Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-23
A POSTPONED MILLENNIUM
Today the Anniversary Of the Millsrite
Excitement
Recollections of a Citizen Who Wit
messed Singular Scenes In
Bunnle.

an old resident of this city. who spent his
early years in the city of Buffalo, N. Y,
to Star reporter tits morning. was one
of the several dates fixed by the followers
Of William Miller. founder of The gr06t
sect Of Adventists for the millennium, and
the end of the world. I was boy In Buff
falo at the time. perhaps twelve years Of
age. and have quite a distinct recollection
of the scenes of that occasion. Father
Miller, as he was generally called by his
followers. had made Buffalo his head
quarters for many months. and lived with
in a few doors of my fathers house. so
that his goings and comings were immedi-
ately under our observation. 1t will be
remembered that there had been two or
three disappointments before the spring
of 1874, and two at least Of the scheduled
catastrophes that were to engulf the world
had failed to materialize. But by his
preaching in Buffalo Miller had set upon
the 23d of April at midnight as the time
for the end Of all things earthly, ard for
the ascension Of the living followers Of
the new faith. AS in most Of the other
large cities of the country where Father
Miller's doctrine had spread among the
people. there was a tremendous enthusi-
asm on the part of thousands upon thou
sands Of men and women, who espoused his
cause and subscribed to his doctrines.
Sold Out Their Belongings.
IT can recall distinctly many individual
cases of almost fanatical belief that the
world would come to an end on the 23d of
April.
Men of prosperity were SO stricken with
the ferver that they disposed of their goods
in anticipation of the general collapse.
Some men sold their houses, and some arti-
sans their tools. 1 have in mind especially
one case Of very prosperous maker of
ships spars. which was then lucrative
hr,-i tn fr1cr fyof In
on the lakes He owned several houses and
had a large and valuable stock of spars in
his yard on Buffalo creek, and was in al
together easy and prosperous circumstances.
He was completely carried away by the
millennium fever, and determined to leave
the world as he entered it, devoid Of wealth
or goods He sold every dollars worth OF
goods in the world he possessed. even his
tc OILS, and signed q covenant to relinQuiSh
possession the 23d OF April. 1t completely
wrecked his life. for he never again secured
even a competence.
1T was a bad winter. and the ice in Lake
Erie was very thick. A part of the pro-
gram of the Millerites was baptism, and
the people were taken in hundreds. perhaps
in thousands to the shores of the lake and
there immersed in the Icy water. 1t was
most dangerous thing to do, for the water
was icy cold and 1t was necessary. in Or
der to get clear spot for the immersion.
to cut through sometimes two and three
feet of ice. A very old lady, who lived next
to my fathers house. probably upward of
eighty, was taken with the prevailing en-
thusiasm, and remember well seeing her
taken away from the house on Sunday
morning and driven down to the shores OF
the lake to be baptized. y
1.-The meetings of the Millerites were held
in enormous tents, as well as IN nails ana
private houses. The period of waiting be-
fore the appointed date was filed with pro-
tracted meetings. by means of which the
enthusiasm of the followers was kept at
white heat. Robes were prepared in which
the ascension was to be made. The night
of the 23d, fifty-one years ago this night,
the main body of the believers met, under
the leadership of Miller himself, in an i'm
mense hall in the center of the city, the
floor of which was approached only by
long flight of stairs on the outside.
Hoaxed by the Boys.
1.-The entrance was very narrow. and
some of the wicked boys of the neighbor-
hood concocted a plan to cause a fright
among the people, who early in the even
ing had gone to the hall with their white
robes, to pass the time until midnight in
prayer and song. When the hail was filled
and the exercises were at their height
some of these boys and young men. eager
for mischief, stole softly up the outer
ropes and barred it with beams on the'out-
side so fast that 1t could not possibly be
opened from the inside.
''At midnight, the hour appointed for the
ascension. the conspirators in the street
below blew horns and raised terrific din,
which was heard by the waiting ASCENSION
lists in the hall, who Interpreted it as the
signal of the millennium. At first they re-
sponded by singing with renewed enthusi-
asp and energy. but as the time went by
and the expected denouement did not take
place, they began to suspect trick, and
somebody tried to open the door. Then
there was almost panic when it was dis
covered that they had been locked in, and
that the noise came from the boys in the
street. They were kept in the hall all
night, and at about sunrise somebody, who
had missed some of them from home, went
down to the hall and cut the door open.
Clad IN their white robes, the sheepish as
censionists sought their homes, some of
them made paupers by their folly in dis
posing of their goods.
1T was many months before Buffalo re-
covered from the shock that these events
gave to her business interests. do not
know where Miller went from Buffalo after
the failure of this prediction of his, but /
know that his followers there were still,
in most cases, faithful to him."