The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-08
A MIRACLE
 YET UNEXPLAINED. Blood of St. Januarius Liquefied as
 Usual. MIRACLE LAST MONTH. Sicilian Chemists Alleged Exposure Confuted
 at Naples.
LAST MONTH.

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 There Is no relic better known and more venerated throughout Italy than the blood of St. Januarius (San Gen naro0 preserved in the Cathedral of Naples; yet its authenticity has prac- tically never been attested by the church; and no other relic in the world IS the cause of phenomenon like the yearly recurring ebullition of the coagulated blood of this saint-a phen- omenon which from time immemorial has baff1ed explanation and has been the subject of endless controversies.
 Seventeen centuries ago, during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, Jan uarius, Bishop of Naples, suffered martyrdom for the faith near Pozzu- oli. A pious woman, Eusabia by name, after giving Christian burial to the remains of the saint, filled two glass arnpullae with the still warm blood of the martyr and carried them to her house at Attigliano on the old way to Naples and there kept them.
 The same ampullae, encased in a circular reliquary of ancient but in different workmanship framed between two pieces of glass, are now in the Cathedral of Naples. They are of un- equal size and shape but both have the characteristics of similar glass vessels traditionally used by the early Christians to preserve the blood of martyrs.
 The larger vessel is pear shaped and contains a dark reddish, almost solid, substance, which is supposed to be St. Januarius' blood The small one is almost empty, bnt some traces of a similar substance may be seen on it's sides It is said that its contents were carried to Spain by Charles III, of Bourbon, in the Middle Ages.
 The historical identity of these two ampullae has never been determined, and no corroboration of the continuity of the phenomenon of ebullition could be found even during the Middle Ages. Some mention of the miracle is met with in the Roman Martyrology" and In the Lessons of the Breviary," but apocryphal. The only evidence of the event begins many centuries af- ter the death of the saint.
 It is said, but not proved, that the first time the ebullition of the blood was observed was some time in the tenth century. The phenomenon has been attested among others, by Pico della Mirandola, Giovanni Battista Vico and the geologist Antonio Stop pani also by many sovereigns and princes who witnessed 1t and left val uable signs of their devotion in the chapel of the saint. At the time of the Reformation doubts were first en- tertained about the genuineness of the miracle, and subsequently it's super natural character was altogether de- nied. 7.
 Three times year, on the first Sun day in May, on September 19 and De- cember Is, the blood of Saint Januarius, which is ordinarily in state of coagu- ation, bubbles up in ebullItlon. In May this phenomenon Is repeated for seven consecutive days. In September, the anniversary of the saints martyrdom, the blood only boils on the 18th and again on the octave of the feast. In December it boils once, on the 16th, the feast of the saints name day.
 Each time the miracle Is celebrated with great pomp. The rellquary con- taining the two ampullae, together with silver bust, said to contain the skull of the saint, are first carried in procession through the principal streets of Naples and then placed on opposite ends of the high altar which is decor n ated with valuable gold and silver or- naments. and Is in blaze of lighted candles. The Cardinal Archbishop, or prelate representing him, officiates.
 The cathedral is crowded with people of all conditions anxious to see the miracle performed, as there is an old tradition in Naples that If the blood of the patron saint does not boil the city will be visited by great calamity, such as an earthquake or an eruption of Ve- suvious Everyone kneels and prays aloud.
 If the ebullition is delayed the dis appointment is great and the devout Neapolitans show their impatience by calling aloud to the saint in familiar and irreverent terms, such as "Oh, San Gennaro, hasten with thy miraele" The officiating prelate at the altar from time to time takes up the reliquary and examines 1t closely by placing a lighted candle back of it. and If the blood shows no signs of liquefying re- places it on the altar, scarcely att tempting to hide his impatience.
 The prayers meanwhile became loud CT IT sometimes happens that the more impatient members of the congrega- tion begin to call the saint bad names in their dialect.
 Suddenly, the blood is seen to change color, 1t becomes a bright red and gradually getting liquid it begins to rise against the sides of the glass ves- sels. A few seconds more and it is boil ing.
 4 wild shout of jubilation rises from and the Ire Deum" is sung in thanks giving. The excitement of tke people baff1es description. Wildly gesticulat- ing, shouting and even weeping, they rush to the altar rails to kiss the reli- quary. The crush is so great that many faint and are trampled under foot, and the soldiers in the church have most busy time in maintaining order The whole city seems to go crazy, the bells ring all day long, fire works let off and everybody is happy.
 At Pozzuoli, in a small church erect ed on the site where the saint suffered martyrdom, there is an old stone with some dark stains supposed to be his