Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-16
THE AURORA BOREALlS.
Lieutenant Touen Sees in IL Another
Sign Of the Coming Millennium.

Lieutenant Totten to-day talked OF the
aurora borealis, which was so brilliant i'll
the heavens Saturday evening, in ITS rela-
ton 70 his views of the millennium, says a
New Haven special TO the New York sun.
he says:
These things have been expected ever
since the lst of February. / expected
them about the Sd or 4th. 1t Is I'M
doubtedly due to the big sun spot
which is directly due to the perihelion
of the planets. We are only at the hotter
edge of the beginning of these things.
They always appear in periods from eleven
To- we've years. along with earthquakes
cyclones. hnd all sorts of disturbances
THIS is the first aurora ! have seen for
years the last one as pretty as this being
way back in lS6S-a period that many Will
remember for its collateral religious excite
ment. SO far as history testifies. from
TIA down TO 1866, no auroras were seen IN
the skies. Dr. Heller asserts in the
eighteenth centNry that no northern
lights were seen in England for eighty
wears before 1860, and only "A few of MINOR
magnitude for 40 years before. They. be-
ran as signs significant IN the heavens from
luther's day. and even Proctor admits
that we can only 90 back 10 1861 for au-
thoritative data OH auroras. All OF these
signs have occurred within the past 800
wears, which prophetic students have look
ed upon as being the final prophetic time.
When the sun has measles look out for
plaques on earth. is a saving OF a genera
ton not very remote, according TO Browii-
ing.
aurora is the direct result of IT. Borne
onward in ethereal ocean. subject TO such
complex consequences, there is lot form
of pnyscal life upon the decks of our lit
tie planets which does not faithfully re.
spOnd to what takes place about II az
surely as vOyagers on snip are borne NJ
by waves. There are gTander storms than
seismic ones and atmospheric cyclones
and months ago polnted,out that we were
well into one of them. Every one OF these
things comes from solar conditions LOOK
upon them as lust as natural Us the most
matermlstic philosopher ] only differ
from hlm IN the belief that the universe is
wound up to ring out chime on every
bell at tue time OF the end. | believe that
the world is on the threshold OF period
of trial the like of which has never before
been seen. 1t will try our surplus. Those
who have it stored up will survive; they
Will be the fttest. Those who haven't, be
they nations, races, or individuals, Will
pay the debt to the utmost iarthing. he
Bible expresses this III its own way. lake,
lOl instance, Tue tApIcsSlou VI Sbahln-
the wicked out by laying hold OF the
ends OF the earth This is subtle se-
ference to one way in which the thing
Will be accomplished. The ends OF the
earth are its poles. The earth Is no
thing but an enormous magnet ana a
magnetic storm upon the sun, which
rules our system. literally laws hold of the
earth at the poles. and shakes it 10 the
core and everything upon II. OF course,
the thing shaken breaks al Its weak points.
Nations on the point of anarchy become
insane. men in the last stages Of disease
succumb, localities wherein germs OF ans
ease are lurking become plague centres,
aud SO al u,nait,nl. In 1881 came the won
deriul yellow day uuheraded by science.
The heavens from Michigan TO the At
lantic, and from Canada to Pennsylvania
were overspread with curious, luminous
atmosphere like vast flame. The press
gave il all sorts of names, but the fact re-
mains that all are signs which the people
fail TO believe"