The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-09-19

few years we have these peculiar atmO-
spheric conditions which are not satisfac-
torily accounted for. If Mr.. Donnelly is
right, these huge, smokelike banks which
have gathered in Or above our air may con-
sist of dust from some such celestial wan
derer as Biela's comet; and, to judge from
the present indications, perhaps from that
same comet.
This so-called smoke is now resting, not
only over the Atlantic coast, but in the
Mississippi valley, and over the great West
ern plains.
Reports from the West state that this
smoke is lighter in color there than in the
East and has every appearance of being
composed Of dust particles.
IN THE YELLOW DAYS.
In 1881, dark days. then called yellow
days. extended from New England to Vir-
ginia. At times gas had to be lighted at
midday in Boston, and as far back as 1881
the smoke was sc dense that many thought
the day Of judgment had come.
MAY HAVE CAUSED THE GREAT
LONDON FIRE.
Biela's comet may we'll have caused, If
Mr.. Donnelly is right, the great fire in
London in 1864. A calculation back from
1926, when Biela's comet was discovered,
to the fall Of 1864 will show it to have been
due near the earth's orbit at that time. In
a history of London we read: 1.-THE pesti-
lence that commenced in December, 1864,
will ever live in history of The Plague of
staid before the whole city was in flames.
The fire broke out at 1 o'clock in
the morning at a house in Pudding lane A
violent east wind fomented the flames,
which ragged with fury during the whole of
Monday and a great part of Tuesday On
Tuesday night the wind fell somewhat, and
on Wednesday the fire sackened. On Thurs
day it was extinguished, but on the even
! ing of that day the flames again burst forth
in the Temple
the fire seemed to break out simultaneously
In different quarters, and how it consumed
everything in Its way, apparently changing
its path and darling hither and thither,
even in the face of the wind, and acting
in a strange manner contrary to the usual
rules of fires. The description is curiously,
indeed startlingly, like that of the Chicago
fire, 2O8 years afterWard
HUNGARIAN EXAMPLE,
Following the visit set for Biela's comet
in 1886 there were disastrous floods and
flames in Hungary. After referring to large
fires in Galicia, which were accounted for
by careless use of petroleum, an encyclo-
pedia account goes on to say:
The town of TorocZko, in Pennsylvania
was partially destroyed, and day or two
a1terWard the villages of Merenyo and
Mezoecsueged were entirely consumed. On
May fire broke out in the town of Arad
which destroyed $50 houses and a large fac
tory In the mining town of Ruszkobanyi
IL houses were burned and at Macy kar-
olyl the karolyi family estate, including
! their mansion, % large workshops and 225
other buildings, were destroyed. This was
! followed by greater catastrophe at Epe-
I rios, the chief center of Professionalism in
hungary, where all the churches, govern
! ment buildings, schools, banks, and a great
number of dwellings and workshops were
| burned to the ground According to the
narrative, this was followed by destructive
indications. All of which apparently bears
| out Mr. Donnelly's startling theory, to the
| proof of which natural facts and human
| evidence both seem to conspire