Evening star., 1921-05-15

I The Indians called the comet big
knife in the sky"
The war began with bloody
massacre Of American soldiers under
Gen. Wiley Thompson at Fort King.
All were slaughtered. Osceola scalped
Gen. Thompson with his own hands.
On the same day Mai. Dade OF the
United States Army, who was leading
a relief expedition into Florida from
Tampa bay, was ambushed by the In
dians near Wahoo swamp and massa-
cred with his men. OF the whole ex-
pedition only four men escaped death.
With the passing of the comet to
the southern hemisphere bloody wars
| broke out one after another in Mex
leo. Cuba, Central America, Ecuador.
Bolivia, Peru and Argentina All
those countries were in a welter OF
| blood.
| At theosame time the American set
tiers of Texas declared themselves in
| dependent and made open war on
Mexico. The war began with the
American frontiersmen fought and
defeated over a thousand Mexican SOL
diera. This was followed by other
fierce fights at Goliad and Bexar.
Next came the bloody massacre of
the Alamo, when all of Bowie's and
killed in an all-night fight. Out of
200 Americans every man fell at his
post. This was the deed Of blood on
which Joaquin Miller wrote his stir
ring Ballad Of the Alamo"
One month before the final disap-
pearance OF the comet the Texas war
came TO an end with the bloody bat
tie OF San Jacinto, when Sam Hous-
ton, with 500 American frontiersmen,
defeated 1.500 Mexicans and made a
prisoner of President Santa Ana of
Mexico.
When the comet had passed to the
southern hemisphere it was seen at
its brightest in South Africa. The
pious Beers of Cape Colony under
stood 1t to be a sign from heaven and
1ortnwith set out on their gerat trek
across the Orange and vaal rivers,
Wnere they founded the Orange Free
state and Transvaal Republic
Thus the comet was the signal for
the first blood drawn in the long
night between the British and Beers.
ls62-Second civil war comet"
another comet of very peculiar ap-
pearance. with Jets Of flame faring
from Its head. showed itself during
| The civil war was then at its height
The coming of the comet was taken
to herald the bloody battles Of Shiloh,
Williamsburg, Seven Days. Seven
Pines. Cedar Mountain and Antietam,
all fought that year after tho comets
1ssI-Garfield's comet. The comet
showed itself for few nights only
in March during the week following
President Garfeld's Inauguration. II
was observed also in Russia. On
March 13, Emperor Alexander II of
Russia, was assassinated with a
bomb. Three months later President
Garfield was assassinated in WASH
ington.
1Ss2-Comet OF Tel-el-Kebir A
comet with two tails was seen at its
brightest over Egypt during the first
two weeks Of September. Egypt was
then in the midst of Arab Pasha's
uprising against the British. On
September IS. whom the comet was
last seen, Arab Pasha was over
thrown by Cen Wolseley in the
bloody battle OF Tel-el-Kebir.
1906-San Francisco comet. A
comet discovered by Ross on March
II, remaining visible for one month.
Observed from the Lick Observatory
IN California. On April II came the
California earthquake and burning OF
San Francisco.
1soS-Morehouse's comet. Visible
for more than a month. during the
autumn. In Italy IL was interpreted
afterward as an omen foreboding tire
Messina earthquake late in the year.
191O-Halley's comet. Great warn
prophesieA. Pestiaonoer Andrdissese,