Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-02-13
SCARES|NLONDON
When Cranks Predicted the De.
: struction of the City.
RULED THE PEOPLE.

Bell, . l~unatie, Had the Entire Popu.
lation In . Frenzy Of Fear Awaiting
the End BY Earthquake In 1761-Ths
Rivsr Thames Panic Of 1924.
Men. 1t has been well said. think In
herds. It will be seen that they 90
mad In herds. for ~innumerable In
stauces can be given OF a whole people
suddenly shaking OF the trammels OF
reason and running wild under the de-
fusion of some impending calamity.
A panic terror of the end of the
world spread owe London in 1886 by
the prophesy OF the famous Winston.
who predicted that the world would
be destroyed IN Oct. - in that year.
Crowds of people went out on the ap-
pointed day to l%slington. Highgate.
Hampstead and the Intervening fields
to witness the destruction of London.
which was to be the beginning OF the
end"
Again in the year 1861 the citizens Of
London were plunged into excitement
by two earthquake shocks, and the
prophecy of a third. which was to de-
stroy them altogether. The first of
these shocks was on Feb. = and threw
down several chimneys: the second
was on March s Public notice was
directed to the fact that there was ex.
actly u months interval between the
two shocks, and a crack Drained fel-
low named Bell was so impressed with
the idea that there would be a third in
the forthcoming month that be com.
pletely lost his senses and ran about
the streets predicting the destruction
Of London GU April 5.
As tho awful day approached the ex'
element became intense. and great
numbers OF credulons people resorted
to all the villages within a circuit OF
twenty miles. there to await the doom
of London. Blackheath. lslingtoD.
Hlghgate. Hampstead. and Harrow
were crowded with panic stricken
fugitives who paid exorbitant prices
for accommodations in these secure re.
treats. Such as could not afford to pay
for lodgings at these places encamped
In the surrounding fields.
AS is usual in panics, the fear be-
came contagious. and hundreds who
had laughed at the prediction u week
before packed up their goods and chat
tells when they saw others doing so
and FASTENED away. The river was
thought to be a place Of great security,
and accordingly all the available mer.
chant vessels and barges were packed
with people, who passed the night be-
tween the 18th and 5th on board. ex-
pectins every moment to see st. Paul's
totter and the towers Of Westminster
abbey rock and fall amid a cloud OF
dust. But on the following day the
greater part Of the fugitives returned,
convinced that the prophecy was a
false me-. A few months afterward
Bell was confined in a lunatic asylum.
where he died.
Great CONSERVATION was caused in
London in 1924 by a prediction that on
the LIST 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 dr0ves OF workmen might
be seen. followed by their wives and
children. trldging on foot to the viii
iages within fifteen or twenty miles to
await the catastrophe. People Of a
higher class we're also to be e e IN
vehicles bound gu a similar errand.
BY the middle of January ut least
10000 persons had quilted the doomed
city, leaving nothing but the bare walls
OF their homes to be swept away by
the impending floods. Many Of the
Weather class took up their abode on
the heights Of Hampstead. Highgate
and Blackheath, and some erected tents
as far away us Waltham abbey on the
uorth and Croydon on the south Of the
Thames
On the fateful morning the wonder.
ing crowds were astir at an early hour
10 watch the rising Of the waters. 1t
vas predicted that the %inundation
would be gradual. not sudden, SO that
they expected to have plenty Of time
to escape as soon as they saw the wa.
tiers rise beyond the usual mark.
The day grew older, and the Thames
flowed gu quietly as Of yore. The tide
ebbed at its usual hour, flowed to its
usual height and then ebbed again. just
Us If twenty astrologers had not pledg.
ed their word to the contrary.
Blank, were their faces as evening
approached. aud as blank grew the
faces Of the citizens to think that they
had made sncb fools OF themselves.
Night set in. and the obstinate river
wonid not lift its waters to sweep
away even one home out Of the H..
zoo. Still. however. the people were
afraid to 90 to sleep. Many hun.
dreds remained NJ till dawn Of the
next day. lest the deiuge should come
upon them like Il thief IN, the night.
On the morrow 1t was seriously dis.
cussed whether It would not be advis.
able to duck the false prophets In the
river. Luckily tor them they thought
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