Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-12-17
QUEER KINDS OF RAIN.
pHENOMENA SHOWERS IN
PAST CENTURIES.
On More Than One Occasion showers Of
Blood Have Been Witnessed--AN
Have Bern Explained
ientihc1lly.

No phenomena of nature have en-
cited more widespread CONSERVATION
in ancient and even in comparatively
modern times, than so-called rains
blood. stones. fishes and reptiles says
the Kansas City Journal. The peoples
OF antiquity regarded such occurrences
as dire warnings and portents. and at
the present day their occasional hap
pening gives rise to much wonder and
actual fear.
Nevertheless. science has been
able to ascertain the causes which pro-
duce these remarkable precipitations,
which are accounted for by reasons
entirely commonplace. In 1876 a
rain of blood" fell at The Hague.
The citizens got up one morning and
found that a shower OF crimson fluid
had fallen during the night.
There was great excitement and the
occurrence vas looked upon as fore
telling approaching war .One level
strange water from one OF the canals
and examined it under microscope.
He found that the fluid had not real
ly red color. but was simply filled
with swarms of small crimson animal
cules. Further investigation showed
these animalcules to be a species of
water flea with branching horns. Pre-
sumably they were brought from a
great distance by wind and deposited
with the rain.
However, Notwithstanding this ex-
PLANTATION. the Hollanders persisted in
regarding the affair from a supersti-
tious point OF view, and MANY declared
afterward that it was an omen giving
warning of the desolation which was
subsequently brought into the country
with fire and sword by Louis XIV.
In March, 1918, the people of
GoracA in Calabria saw terrific
cloud advancing from the sea- which
gradually changed from a pale hue to
a fiery red. entirely shutting off the
light OF tie sun. Soon after the town
was enveloped in darkness and the in
habitants rushed to the cathedral,
supposing that the end of the world
was at hand.
Meanwhile the fiery cloud covered
the whole heavens and amid. terrific
peals of thunder accompanied by vivid
flashes of forked lightning, red rain
fell in large drops which were imag-
ined by the excited populace to be
drops of blood or fire.
The strange shower continued to
fall until evening. when the clouds
dispersed. Analysis made of the fluid
showed that its coloring matter was OF
marked earthly taste. Probably
this dust was elected by an active VOL
cano. carried for great distance by
wind, and precipitated with the rain.
A colored deposit resembling brick
powder took place in a valley of Pied
mont on an October night in the fol-
lowing year. The powder rovered the
trees and grass. and the next day a
fine rain fell which on being evapo-
rated carried away the less colored
particles.
The remainder, accommodating in the
cavities OF the leaves produced the
startling appearance Of blood spots and
created the utmost alarm among the
peasantry. 1t was decided that the
deposit which had an earthly flavor,
was of volcanic origin. An analysis
OF some colored rain that fell in the
Netherlands in 1919 showed that the
red matter was chiefly chloride oil
cobalt Doubtless the alleged rains Of
blood, which were always looked upon
by the ancients as such fatal portents,
were 70 be similarly accounted for
On November 9, 1919, the city o.
Montreal was suddenly enveloped ii
darkness. and rain as black as ink be-
gan to fall. Some OF the LIQUID. col
lected and forwarded TO New York cit,
for analysis, was discovered to owe it.
inky hue entirely to SCOT.
The explanation OF it was that there
, had previously been immense fores
fires south Of the Ohio river. the sea
son being remarkably dry. and the
sooty particles from the conflagratior
had been conveyed by strong wind.
northward SO as to mingle with the
rain when it fell.
A shower of character even more
remarkable occurred in Sicily on Apri
"a, 1881. On the morning of tina
day every exposed place within an ex
tensive distance was found covered
with gray water, which, being evap
GRATED. left a deposit nearly quarter
OF an inch in thickness
1t was determined that this sole
matter must have come from Noun
Etna 1t is certain that vast QUAINT.
ties OF solid substances are constant,
afloat in the atmosphere.
The sunsets all over the world are
redder TO this day on account of thu
dust from the mighty eruption of the
Straits of Sunda years ago, which ha!
not yet entirely settled.
Not only mineral substances bu
large quantities OF vegetable materia
likewise are always floating in the air
Astronomers have frequently mistake,
such organic bodies for meteorites a,
they passed across the field of tn,
telescope. They were finally discoy
erred to be the feathered seeds of plant
carried by tho breeze.
4 Al