The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-28
WONDERFUL FORMS OR VISIONS
THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN.
Best Recorded Come from
Religious Fanatics or Else from the
Ignorant and Superstftious.
London Standard.

rising or setting sun on to a screen or mist.
We think rather of those occasions when,
through excitement or h~allucination. or. it
may be. some sixth sense If the ordinary
power of vision fails, human beings see
the clouds assume shapes full of signifi-
canoe. This critical and unromantic age,
1t might have seemed. is not the heir Of the
extraordinary cloud forms of the Middle
Ages. or of antiquity. But, curiously
enough, in the year 1857. and on .he 18th
Of September, several residents at Ber-
wick. in Scotland, were favored with a
cloud spectacle of grave political import, a
sketch Of which appeared in st. Stephens
Review of the 24th of September. The gil
gantic form of the British lion, with his
forepaws extended, was quietly suppress
ing the grim likeness of Mr.. Parnell: on the
left was a large harp, and on the right the
head Of the Queen. crowned as in the jubi-
lee coinage, and wearing a strange, grave
smile. such as might appear in the coun-
tenance of one of Blake's creations. This
manifestation appears to be we'll attested
and to have been witnessed by a number
of persons, though it is impossible 10 vouch
Tor the faithful rendering oil the Sketch
made of it. Every one who believes the
phenomenon to have taken place Is, or
course, at liberty TO account for 1T as best
Such appearances, when they do occur,
generally accompany some event of vital
interest to humanity. In the year 1858,
when the seige of Vienna was relieved by
John Sobieskl, of Poland, and the Turks
were repui;ed forever from further en-
versed crescent were seen in the sky. And
ii is stated that, on the eve of the battle
at Windsor beheld in the clouds the thistles
Of Scotland reversed, and the outline of a
Highlander. armed with claymore and
emblem of the Emperor Constantine is not
so well authenticated. In one of his marches
appeared above the meridian sun the lumin-
Gus trophy of the cross, inscribed With the
words, BY this, conquer The NANTES
tation was visible to the whole army as
founded st. Marks. at Venice, is said to
have been directed in a dream TO build the
church in the spot over which a red cloud
halted.
WHAT CRUSADERS SAW.
In the time of Charlemagne bands of sor-
cerers were seen struggling in the heavens.
And the zeal of the Crusaders, working
on their fervid imaginations. caused them
to behold again and again in the sky, par
ticuiarly in great crises, the inspiring forms
of saints and martyrs. When the starv-
ing Christians sailed out Of Antioch and
attacked in sheer desperation the innumer-
able forces Of the Sultan of Morocco a
stratagem of the SaIacens well nigh de-
stroyed them. The crafty Sultan of Nice
Sdustu DunuleS OF lSnteQ lax 10 De thrown
among the half withered bushes and grass,
and the smoke and flames That at once
arose bewildered the Frankish warriors,
made them choke and gasp for breath and
disordered their ranks. 1t was going hard
with them when the trumpet voice of
Bishop Adhemar was heard shouting, BE
He pointed to the mountains, from whose
summit a squadron seemed to be descend
ing, preceded by three horsemen arrayed
\ IN "a rms of dazzling brightness and mounted
on white steedS, 1T is the martyrs, the
knights of God. George Demetrius and
Insodore'" cried the bishop. Possibly the
CLOUDS novering over the mountains and
caused their brilliancy if not their form.
Illusion infused irresistible ardor into the
fainting Christians and the Turks We're
driven back in utter rout. When Jerusalem
was besieged a similar vision inspired the
crusaders.
The commonest or most carefully reported
phenomenon of all in this class is the APP
pearance of warriors in the sky. usually as
a prelude to some terrific terrestrial COM
bat. Among other portents mentioned as
preceding the assassination of Caesar, the
blow that caused Rome to bleed afresh. Cal
purnia speaks of
Fierce, fiery warriors. who fight upon the
clouds
! In ranks and squadrons and right form of
Which drizzle blood upon the Capitol" ~
"A few days after the feast OF the Pass
over" says Flavius Josephus. ION tse.sfth
OF May, a certain prodigious and incredi-
be phenomenon appeared. suppose the
account OF 1t would seem 10 be a fable
were Ii not related by those that saw 1t.
and were not the events that followed it
of so considerable a nature as to deserve
such signals; for before sunsetting chariots
armor were seen running about
among the clouds and surrounding
cities Mimic cloud battles were even COM
France. If We are TO believe the "Chron-
ique du Religieux'' at st. Denis.
BATTLE IN THE CLOUDS.
But the most graphically described of
all we owe TO the pen OF John Lothrop
Motley. A few weeks before the battle
Of Nook Heath, in which the patriot Count
Louis of Orange persisted with almost all
his troops, a blood-curdling vision was seen
at Utrecht. Five soldiers of the burgher
guard on their midnight watch beheld in
the sky above them the representation of
a furious battle. The sky was dark except
above their heads, where, in a COMPARE
lively narrow space, two armies were seen
advancing on one another. The one moved
rapidly up from the northwest with ban
ners waving, spears flashing, trumpets
sounding. accompanied by heavy artillery
and squadrons OF cavalry. The other canlc
from an entrenched camp. The action was
fierce; The shouts OF the combatants. the
thunder of cannon. the rattle of musketry,
the tramp OF foot soldiers, the rush of
cavalry reached the sleeping city. After a
short engagement the northwestern army
was beaten back in disorder, but rallied. re-
formed into solid columns and again ad-
vanced. Their foes, arrayed In squares,
awaited the attack. The struggle was short.
The lances of the southeastern army seemed
to snap like hemp stalks" and their COL
umns went down in a mass before their
enemies. The figures vanished. The blue
space of sky was empty wnen. suddenly,
IT'S whole extent was streaked with blood.
That the burgher-guard did actually see.
or think they saw, something, is clear,
from the fact that the matter was consid-
cred worthy of an investigation by the
city authorities And when the news ar
rived that Count Louis was marching
from the southeast his defeat was con-
sidered certain.
There would seem TO be no instance in
modern times of an out-of-door cloud in
dividualizing itself, as in the delightful
tale OF the fisherman who cut Solomon
seal off the brass bottle he had fished up.
There came nothing but smoke. which as
cended towards the sky, and spread over
the face Of the earth. After awhile ii was
condensed and was converted into an
Efreet. whose head was in the clouds,
while his feet rested upon the ground. :"
When we reflect that the head of this gen.
tleman was like a dome, and his legs like
masts, we can imagine the terror of the
meddlesome fisherman.