The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1912-10-11
Great Congregation Of the
Faithful at Naples Was on
Verge Of Despair After
Three Hours.
ONCE THE GUNS OUTSIDE
r HAD SlGNAlLED FALSELY.
Tension Was at Its Height When
at Last the Symbol Of Grace
Is Manifested Itself.
Especial Correspondence Of The World. J


Januarius. being the annual liauefac-
tion. In response TO prayer, OF the mar
tyred saints blood preserved In a small
vial I'm the chapel bearing his name ad-
Joining the Cathedral OF Naples, was
this year much longer than usual In de-
yelopng. The occasions are so rare on
which the prayers and exhortations OF
the faithful who crowd the Immense
e-iirce fail to produce their effect that
the people regard any hitch as warn
lnG that some dire calamity will shortly
overtake the city. II the blood liquefies
all Is well. II not. woe to all present.
their relatives and their belongings.
1.-THE tension OF the congregation which
Nils the immense edifce, the prayers
ard groans, the wavelike motion which
4 sweeps over the forms PROSTATE In
prayer and the manifestations Of Joy
when the booming of guns outside sig
nails that the sign of grace has been
given, furnish an example OF religious
fervor of which the like cannot be wit
messed In any other Christian temple N
the world.
q Among those who had special invita-
lions to witness the liquefaction this
year were several English and French
prelatcs of note and many tourists.
among the latter being many Ameri-
Gems The entrance to the church was
1TOul an curry nun Wy an Ca
pectant crowd. and when the doors
opened at \. VI. there was rush for
seats near the high altar. where the
relic Is finally deposited before being re-
- placed In It's shrine. At o'clock pre-
Cisely Mgr. Snnfelice followed by other
prelates In full canonicals as keepers of
the keys OF the sacred casket wherein
the vial Is enshrlned, proceeded to the
Chapel of ST. Januarius and withdrew
f.. Inn, Nlna
Through the glass of the bottle was
clearly Visible a dark coaEuated mass.
b brittle lpok'ng in It's dryness.
Prayers In the church are begun by
preiates and pri. SITS all joining fer
ven;ly In the responses. The L.tany Is
recited. followed by the Credo A
quarter 'oe an hour Is then devoted to
2 individual prayer. The exhortations for
- -the crownr- sym ool of IRA - rls. up in
.,sx ssransc medley OF sounds--a mixture
81 groans aai eNc.amations. The peal OF
artillery from outside IL awaited with
incrca sing tension The minutes run
and no sign is forthcoming that the
miracle has been accomplished. some
begin to weep. and all the faithful re-
double the ardor OF their prayers. still
the sign IS wanting. Anguish and per-
pleNlty are DEPICTED on countless faces;
sobs and plants break the short periods
now follow In quick succession.
Suddenly the booming OF twenty-one
guns from the arsenal. set In motion by
signal. the banner hoistcd over the
chapel seems to announce that the
miracle has taken place But It soon
appears to have been mistake Dis
may dlspels the manifestations OF Joy.
At 1870 Mgr. Sanfelice decides TO form
a procession and carry the relic, pre-
ceded by the bust OF the saint. into the
a., church ana lay II on the high altar.
tiWith immense difficulty passage way is
q made through the vast throng. Pontih-
(, cal Mass is performed by Cardinal
Vi Frisco. who. after kissing the sacred
vial. retires TO his apartment. Not
another soul leaves the church as yet.
:" and prayer Is continued with greater
fervor than ever.
At midday. Just when the tension Is al
Its height. when the sacred relic has
been repeatedly kissed by the officiatinp
preiate amid renewed celebrations from
the faithful. reddish foam. at nrs
scarcely perceptible appears in q corner
OF the glass. Thesmiracle has begun
Within few moments the entire mas.
hqueies and the hitherto solid substance
ID transformed into a fluid which occu
hjes.a smaller space by fully half ar
Inch IN the vial There Is no mistak,
this time and wave of Joy and exulta
ton sweeps over the vast throng.
The phenomenon has been testified Il
through centuries OF credltable witness
Following the one failure on record. tina
OF 1886. Naples had severe visitation
of the plague. In 1884. the memorabl,
year OF the cholera. the miracle wa
only half fulfilled. The Chaple OF st
Januarius has contained the relic 70
over five centuries and the miracle 4
referred to In a work published by
Doge OF Genoa In 1900. The celebrates
German Hurter. himself a Protestant
personally assisted at the partial liqne
faction IN 1854. and declared II to be In
expiicable, Kings and princes from al
parts OF Europe have made pilgrimage
10 the shrine, and Prince William o
Saxe-Gotha. who travelled to Naples Il
l727 abjured his Protestant faith afte
"a. assisting at the miracle.
The liquefaction has been known I
{, take place In two minutes from the mo
- ment the vial was exposed. but tn
~ average time required for It's manifesto
ion sfrom two 10 four hours.