Evening star., 1919-12-17
FAILURE OF WORLD TO END
SHOCKS PROPHECY BELIEVERS
Superstitiious We're Fearful, Though Sci
entists Scoffed at Idea-Ominous Posi-
ton of Planets Well Advertised.

NEW YORK. December 17.-Aston-
ment was expressed by the superstl-
F., tious when the earth did not come
to an end today.
The ominous position of the planets
had been well press agented and some
astrologers and persons versed IN
witchcraft had maintained that at the
precise moment when the MAJOR
leaguers of the solar system formed
themselves in straight line with
Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter. Mars. venus
and Mercury on one side of the sun
and Uranus the other, the earth.
which had moved four or five solar
PAGES to the front of the line. would
behave like the one-ho1se shay.
Scientists had scoffed the idea, but
superstitious ones recalled having
lighted three cigarettes with one
match or having walked under lad
der or having done in recent historic
times one of the thousand and one
other things known far and VIDE as
omens of evil days
Students in Porto Rico are reported
to have been so unfavorably impress
ed with their chances for continuing
life yesterday that they asked for a
holiday to prepare for the worst
Harold Jacoby. professor Of astron-
omy at Columbia, intinlated that their
actions might have been due to the
desire of youth everywhere 10 nave d
holiday He and many other Scien-
lists maintained that the effect upon
the earth of the planetary alignment
would be nil.
Not Modern Proposition.
| Astrologers have predicted the end
OF the world on somewhat similar
| occasions for centuries AS early as
11S6 the world escaped one of their
threatened cataclysms. Dlsappolnt-
ment at the escape did not prevent
Stoffier from predicting universal
| it turned out, which was distinguished
/ for drought.
! times. was credited with being equal
| ly sure that 400 years after her tlns
in 1881, to be exact-the world
would come to an end The prediction
caused much agitation in England
when the date she set arrived. Ihou-
sands of persons deserted thelr MONIES
and went out into the fields to await
anrihila ton.
Various religious cults have made
speciality in more recent years OF
Srecifvinc an hC'1r aG the earn -
setting forth scriptural or pseudo.
| scientific arguments IN support VI
their contentious.
| Prof. Albert r. Psrta. meteoToio-
gist. is given credit for first thinking
| up today's catastrophe.
SuII ApprehcnSive in Chicago.
CHICAGO. December 17.-Some of
the superstitious here who. according
! to ministers. had quietly prepared Tor
| the end of the earth by increased
J church attendance still awaited TO-DAY
the catastrophe which had been 1ore-
! cast by Prof. Porta.
| Refutations of the world annihlla-
| ton idea as expounded bv Prof I'd
win B. Frost superintendent OF the
| Williams Bay. Wis. observatory;
| Prof. Forrest G. Moulton of the astro-
nomical department of the University
! of Chicago and Prof. Philip Fox, who
| explains the heavens to Northwestern
! University classes. were read with
degree of skepticism by few.
/ Mr.. Frost said that for a month
! letters have been pouring into his
office seeking information. He hoped
he had relieved one Womans appre-
hersions when he mailed her special
| delivery statement of the truth IN
reply to her assertion that she had
| inquiries came from all over TINS
! country and England, he said.
| 1.-THE conjunction of the planets may
| possibly have some slight effect upon
! the weather. but no serious disturb
| ances can possibly result" said Prof
/ Moulton.
Many Call Observatory.
PITTSBURGH. December 17.-Dr.
| Frank Schlesinger. director OF the Ale
gheny observatory. was busy this morn
| ing answering telephone calls from anx-
| ious persons in all parts of western
Pennsylvania. who wanted to know just
| when the lend of the world" would
| come.
He quieted all their fears with the