The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1913-01-17
SCARES IN LONDON
When CrankS Predicted the De-
Struction OF the City.
TERROR RULED THE PEOPLE.

Bell, Lunatio. Had the Entire Popu-
Iation In a Frenzy OF Fear Awaiting
the End by Earthquake In 1761-The
River Thames Panic OF 1924.
Men. IL has been well said. think in
herds. IL will be seen that they go
mad in herds, for innumerable in
stances can be given of a whole people
suddenly shaking OF the trammels of
reason aud running wild under the dc
fusion of some impending calamity
panic terror of the end of the
world spread over London in 1886 by
the prophesy of the famous Winston,
who predicted that the world would
be destroyed on Oct, IL In that year.
Crowds OF people went out on the APP
pointed day to lslpgton, Highgate.
Hampstead and the intervening fields
40 witness the destruction of London.
which was to be the beginning of the
end
Again in the year 1904 the citizens OF
London were plunged into excitement
by two earthquake shocks. and the
3
strov them altogether The first of
these shocks was on Feb and threw
down several chimneys; the second
was on March :, Public notice was
directed to the fact that there was ex-
actly months interval between tho
two shocks. and a crack Drained fell
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 s
As the awful day approached the ex-
element became intense and great
numbers OF credulous people resorted
to all the villages within circuit of
twenty miles, there to await the doom
of London. Blackbeath, lsllngton.
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 il usual In panics, the fear be-
came contagious and hundreds who
had laughed ut the prediction Il week
before packed mp their goods and chat
tells when they saw others doing so
and hastened away The river was
thought to be place of great security,
and accordingly all the available mer-
chant vessels and bnrges were packed
with people, who passed the night be
tween the 4th and 9th on board ex
pecting every moment to see st. paul's
totter and the towers Of Westminster
abbey rock and fall amid cloud of
dust But on the following day the
greater part of the fugitives returned.
convinced that the prophecy was
false one. A few months afterward
Bell was confined In a lunatic asylum.
where he died
Great CONSERVATION was caused in
London In 1924 10y 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 emierants increased
| In January drOves Of wOrkmen might
be seen. followed by their wives and
| children, trudging on foot to the viii
lagos within fifteen or twenty miles to
await the catastrophe People OF a
higher class were also to be seen In
vehicles bound on II similar GRAND
BY the middle of january Mt 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
north and Croydon on the wutb of the
Thames.
On the fateful morning the wonder.
ing crowds were astir at an early hour
TO watch the rising OF the waters. Ii
was predicted that the inundation
would be gradual. not sudden, so that
they expected to have plenty of time
to escape ns soon rs they saw the wa
tiers 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 It's
usual height and then ebbed again, Just
as If twenty astroogers had not pledg
ed their wUrd to the contrary
Blank were their faces rs 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 lO,-
600 Still, however. the people were
afraid to 80 TO sleep Many hun
dreds remained up till dawn OF the
next day, lest the dpluge should come
upon them like n thief In the night
On the morrow II was seriously dis
rnssed whether It would not be advis
able to duck the false prophets In the
river Luckily for them they thought
of an expedlent which alayed the
popular fury They asserted that by
an error they had Fixed the date OF
this awful lnundAtion Il century too
early The present generation OF
cockneys we're safe ana London would
be washed nway. not In 1924, but IN
1924 london Family Herald.
There Is no witness so terrible, no
accuser so powerful as cOH5cisnce.-
POlybIus