Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-13
THE MIRACLE AT NAPLES.
Liquefaction of Saints Blood De-
scribed by Eye Witness.

w
served at the latest occurrence of the
so-called miracle. This took place
in September, the liquefaction oc-
curing twice a year.
The first commences on the first
Saturday evening in May in the
church of Santa Chiara, after which
the blood is conveyed with solemn
procession through the streets of
Naples to the Cathedral, where the
miracle is generally repeated during
the seven following days. The sec
ond commences in the Cathedral on
September 10. the feast of St
Januarus, and generally continues
again during the octave.
Il say generally" writes the cor
respondent, because some days it
does not change at ALL which is re-
garded as an evil omen. The records
show that the time required to wait
for the miracle varies from two min
utes all the way to eight hours.
Scientists have also recorded the
temperature on a vast number of
these occasions and have demonstrat-
ton takes place not in keeping with
Tic SitilCI OF ltSSti dIIiOuHl VI sur
rounding heat, but entirely inde-
pendent of and often contrary to the
corresponding variations.
Thus, for instance, on the four
different occasions that | have wit
messed the marvel it took less time to
change when the weather was cool.
Yesterday the feast of st Januarius,
] waited two hours and then had to
leave without seeing the miracle. The
chapel was literally TANNED with
people, the heat of the day was swell
tering. The liquefaction did, take
place, but only after three hours and
% minutes. Today, although Very
much cooler, We had to wait only IL
minutes. =
s'When I arrived i'll the saeristy
this morning at about $50 O'CLOCK
there We're already waiting some hun
dred persons who. like myself, had
anxiously come in advance to witness
at close range the wonderful sight.
Precisely at o'clock from another
sacristy came five or six monsignori
and as many assisting ministers
wearing white surplices, and the ven-
cradle canon who was to hold the
vial of blood during the miracle ana
show it to the people.
THE blood is most carefully pre-
served in a glass bottle globular in
shape and holding about a wineglass
and a half. | have seen this bottle
brimful of the blood and at other
times only about half full. For this
is one of the most remarkable fea-
lures of the miracle, that the blood not
only changes from the solid to the
liquid state of itself, but also that
before the eyes of the spectators it
changes its color, its volume and even
its mass
Repeated weighing have shown
eonclusively that the weight varies
considerably before and after, so that
really it is not SO much the same
liquid changing its color. state of
density and volume as it is veri-
table decrease and increase of the
blood taking place. And this with
the blood Theoretically sealed. In
fact, for more than century the seal
has never been broken.
so tightly eorked and inclosed in
the second surrounding hoop shaped
reliquary is the blood vial that it
would be impossible for human hands
to remove the stopper without break
ing the two outer plates of glass.
When not actually before the gaze OF
the multitudes this double sealed
relic is kept in a strong metal safe
built firmly in the wall behind the
superb main altar. In this same safe
is contained the life size silver bust
of St. Januarius with the skull of the
martyr within. It's heavy silver
doors are locked with four great keys,
two of which are in the custody of the
of Naples and two in that
of the mayor of the city.
From all, this it follows that it is
absurd to believe that there is any
with the blood, for genu
inc blood it has proved to be, Among
other tests for genuine blood it has
been demonstrated and pronounced
we'll known spectroscope analysis OF
Prof. Sperindeo and Prof. Rafael
Januario of the university of Naples
with others on the evening of Sep
TENDER IS. 1902.
Having arrived at the main altar
the clergy say a few prayers and then 4
retire with lighted candles to the de-
pository, where the different repre-
are in waiting with their
keys to unlock the great
silver doors. The faces of these
doors, once beautifully. engraved, have
been worn SMOOTH by the kisses of
the millions of:sdeygdtk pilgrims who
have come hither.e during the past
centuries. 81
First the martyrs skull in the sill
Yer bust is carried to the front of the
altar and deposited on the gospel
SIDE Immediately after this the
blood is brought forth by the aged
canon. At this moment the sanctu-
ARK gates are thrown open and as
the people press on and I'll every inche
of space, / take my stand with other
fortunate ones ON the very top step
of the altar. Now as the blood is
held up before the people gaze
closely at it. for now il is only about
one foot distant from my eyes.
1T occupies about half the globu-
lar bottle and when turned upside
down remains perfectly fixed. SO
that one of the assisting ministers
declares the absolute truth when he
says aloud, after scrutinizing it, e