The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-05-18

ences; and fearful sights and great
signs shall there be from heaven"
Jesus foretold the loom of Jerusalem
in connection with these signs. st.
Peter saw the Haley comet on its
visit of &c A. ID, and Josephus, the
great Jewish writer. mentions il as
suspended over Jerusalem like a
sword of fire" The Holy City met with
destruction shortly after. 1t was a
ONE appearing to Constantine the
Great as a sign in the heavens in the
shape of a cross, which converted him
to Christianity. 1t is we'll known that
4 comet blaZed over Rome o. the
night of Caesars assassination, and
that the people took it to be q chariot
of fire which was bearing to heaven
the soul of the great warrior-states-
Various writer's declare that the
Comet Caused the "BIack Death,
or terrible plague which visited the
ole world at various times, carrying
the inhabitants off by tie million
Martin Luther. in one of his ermon
said: The heather write that the
comet may arise from natural causes
hut God creates not one That doe not
- ~ @alS NdA@4AhANg- IASAdlAG
rhon, a friend of LGther's, declared
co-nets to he "heralds of Heavens
wrath; and John Knox, preaching at
Edinboro. said the same thing.
The "massacre of st. Bartholomew"
in 1872 was attributed TO the baleful
influence of the comet of that year,
which inha-ned mems passions: the
HALEY comet of 16S2 inspired thelfam-
Gus Rev. Increase Mather, president
Of Harvard college. to preach a ser
mon on "Hsaven's Alarm 20 the World.
wherein is shown that fearful sights
and signs in n heavens , are the
presages of great calarnIties at hand"
In truth the bloody Indian wars be-
tween the settlers and the Indians
soon followed. Such terror was spread
by this same comet in Germany that
large numbers of holy medals were
given out among the people bearing
this charm: "The star threatens evil
things: But be Of good faith; God
will make all right"
The HALEY comet at its visit il
1907 was welcomed by the Indians of
Virginia as 1.-The red knife in h sky
which told them to make war on the
whites and take John Smith prisoner
1t has bee frequently told how this
same comet. at its return in 1456 ap-
pearing in the form of a Turkish
sci-nitar. was the inspiration which
led the Turks to overrun eastern Eu.
rope. Again In 1922 the comet had
been regarded by Giengis Khan, the
Mongol leader, as permission from
heaven for his bloody conquest OF
Asia. Chinese records reaching back
thousands of years TEEN with accounts
Of comets as
Messenger of Misfortune,
and throughout literature there are
frequent references to these things
Various writer's have made lengthy /
lists showing how closely the great
events of history have Tailed with
the appearance of comets. The dread
of comets and such unusual and ter
rifying phenomena always has been
present in the human breast and al
ways will be. The prophet Isaiah, |
writing nearly 5000 years ago., said: |
Fear not signs in the heavens, like
unto me heather" But people cannot
help fearing such things. In spite OF
all that science may do to tnake us
better acquainted with the universe,
in our hearts we agree with the old
chronicler Leonard Digges. who $50
years wrote: "Cometes signife
corruption of the ayre. They are signs
OF earthquakes. of wares. of changy |
ing Of K~yngdones. great deaTth of
food. yea a common deata of -nan and
beast from pestilence."
The HALEY nme ON this trip does
not seem tn have rown as big q tail