The herald., 1913-02-06
SCARES IN LONDON
When Cranks Predicted the De.
struction of the City.
TERROR RULED THE PEOPLE.

niNcE tndHce FdnlC OF IOGf.
Men, 1t has been well said. think in
herds. 1t will be seen that they 60
mad In herds, for innumerable in
stances can be given of whole people
suddenly shaking off the trammels OF
reason and running wild under the de
lusion of some impending calamity.
A panic terror of the end of the
world spread over London in 1876 by
the prophesy of the famous Winston
who predicted that the world would
be destroyed on Oct l3 In that year
Crowds Of people went out on the ap-
pointed day to lslington. 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, aud the
prophecy of 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
acuy a months interval between the
two shocks, and a crack Drained fel
low named Bell was so impressed with
the idea that there would be third in
the forthcoming month that he com
pletely lost his senses and ran about
the streets predicting the destruction
of London on April 3.
AS the awful day approached the ex.
element became intense, and great
numbers of credulous people resorted
to all the villages within a circuit OF
twenty miles. there to await the doom
Of London. Blackheath, Islington,
Highgate. 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 a week
before packed up their goods and chat
tells when they saw others doing So
and FASTENED away. The river was
thought to be 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 4th and 9Th on board. ex-
pecting every moment to see st. PauIs
totter and the towers of Westminster
abbey rock and fall amid a cloud OF
6ust But on the following day the
greater part of the fugitives returned.
convinced that the prophecy was a
false one. A few months afterward
Bell was confined In lunatic asylum.
where he died.
Great CONSERVATION was caused in
London in 1924 by prediction that on
the 1st 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, trudging on foot to the VII
lagos within fifteen or twenty miles to
await the catastrophe People of a
higher class were also to be seen In
vehicles bound on similar errand
By the middle Of January at least
10000 persons had quilted the doomed
city, leaving nothing but the bare walls
Of their homes to be swept away by
the impending foods. Many Of the
wealthier class took up their abode on
the heights of Hampstead. Highgate
and Blackheath, and some erected tents
as far away as Waltham abbey on the
north and Croydon on the south Of the
Thames.
On the fateful morning the wonder
ing crowds were astir at an early hour
to watch the rising Of the waters. 1t
was 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
ters rise beyond the usual mark.
The day grew older, and the Thames
flowed on quietly as Of yore The tide
ebbed at its usual hour, flowed to its
usual height and then ebbed again. Just
as If twenty astrologers had not pledg-
ed their word to the contrary.
Blank were their faces as evening
approached, and as blank grew the
faces Of the citizens to think that they
had made such fools Of themselves
Night set in. and the obstinate river
would not lift its waters to sweep
away even one home out Of the TO-
0O0 Still, however, the people were
afraid to 60 to sleep. Many hun.
dreds remained up till dawn of the
next day. lest the deluge should come
upon them like thief In the night
On the morrow 1t was seriously dis
eussed whether 1t would not be advis-
able to duck the false prophets In the
river. Luckily for them they thought
of an expedient which allayed the
popular fury. They asserted that by
an error they had fixed the date OF
this awful inundation a century too
early. The present generation OF
cockneys were safe and London would
be washed away, not In 1924, but In
1624.-Londop Family Herald.