The Meeker herald., 1913-08-02
SCARES N LONDON
When Cranks Predicted tie De-
struction Of the City.
TERROR RULED THE PEOPLE.

TERROR RULED THE PEOPLE.
Bell. = lunatie, Had the Entire psev-
tstisn In . FrsWsy sf fssr A~altias
the End BY Esrthausks In 17ei-rhs
River Thames Panic Of 1874.
Men. II has bssu we'll aaId. tltnk 10
hsrds. II will b seen that they "
mad IN herds. for innumsfabls In
stances can be given OF whois peopis
suddenly shaking o6 the trammsis Of
reason and running Wild under the d
luslou Of some impending calamity.
A panic terrur Of the eod Of the
world spread over London In l7S6 b.
the prophesy Of the famous Winston.
who predicted that the world would
b. destroyed on Oct l8 In that year.
Crowds Of people went out ON the ap-
pointed day to isiinRton. Highgats.
Hampstead and the Intervening 6elds
to witness the destruction Of London.
which was to be the beginning Of the
end
Again 10 the year 1851 the citIssns Of
London were plunged into excitement
BY two earthquake shocks. and TIE
prophecy Of third. which WAS 70 d.
stroy them altogether. Tbs 0rst Of
these shocks was on Feb y and threw
down several chimneys: the sseond
Was on March 4 Public notics was
directed to the fact that there was *
actiy 4 months interval between. the
two shocks. and q crack brainsd fel-
low named Bell was 70 impressed With
the idea that there would be third IN
the forthcoming month that BE- com.
pletely lost hIs senses and ran about
the streets predicting the destruction
Of London on April 8.
Al the awful day approached the e.
citement became intense. and ereat
numbsrs Of credulous people resor6sd
to all the villages within q circuit Of
twenty miles, there to await the doom
Of London. Rlackbeath. lsiington.
HiGhgate. Hampstead and Harrow
were crowded with panic stricken
fugitives who paid exorbitant prices
treats. Such a. could not afford to pay
for lodgings At these places sncamped
In the surrounding 6eldA
Az IL usual In panics. the fear b.
came contagious. and hundreds who
bad laughed at the prediction week
before packed mp their goods and chat-i
tela when they saw others doing %
and hastened away. The river was
thought to be place Of great security.
- ~ - ~1t kA tlz1~ Ia
chant vessels and bargss were packed
With people, who passed the night ~
tween the 4th and 6th on board. sx-s
pecting every moment to ~ u. Paulbf
totter and the towers Of wsstnlinstsr
abbey rock and fall amid q cloud OF
dust. But on the following day the
greater part of the fusitives returned.
convinced that the prophecy was 4
false oue. A few months afterward
where he died
Great CONSERVATION was caused in
London In 1894 BY a prediction that on
the ist day of February the waters Of
the Thames would overflow the whole
city OF London and wash away 10000
houses. The prophecy was implicitly
believed. and many families packed up
their goods and removed into Kent and
Essex. As the time drew near the
numbers Of these emigrants increased
In January drOves Of workmen might
be seen. followed BY their wives and
children. tr,,dging on foot to the W.
lages within fifteen or twenty miles to
await the rntastrophe People of
higher class were also to b seen In
vehicles bound on similar errand.
By the middle Of January Mt least
2O.O0O f'ersona had quilted the doomed
city. leaving nothing but the bare walls
Of their bomes to be swept away BY
the impending foods. Many Of the
weAithier class took up their abode on
the heights Of Hampstead. Highgats
and Blackheath. and some erected tents
~ far away ~ Waitham abbey on the
north and Croydon on the south Of the
Thames.
Ou the fateful morning the wonder
Ing crOwds were astir at an early hour
to watch the rising Of the waters. Il
was predicted that the inundation
would be gradual. not sudden. 10 that
they expected to have plenty Of time
to escape ns soon NJ they saw the wa
ters rise beyond the usual mark.
Tue day grew older. and the Thames
6owed on quietly as Of yore. The tide
ebbed At its usual hour.s flowed to ID
usual height and then ebbed again, Just
a. II twenty astroiogers had net pledg-
ed their word TO the contrary.
R'ank were their fac-s A. evening /
approached. and a. blank grew tie
faces Of the citizens to think that they
had made such fools of themselves.
Night set in, and the obstinate river
would not Mt its waters to sweep
away even one home out OF the TO-
600. Stal. however. the people were
afraid to 90 to sleep. Many hum
dreds remained np till dawn of the