Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-11-13
NEW LIGHT ON OLD MIRACLE.
The Burning Bush," Seen By
Moses, Discovered, and May be
Exhibited at worlds Fair.

L.
special to the Daily Progress.
ST. Louis, Nov. 13.-"And the
angel Of the Lord appeared unto him
in a fame Of fire out Of the midst Of
a bush, and he looked, and behold,
the bush burned with fire, and the
bush was not consumed. And Moses
said. | will now turn aside, and see
this great sight, why the bush is not
burned. And when the Lord saw
that he turned aside to see, God called
unto him out of the bush, and said,
Moses. Moses. And he said: Here
AIN |. And he said Draw not nigh
hither: put off thy shoes from thy
feet; for the place wherein thou
standest 10 holy ground. Exodus
LII-2-5.
1t probably will not be the identi-
cal burning bush" that Moses saw
that will be exhibited at the World
Fair. but there is little doubt that it
is identical with the species spoken
of in Holy Writ, and SO far as known
if is the only one in ext ;tence.
Authentic reports from London
state that an English botanist dis
covered in the hot and arid plains OF
Arabia a remarkable shrub that can
be none other than the burning bush
described by Moses. The English
man procured the wonderful shrub
and caused it to be conveyed TO the
famed Kew Gardens on the Thames
at London.
Frederick ". Taylor chief of ag-
riculture and horticulture has COM
missioned Joseph H. Hadkins"n, super
intendent of the outdoor planting for
the Universal Exposition, to cores
Dond with the Kew authorities and
obtain if possible this wonderful bib
lical plant. In the event that he Is
successful, Mr.. Hadkinson will place
the shrub on the north side of agri-
cultural hill. near the great floral
clock.
Numerous English and French
scientists who have seen the shrub,
declare it to be identical with the
burning bush" which Moses saw
burst into flame at his approach and
blaze for some time without being
consumed. The discovery Of the re-
markable specimen is accepted by bib
lical students as confirming Moses
account, and throwing light on one
of the most famous of the Old Tesla
ment Miracles.
The plant at Kew has attained a
heigh. Of about six feet. 1t possesses
the remarkable property Of exhaling
an infiamable gas from its flowers,
which, on being approached by a
light, takes fire and burns brightly
for few moments. The foliage and
flowers remain uninjured while ths
gas blazing because of the sap In
the plant.
In hot deserts of Arabia, where
the plant naturally grew more vigo-
rously than at Kew, a larger quantity
of gas was exhaled, and the fierce rays
of the sun, it is said, often set fire to
the gas.
In appearance the burning bush
plant suggests an arid, sterile habitat
Its leaves are of a dull, Sage-green
color, the foliage dense, and small
pale pink tinted blossom appears on
the end of a long and slender bloom
ing stalk The plant has no scientific
name and SO far as known the speci-
men at Kew is the only one in exis-
tence.
1t is not generally known, but it is
true, nevertheless, that numerous
flowers give gases in small degree.
This is especially norable in the lily
of the valley and of the meadow
sweet. The blossoms of both these
plants exhale the fumes of deadly
prussic acid by night and all flowers
throw off carbonic acid gas.