The record-union., 1898-03-20
FAKE WAR OMEaS.
RIDICULOUS YELLOW JOUR-
NAL" STORY EXPOSED.
How the People Of the Great Me-
tropo1is Are Kept Stirred Up
Destroying the Grand Scenery
on the Hudson River by Blow
ing Up the Pa1isades-Some
Keen Eakirs.

Especial Correspondence Record-Union)
NEW YORK, March 13-On last
Monday evening a large wooden hotel
at Fort Lee, on the Jersey side of the
Hudson caught fire, and there being
no human agencies at work TO impede
the progress of the blaze. the building
was completely destroyed and the
heavens brilliantly Illuminated
The papers on Tuesday morning.
along With the rest of the war break
fast, dished up "a beautiful entree IN
the way of a flaming heavenly sword"
story, which the superstitious of the
metropolis deVoured ravenously To the
rational mind the connection between
these two incidents is obvious and di-
rect; but it is surprising how many
people of sound Judgment who having
seen The reflection in the sky the even
ing before, were, by Tuesday morn
ing's newspapers, deceived into the be-
lief that the object seen was really a
flaming sword"
The fire took place opposite the ex-
treme upper part of Manhattan's Isle.
and the locality is anything but thick
ly settled Very few people having
seen the fire proper, and the atmos-
phere being in a peculiar miragic con-
dition, the newspaper men thought
/ themselves safe in making a little war
excitement that had a strictly local
origin. Hence, the flaming sword story,
which served as a pretext for recalling
incidents connected with warriors of
ancient and mediaeval times, who also
at critical periods of history looked
upon similar heavenly omens
The writer was in q position TO see
the conflagration at Fort Lee plainly
and with several others who were look
ing on, remarked the strangely power
full reflection that overspread the firm
ament above which was then account
ed for by an uncommon combination
of misty atmosphere that seemed to ex-
ist among the clouds and a clear and
dryer condition nearer the earth.
SO much for the first great war
omen
The condition of mind which the me-
tropolis is in at present is We'll illus
trated by the readiness with which so
many accepted as true the above story.
But this feeling of nervousness over,
the prospect of a war, whose results at
the worst can be but comparatively
insignificant to the country's welfare
has far more potent illustration in
the hystera of Wall street
In fact it would take but little to
throw the great city into just such
state of excitement as the town of
Norfolk experienced on a certain Sun
day afternoon shortly after the Vir-
ginia Legislature passed the ordinance
of secession. Upon that occasion, while
the greater part. of the population was
in church a Tumor (without founda-
tion of course) spread that a strange
vessel had entered the harbOr; as the
! tale spread it grew and finally the one
strange vessel became whole squad
ron of frigates and transports and the
town became panic stricken. The
churches We're quickly emptied, and
soon crowds of men were running to-
wards the wharves armed with every
kind Of weapon. While the women ac-
tually busted themselves with secur-
ing the valuable family possessions.
Yet such a state of affairs is easily
conceivable in New York at the present
time ard this because Dame .Rumor
has such able seconds in the way of
yellow journals and hysterical stock
spectators. Simply this and little
more