away
from the place. Upon inquiry il was
| found in some cases that what they had
seen correspOnded exactly with the
events.
One most remarkable feature in this
outbreak was that il was not confined to
one spot Almost simultaneously in every
settlement on the island (the island Is
40 miles long and l. broad in places
similar outbreaks occurred. Girls living
at distances of five or ten miles from the
| scene Of the shouting meetings" as
they were called, would be seized. Being
seized with Il Kind of frenzy, they would
run, as II by inspiration, to the spot where
| the rest were assembled, no matter how
far.
Most of those attacked with the fits were
people who belonged to the Baptist sOci-
ETY., consequently their visions were not
Of the Madonna, but of the distinctive
predestinatiou doctrines of their sect.
Very glowing accounts were given Of the
various punishments and t0rtuTes re-
served for the wicked in hell, and they
were most liberal in dispensing these pun
lshments 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 of hys-
terra. In few cases girls of highly re-
spectacle character were seized, and,
although they did not see visions, yet for
weeks they would have fits daily, and
such was their superhuman strength that
l have seen a young girl of IS struggle
out of the grasp of four strong men.
The outbreak lasted from January to
July, and at one time IT was feared that it
would lead to serious consequences, for
all the people who gave credence to the
visions neglected work and abandoned
themselves to holding meetings day and
night for singing and shouting, barking,
and listening to accounts OF the visions
seen.
In the day time, and especially on Sun
days, they had professions with banners.
This led to some bad feeling, and in few
cases the law had TO be appealed TO in the
interests of peace. 1t was a singular
thing that, although they organized them
selves into a sect, and all who disbelieved
in the visions were "heretics," yet they
showed the utmost courtesy and good will
toward the Church, but toward their own
particular denomination and the various
other sects they displayed great animos-
ity. The excitement has died out now,
and they have ceased to exist as a sect.
p. BARROW MATTHEW'S,
Rector, San Salvador, Nassau Diocese.