The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-11
1t Is Seen in the Western Sky
by New Workers.
Thousands Gaze in Wonder and
Amusement.
SAID TO PORTEND WAR
Many Legends of Similar Sights
Are Recalled.
An Astronomer Lays it ALI to
the Sun.

New York, March ia sword Of living
fame Illuminated the heavens last night.
A hundred thousand persons saw it and
thought of war. 1t hared in the west, po-
tent of the march of empire.
Below it, angry and sullen, was a Grim
son glow, blending into a deep purple. It
extended along the horizon for miles-du11,
strong and beautiful. Far above it was
the flaming sword, shining with super
natural brightness in the sky. In places
it was like iron at white heat; toward the
horizon it melted into brilliant 1utescense.
This flaming sword against the dark sky
kindled thousand imaginations. In it
the gazers saw an omen of great events,
the glOries and horrors of war, the SPLEEN
did achievements, great victories. awful
suffering and miseries.
In hundreds of places people gathered
and fixed straining eyes upon the flame
in the sky. Those who remembered their
history told others 1t was such a portent
that Illuminated the heavens above the
army of Constantine. To him it was
cross, not a sword and 1t guided him
from the blackness of paganism to Chris
tian victories.
1t was a little after 8 O'Clock that the
horizontal glow appeared in the west. 1t
looked hike a dying sunset, the reflection
lion. Instead of dying away it grew
brighter and more beautiful It seemed
to extend from the Atlantic highlands to
the Hackensack meadows. 1t was just
above the horizon line. 1t was not bril-
For an hour later a line of light ap-
peared extending toward the zenith. It
appeared to be many miles nearer than
the crimson glow. While the horizon
light melted into a deeper crimson, the
brighter. 1t appeared like a beam flashed
from a Searchlight without preliminary
design. But it was not searchlight.
Those who could procure telescopes and
opera glasses quickly made use of them,
and every man said to his neighbor, 1T
is symbol of war"
Eyes, it means war" was the reply.
Garrett p. Serviss saw the light in the
sky in Brooklyn
L have noticed white streal1s in the sky
for several nights" said the astronomer,
''but none so brilliant as that last night.
I did not see the red glow below it, and
I am sorry I missed it. The flaming lance
was. no doubt, caused by a disturbance in
the sun. and the other streaks 1 have no
ticed were probably sympathetic electri-
cal manifesto tionS.
Just what the trouble in the sun is
will not be known for a few days. The
astronomers will train their telescopes up
on it and in a week or so we will know
what has been taking place In Febru-
airy, 1892, there was deal of red in the
sky, and this was caused by a disturb
ance in the sun
Since the earliest times the human mind
has believed that the coming of import
ant things is told in the sky. The Old
Testament declares that the birth of great
kings. prophets and wise men was fore
told by the heavens. The belief was com
mon among the earliest peoples. The
Romans believed in it.
Hundreds of living men declare that all
over the south was seen a light, like that
of last night, in 1851, just before the
breaking out of the war of the rebellion
There are men who say that the assassin
alton of Lincoln was preSaged by
strange meteOric display.