St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-08-18
EFFECDo or Es41psas.


As an eclipse alproaches an n~uneat-
teral chill cou<s into the atmosphere,
lM people cSne pervous sad ex-
Ghill 2 SlIbs to tksirqetlers
- khl6itfSGIe 1h6 syoung Of III cfea-
lures seek maternal protection, az if
| from some nnknown danger. Birds
flutterY about in consternation aud
make for their nests, and chickens
1 60 to roost as the darkness grows.
Cattle stop chewing the cud- and sgo
home from pasture, shifting the air as
il fearing violent storm. Horses, too.
become greatly excited. those loose in
the fields running about distractedly.
while sach as are in harness are scared
by the most familiar objects.
0p beasts Of prey On eclipse has are
Marka able effect, making them unusual
" ferocious, SO that they will attack
human beings with the utmost bold
ness. 1t inspires all wild animals with
the dread of attack from unkni,wn foes,
for whom they keep on the alert.
|. As long as the darkness continues a
brooding stiffness prevails amongstal
living things but wolves and dogs.
Strangely enough. these set up snap
pish yeiping, which is entirely differ ent
frcm their ordinary bark or night
howl. Between their spells of yelping
domestic dogs whine and cover. as if
imploring protection of their human
companions. 'ytf. =
Natural sounds. such as the whistling
of the wind or the noise of water fhll-
ing, seem unusually loud and disturb
ing. Even the trees lose their ordinary
look aud color. the light sitting down
through them in fantastic round
blotches. As the eclipse gradually be-
comes total the fading light of the
sun appears as il divided into separate
beams that come down quivering and
slanting. ~ ftstsfis
Upon the ignorant and superstitious
the phenomenon has a tremendous ef-
feet. They betray abject fear, while
dreadfng the advent of some dire ca
lamity they know not of.
During the total eclipse which hap
pened in July, 1878, negro in the Unit
ed States was seized with frenzy and
killed his wife and three children.
At the beginning of an eclipse in JAN
uary, 1883, there were some strange
proceedings at Peking. The Chinese
mandarins gave orders for the drums
to be beaten to put to fight the celes-
tial dragon that they believed was
swallowing the sun.
A somewhat similar superstition ap-
pears to prevail amongst the Turks.
On May Is, 1877. there was an eclipse,of
the.sun visible in Europe which created
not little CONSERVATION amongst the
subjects of the sultan. Indeed, they
were so much perturbed that they
raised ript and discharged all kinds
of guns and cannon at the sun, with
the object of delivering it from the
claws of the mythical dragon.
A French astronomer who went to
India to observe the eclipse of August
IS. 1865, describes a queer incident
which took place at the time. He had
engaged number of natives to attend
to his apparatus, but just when the
sun commenced to darken they all
scampered away to the river to bathe.
On inquiring the reason for this ex-
traordinary conduct he was informed
that it was done in conformance with
a heather religious rite. At such times
this required them to plunge into wa
ter as a means of destroying the influ-
ence of the evil spirit which was sup
posed to be assailing the sun.
Even in this enlightened country su-
perstition is associated with eclipses
where ignorance in regard to them has
not vet been dispelled.