The record-union., 1894-06-11
THE SAINTS OF ICE.
Meteorological Phenomenon IN Italy
and southern Europe.

Meteorological Phenomenon in Italy
and southern Europe.
By the time this reaches you, that is
about the middle of May, American
tourists in Italy will be undergoing the
annual shock and surprise of the saints
OF ice." regular feature OF the weather
here at this season, writes the Rome COR
respondent of the New York Recorder,
under date Of May Sd.
For years past meteoroIogists, not only
in Italy, but IN various parts OF Europe,
have noLed marked and sudden fall in
| the temperature that takes place about
the middle of May or few days preced-
ing. The change from the warmth and
sunshine OF the most bewitching spring
to the damp and chill of winter is most
depressing and causes serious injury to
the crops. Farmers and fruit-gro wers
never breathe easily until the ''sain is OF
ice'' are passed.
The saints referred to are Saint Manner
tus, Bishop of Vienna, the same who in
stituted the rogation week in the year
1863; San Pancrazio, who was tortured
and sanctified as a martyr in Rome in the
| year 1904, and Saint GervasiuS Bishop of
| Tongre, who died in the year 1854.
This curious belief of the Europeans is
strengthened by the fact that every year,
about the 10th of May, in the various
parts Of Europe remarkable fall OF tenn
perature takes place, accompanied by
dreary storms, which are called ''the
storms of the three saints OF ice." This
peculiar appellation is used, not because
! the celestial personages indicated by it
are supposed, by any supernatural power,
| to bring about the untrendly attitude OF
the elements, but simply because their
annual fetes occur about the same time
In connection with this tradition the
following anecdote is related:
One year, in which May opened with
hot, sultry days, Frederick the Great,
Emperor OF Germany, while strolling
through his beautiful garden, ordered his
the orange trees and to put them in the
open air.
"Yo our ma iesty," said the botanist. 18th @
saints OF ice ars not passed yet; if I put
out the oran 70 trees l am afraid they will
be killed by frost"
"Nonsensew answered the Emperor.
'Do you not see what sitting hot weather
we are having? Take out those trees, and
let all the saints of ice come. They Will
do no harm this year; the heat will melt
them"
The trees were placed in the sunshine,
but, as the gardener feared, they were ali
destroyed by the saints of ice''
This strange meteorological phenome-
non, recognized and studied attentively
| ana p0TSlStSHtly Dy the most learned
scientists of Europe, remains as yet a
mystery, many contradictory opinions
! having been formulated about it, Thus,
for instance, NJ. Petit ascribes it to a great
mass of very small meteoric bodies, while
others, entering more into details, say it
| is due to currents of running stars
which, putting themselves between the
earth and the sun, hinder the earth from
| receiving the SUMS heat directly. But
such an hypothesis cannot be accepted; il
true. the effect would be felt all over our
| planet, and not in Europe only.
/ The celebrated Nader thought it the
result of the quick liquefaction of the ice
at the poles.
The most accredited theory, however,
and the one accepted by Crakay, p. Denza
and Tono. is OF strong polar currents in
| t1uencing the climate OF Europe from the
north or northeast. 1t is possible that
these currents are caused by the melting
of the polar ice, just as Nader says, but
it is worth while to repeat that as yet
nothing is known with certainty as to the
cause Of this phenomenon. In st. Peters
! burg the fall OF temperature occurs on
! May 9Th, in Berlin Oh the 18th, in Paris
on the l4th, in Italy on the 18th, in Spain
OH the 18th, and so on.
This shows that the phenomenon ap-
! pears later in the south than in the north
and it is evident that the later it happens
| the more disastrous are the results.