Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-30
SINGULAR SHOWERS.
REMARKABLE STORIES BASED ON
ACTUAL OCCURRENCES.

Raining Frogs, Fish and Fiesh-Colored
Rain and Snow-The ''Kentucky Meat
nation-Shower of Insects.
The very singular phenomenon Familiarity
known as the ''rain of frogs" has been
ridiculed and contradicted by some scientists,
but there is abundant proof that such occur
rences are by no means rare. One of the
earliest narratives Of this kind is that COM
municated TO the French academy by Profes-
sor Pontus in 1904, in which he gives an &C
count of shower of frogs near Toulouse,
and states that he himself saw numerous
young frogs on the cloaks Of two gentlemen
who were caught in the shower on the road.
When the diligence in which he was travelling
arrived at the place where the storm burst,
the roads and fields were observed to be abso-
lutely full OF frogs. In some places they APP
peared TO be three or four deep, and the
horses hoofs killed thousands during the
passage OF the vehicle through the spot.
A SHOWER CT FROGS.
An instance of no less curious frog show
er in our own country is related by q writer
( in The Overland Monthly, who says that in
/ the year 1864 he was with a number OF other
| tourists travelling IN Arizona at least twenty
miles from any stream or pond The day
being exceedingly sultry, halt was made
for rest Of an hour or two, when suddenly
q dense black cloud made its appearance,
1 which soon began TO discharge cOpious rain.
4 Nearly every person in the party wore 3
| broad brimmed felt hat, which proved a
! great protection against the rain, Us they
/ had already been against the sun. The at
4 tention of the travellers was soon arrested by
& vigorous pelting OF something which seemed
ike hailstones upon their sombreros, but
/ which, greatly to their surprise, proved to be
q species of dininutive frogs. In less than
| two minutes the grass was fairly alive with
these little creatures.
They Were all of one size, about a quarter
of an inch long, very lively, and apparently
in the best condition. Their fall had evil
IDENTIFY been broken by the elastic, springy
nature Of the grass. Abiding 10 the theory
| advanced by some scientists, that in such
cases the frogs must of necessity have arisen
from the ground, the writer SAYS: cit is not
probable that several hundred thousand, per-
haps millions, Of frogs had suddenly been
Matched into life by the rain, or, If they had,
that, in their infantila glee, they jumped
feet II inches from the earth 10 the top of
our heads merely to show how the game OF
leap frog should be played. They came from
above, in company with the rain, and this
fact was made clear by holding out the hand
and seeing them fall upon it, US well as find
ing them upon our hat rims
RAINING FISH
To Judge from number of instance. re-
lated in Chambers Book of DAYS, it would
seem that the cases of fish falls, in the old
country, at least. outnumber those of frogs
TO a considerable degree. On the l4th of
April, 1928, Maj. Mackenzie, of Rosshire
while walking in field on his farm, saw a
great portion of the ground covered with
herring fry three to four inches in length,
fresh and entire The spot was all of three
miles from the Firth of DiagYell. About two
years later, III the Island OF Islay, in Argyle
shire, after a day of very heavy rain, the in
habitants were surprised TO find a large num-
Der of fresh herrings strewn over their fields
More recently Wick newspaper stated that
one morning a large quantity Of the same
species Of fish were found scattered in a gar
den in that town. These, it is stated the
peasants cooked and ate, though not without
misgivings as to the possibility of some sa-
tanic agency having been concerned il trans
ferring them to such a spot
One OF the most curious instances Of this
nature is related by an English officer, who,
while residing in Calcutta, saw a quantity of
live fish descend in a heavy shower of rain
THE most strange thing that struck me in
connection with this event. said the officer,
twas that the fish did not fall hotter SHELTER,
everywhere, or here and there, but in a..
even, straight line, not moro than cubit in
breadth" OF al remarkable events Of this
character however, the most sensational
was the famous Kentucky rneat shower
which mysti6ed so many people some twenty
years ago. This WIS at first regarded by
many as Il hoax, but was found 10 be a veri-
table occurrence, although hardly susceptible
Of a thoroughly satisfactory explanation.
This flesh fall' took place on the farm Of
Mr. Crouch, which was in a spot surrounded
by high bills and mountains, in Bath county,
Ky. This account, given By Mrs. Crouch.
was substantially as follows:
A KENTUCKY STORY
Between II and II O'Clock I was in my
yard. not more than forty steps from tho
house. There was a light wind coming from
the west, but the sky was clear and the sun
was shining brightly. Without any prelude
or warning of any kind, and exactly under
these circumstances, the shower commenced .
Tie fall was Of not less than one nor more
than two minutes duration. When the flesh
began TO fall / saw large piece strike tho
ground close by me, with a swapping ike
noise when it struck. / was impressed with
the conviction that it was miracle or a
warning. The largest piece that / saw was
Is long as ny hand and about hall an inch
wide 1t looked gristly, IS IL il had been
torn from the throat Of some animal another
piece that saw was half round in shape and
about the size Of a half dollar7
An old hunter, residing IL the ueighbor- f.
mood, on being shown piece Of the flesh de- (
clared it 10 be bear meat. agd stated that IL
had that uncommonly greasy feel peculiar
10 the flesh Of that animal 4 butcher who
was persuaded 70 taste the meat changed his
mind about swallowing any u il, and de- s
clared that il tasted neither Ike flesh. fisl. or
fowl. Il lookei 70 him like mutton. but the
smell was "A new one Some Of the meat was /
quite dry, and there seemed q be a fine, wool /
like fiber running through it. 4 great deal f
of the flesh was sent 70 chemists and Others ia 4
various parts Of the country, and aHalyses .
were made by several wen known scientists. .
Professor j. I. Smith was al first inclined - .
pronounce it tte dried spawn q frog bat a.
il was found under tas microscope % pos
sess undouote5 cbaracs ger lstics peculiar % the .
essh Of animals. this thsory was abandoned .
Perhaps the most reasonable explanation i 4
that Of Professor Peter. q Lexington, Ky.,
VINO believed the fslI of flesh 70 lie simply the 4
result q Kind Of post~pFsuGisi disgorglng
By 4 fiock Of buzzaris who had ben Teasing
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