The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-17
THOUSANDS VISIT
ST. JOHNS CHURCH
Many Went Away Satisfied That II Is
an Appsrition.
FATHER MEiLEY'S STATEMENT
Spot on the Wall IL Due TO Natural
Causes--A Patch of Plaster Was
Placed in the Wall aud Has Be-
come Damp and Dark..Ip n Gener-
aIWay # Looks Like the Head and
Shoulders ofa woman-- Church Had
to BE closed.

st. Johns Catholic church, on Fig
street was visited by thousands yes
terday who We're anxious to see what
gossip referred to as an apparition on
the east wall Of the church. After
spending some time in gazing on a
spot that bears strong resemblance
to a head and shoulders covered by a
nuns veil, many went away firmly con-
WINGED that the spot was of super
natural origin That in fine they had
seen an apparition of the Blessed Vir-
gin.
They told their friends and their
friends told their friends and as a con-
sequence people from all parts of the
city and valley visited the church dur
ing the day. The trolley cars from the
central city were crowded and hum
dreds were compelled to walk.
At the masses in the early morning
the church was crowded and the pas
tor, Rev +. J. Melley, thought that as
the day wore along the true nature of
the alleged apparition would become
manifest to the people and the excite
ment die out. On the contrary it con-
| tinued to increase during the day and
| so did the stream of visitors to the
church. At $3.50 the throng had as
| sumed such proportions that Father
Melley decided it was advisable to close
| the church for the day Accordingly
the doors We're locked and the curious
| denied admission.
WHAT FATHER MELLEY SAID.
Within few minutes a crowd of sew
IT,,
front of the edifice and they did not
disperse until the rain began to come
down heavily. When seen by a Tri-
bune reporter last evening, Father
Melley said:
THE spot on the wall is due entirely
to natural causes. have had a care
| full examination of it made today and
there is no question that the dark spot
on the wall is a patch of plaster placed
in the wall that has become damp from
some cause or other, probably by water
soaking through the siding. The re-
| semblance to the head and bust of
| woman is startling when seen from
! distance. but close examination read
| lily discloses the true nature and cause
| of the dscolOration. I am not sur
| prised that so many persons who have
| merely gazed at the spot have been
| led to believe that it is a supernatural
| manifestation. The fact that 1t ap-
| pears in house of God naturally lends
| some color to such a theory. We have
| noticed the spot for some time. but it
| has been more noticeable during the
| past few days than ever before, owing
| no doubt to the continuous wet
| weather"
| The Tribune reporter made a min
ute examination of the spot and found
| that Father Meley's statement was
| borne out in every particular The dis
! coloraton is between two windows. on
| the east side of the church, near the
sanctuary, and directly over a picture
representing the taking down of the
! Savior from the cross after the cruci-
| fiXion.
CAUSE OF THE SPOT.
The discOloration is eleven feet from
| the floor and is two feet wide and three
feet long. At some time or other, eth
er when the church was erected or af-
| terwards, a bad spot was discovered
in the plaster and piece was removed
and it's place supplied with rough plast-
er different from that used in the re-
mainder of the wall. A white or hard
! coat was not put on over this patch.
! which somewhat crudely represented
the head and shoulders of a woman
wearing a nuns veil
Before the wall was painted sizing
was applied to this patch and the
plaster surrounding it for three or four
inches. Four years 80 the walls Of
the interior of the Church were tinted
! terra Gotta. In some manner not vet
| fully explained the patch of plaster
has become damp and as the damp
ness increases the patch becomes dark
er and darker.
This has brought it's outline promin-
emily in view on the wall, and to add
| to the general impression the sizing
surrounding the patch makes the terra
| Gotta tinting appear much lighter than
it is on the rest of the wall. 1t there
| fore requires no great stretch of the
| imagination for a person in the proper
! frame of mind to see the bust of the
| virgin surrounded by a halo. From the
| opposite side of the church the spot
! presents a startling appearance.
On the outside of the building on a
! line with the top of the spot is a piece
of wood on which the siding for the
! oCNohu S'"iS iSStS' 1t 10 pIODdDle tnat
! during the recent wet weather water
| has found its way from this belt into
the wall and made it's appearance in
! this patch, because more porous than
! the remainder of the wall, from the
fact that it lacks the hard exterior,
known as a finishing coat" which
the remainder of the wall possesses.
ALLEGED MIRACLES.
All kind OF stories are ahoat on the
South Side with reference to the sup
posed apparition.
Many mothers came with sick in
fants in their arms and from this nat
urally followed stories of miraculous
cures of dphtheria and other diseases.