Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-03
Written for the Evening Star.
QUEER KINDS OF KAINS
snewers at Blood and Their Explanatioa-
Ratas of Freg~- Fisb~s ard In.--css.

Raias OF Frey~. Fiss~s ard In.-css
No PHENOMENA OF NATURE HAVE FN-
~ cited more Widespread CONSERVATION in
ancient and even in comparatively modern
times than so-callea rains o. blood. stones.
h~aes and reptiles The peoples OF ANTIQUITY
regarded sach occurrences as dire warnings
and portents, and at the present day their oc-
easioaal happoning gives rise 90 much wonder
and actual fear. Nevertheless, science has
been able 10 ascertain the causes which rro-
cuce these remarkable prccipitstions, which
are accounted Tor by reasons entirely common
place. An 1870 rain Of blood" fell nj The
Hague The citizens got up in the morning
and found that shower OF crimson auid had
fallen during the night There was great
excitement and the occurrence was looked
upon as foreteliing approaching war. One
level-headed physician sotalittle Of the strange
water from one Of the canals and examined IL
under microscope. He found that the fluid
had not really red color. but was simply fille~l
with swarms OF small crimson animalculcs
Further Investigation showed these animslcuios
to bo species OF water flea with hranchinc
horns Presumably they were brought from =
great distance by wind and deposited with the
ram. However, notwithstanding ihts cAplana-
ton. the Hollanders persisted in regarding ,he
affair from supcrsu;ions point OF view. md
alNSfNatd li2Al u was an omen
giving warning Of the desoiation which WAS
subsequently brought into the coaa:ry with
fire and sword by Louis XIV.
TERRIFIC rrERr cIoUp.
In March. 1918. the people Of Gerace in Cala-
bria saw a terrific cloud advancing from the
sea. which gradually changed from yale hue 10
fiery red. entirely shutting off the light of
the sun. Soon after the town was enveloDed i'm
darkness and the inhabitants rushed to the
cathedral, SURPRISING that the end of the world
was at hand. GeRn~hile the lery red cloua
covered the whole heavens and. amid terrific
peals OF thunder. accompanied by vivid flashes
OF forked lightning. red rain fell Ia large drons
which were imagined by the excited populace
to be drops Of blood or FIRE. The strange
shower continued to isll until evening. when
the clouds dispersed
Analyses made OF the fluid showed that it,
colorIng matter was a light dust Of a markes
earthly taste. Probably this dust was elected
by an active volcano. carried for great dis
lance by wind and precipitated with the RAIN.
A colored deposit resembling brick powder
took place in a valley of Piedmont on an Octo-
Der night in the following year. The powder
covered the trees and grass. and the next day a
fine rain fell. which. on being eyaporated car
ried away the less-colored particles. Che re-
mainder, accommodating in the cavities of the
leaves. produced tie startling appearance OF
blood spots. and created the utmost alarm
among the peasantry. IL was decided that the
deposit which had an earthly flavor. was of vol
canic origin. An analysis OF come colorei rain
that fell in the Netherlands in 1919 showed that
the red matter was chiefly chloride OF cobalt
Doubtless the alleged rams of blood which
were always looked upon by the ancients as
such fata! portents we're 10 be similarly ac-
counted for.
BLACK RAIN II MONTREAL.
On November 8, 1879, the city Of Montreal
was suddenly enveioped in darkness and rain
rs black as ink began TO fall Some OF the
liquid. collected and forwarded to New York
city for analysis, was discovered to owe its inky
hue entirely to SCOT. The explanation of ii
was that there had previously been immense
forest fires south of the Ohio river. the season
being remarkably dry, and the sooty particles
from the confEgration had been conveyed by
strong winds nortnvard, 30 as TO mingle with
the rain when ii fell.
shower of a character even more re-
markabie occurred in Sicily on April "a. 1881.
On the morning of that day every exposed
place within an extensive district was found
covered with gray water, which. being evap-
GRATED, left deposit nearly quarter of an
inch in thickness. 1t was determined that
THIS solid matter must have come from Mount
ftna Ii Is certain that vast quantities of solid
substances are constantly afoat in the atmos-
phere. The sunsets all over the world are
redder to this day on account of the dust from
the mighty eruption in the Straits of Sunda
years ago, which has not yet entirely settled.
MATERIAL FLOATING IN THE AIR.
Not only mineral substances. but large ouan-
titles Of vegetable material likewise. are ALWAYS
floating In the air. Astronomers have fire.
quently mistaken snch organic bodies for
ineteorites as they passed across the field of
the telescope. They were finally discovered to
be mostly the feathered seeds of plants carried
by the breeze. Having been the first TO find
this out, W. Il. Dawes of the Royal Astronomi-
cal Society adjusted the focus OF his instrument
so as to examine the seeds, which he found
belong to many different kinds OF plants such
as thistles. dandelions and willows.
Crimson snow has been found in great guam
titles at different times on peaks of the Alps
Its color is due to a minute species of lichen
In BafSn's bay in ISIS Capt. Ross of arctic
fame discovered great cliffs covered with bright
red snow. The coloring matter. when exam
lned under the microscope, was found to be
vegetable, consisting of particles like very
minute round seeds. all of exactly the same
size. 1t was never learned from what plant
these globules were derived.
Rains of fishes, frogs. insects and other ami
mails are frequently recorded. They are always
caused, apparently. by whirling wind storms
which gather them up in a vortex and carry
them TO a distance.