The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-31
The Final Smash Up.


Ing universal dclugc in 1921. .o.inr
to the conjunction Of several planets
lii watery sign the watcry signs
are Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. At
his Ominous words thousands fed to
the mountains, and others took refuge
in boats. Awinol. doctor Of law and
canon Of Toulouse, even built sort
of ark on four pillars as haven Of
refuge. There was no need of such
excitement. No flood came On the
contrary, the season was even calmcr
and dricr than usual. Stohcr, had in
deed made serious blundcr and one
for which many of his fellow astrolo-
gers, including Cardau, never pardon
ed him.
Stoilcr, however, is only one in
long line Of prophets whose picdic-
tions in regard to the end Of the world
have proved utterly false AS far
back az the year 1000 many communi-
ties in Europe were driven half dis
tracted by rumors that the day Of
judgment was close at hand and again
In 1856, whole cities were paralyzed
with fright for the same reason. Now
and again during the latter part of tho
middle ages the same extraordinary
phenomenon was witnessed, though
in lesser degree, and ever since the
modern revival Of occuitism there
have not been wanting erratic proph-
cts of the Jean Stoher type.
Years ago Mr.. Baxter created a
sensation in England by his prediction
that the world would certainly como
to an end in 1887. Thousands be-
licvcd in him, and great was their sur
prise when they discovered that he
was mistaken. Yet such is the Gre
dulity Of human nature that their
faith in him remained unshakcn, and,
no matter what year he selected as the
final one Of the worlds existence.
they accepted his prediction as gospel
truth.
Equally bold, though doubtless not
as popular as Baxter, is the Abbc Du-
pin, cure Of the village Of Dion, in
France, and author Of "A book with the
following extraordinary title: ''Thc
grand coup nr universal cataclysm will
ravage the world between the 18th and
2lst of September, 1896, according to
the Scriptures. The prophecies of the
Old and New Tcstaments compare
with those of the fathers and with the
secrets of La Salettc, in which is fore
told the great war which will destroy
nine tenths of the human race, the
coming of antichrist and his reign. af-
ter which the church will triumph
over her enemies and the reign of
Christ begin on earth" The author
fixed September, 1896, as the time
when the great "coup," as he called it,
would take place, but he added that if
1t did not take place then it certainly
would occur before TIE close of 1899.
The appearance of ofcoinetS have given
rise frequently to similar predictions.
This was the case when the famous
comet Of 1880 appeared. Winston as.
cribed the deluge to its former ap-
pearance, and such an excitement did
it cause among the people that Bayle
wrote treatise to prove the absurdity
of belief founded on these portents.
Nine. do Levigne, writing at the same
time, said:
I'VE have comet of enormous size.
Its tail is the most beautiful object
conceivable. Every person of note is
alarmed and believes that heaven, in
terestcd in their fate, sends them a
warning in this comet. They say th ut
the courtiers of Cardinal Mazarin, who
is dcspaircd Of by his physicians, be-
lieve this prodigy is in honor of his
passing away and toll him Of the ter
ror with which it has inspired them.
He had the sense to laugh at them
and to reply facetiously that the comet
did him too much honor"
NJ. Camille Flammarion, the distin.
guishcd French astronomer, says on
same subject: "In this century pre-.
dictions concerning tho end of the
world have several times been associ-
ated with comets It was announced
that the comet of BioIa, for ex ample,
would intersect the worlds orbit on
Oct. 20, 1892, which did as predicted. |
There was great excitement. Once
more the end of things was declared
at hand. Humanity was threatened.
What was going to happen? The or.
bit-that is to say, the path of the
earth-has been confounded with the