Part 12 (2/2)

Just here appeared another great sign in the heavens, foretold by the word of prophecy. Of the sign that was to follow the darkening of the sun and moon, Christ's prophecy says:

”The stars shall fall from heaven.” Matt. 24:29.

The prophet John beheld the spectacle in a vision of the last days, and described it in these words:

”The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Rev. 6:13.

On Nov. 13, 1833, came the wondrous celestial exhibition of falling stars, which is listed as one of the most remarkable phenomena of the astronomical story.

Meteoric displays, swarms of shooting stars, have been observed at various times all through the ages; but this phenomenon, coming in the order given by the prophecy, that is, following the darkening of the sun, const.i.tuted the sublime display answering to the pen-picture of the Apocalypse,--as if all the stars of heaven were falling to the earth.

The essential thing about a sign is that it shall be seen, that the circ.u.mstances of its appearance shall fasten attention. Not in America alone, but equally in all the civilized world, as a topic of study, this sign in the heavens commanded the attention of men.

An English scientist, Rev. Thomas Milner, F.R.G.S., wrote:

”The attention of astronomers in Europe, and all over the world, was, as may be imagined, strongly roused by intelligence of this celestial display on the Western continent.”--_”The Gallery of Nature” (London, 1852), p. 141._

This writer called it ”by far the most splendid display on record.”--_Id., p. 139._

Another English astronomical writer of more recent date says:

”Once for all, then, as the result of the star fall of 1833, the study of luminous meteors became an integral part of astronomy.”--_Clerke, ”History of Astronomy in the Nineteenth Century,” p. 329._

This same work describes the extent of the display as follows:

”On the night of Nov. 12-13, 1833, a tempest of falling stars broke over the earth. North America bore the brunt of its pelting. From the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, until daylight with some difficulty put an end to the display, the sky was scored in every direction with s.h.i.+ning tracks and illuminated with majestic fireb.a.l.l.s.”--_Page 328._

The Spectacle Described

The closest scientific observations were made by Prof. Denison Olmsted, professor of astronomy at Yale, who wrote in the _American Journal of Science_:

”The morning of Nov. 13, 1833, was rendered memorable by an exhibition of the phenomenon called shooting stars, which was probably more extensive and magnificent than any similar one hitherto recorded.... Probably no celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with so much admiration and delight by one cla.s.s of spectators, or with so much astonishment and fear by another cla.s.s. For some time after the occurrence, the 'meteoric phenomenon' was the princ.i.p.al topic of conversation in every circle.”--_Volume XXV (1834), pp. 363, 364._

Prof. Simon Newcomb, the astronomer, declares this phenomenal exhibition of falling stars ”the most remarkable one ever observed.” (See ”Astronomy for Everybody,” p. 280.)

This was not merely a display of an unusual number of falling stars, such as Humboldt observed in South America in 1799, or such as we find recorded of other times before and since. It was a ”shower” of falling stars, just such a spectacle as one must picture from the words of the prophecy, ”And the stars of heaven fell.”

The French astronomer Flammarion says of the density of the shower:

”The Boston observer, Olmsted, compared them, at the moment of maximum, to half the number of flakes which we perceive in the air during an ordinary shower of snow.”--_”Popular Astronomy,”

p. 536._

This affords us a better idea of the scene than the estimate of 34,640 stars an hour, which was made by Professor Olmsted after the rain of the stars had greatly abated, so that he was able to make an attempt at counting.

Dr. Humphreys, president of St. John's College, Annapolis, said of the appearance at the Maryland capital:

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