COMING EVENTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 49, 26 January 1884, Page 3

COMING EVENTS.

■ *" v (Meecutd ia Auckland-Herald.) ' wise men j*xho read the stars are ohcej more to the fore with their .theories^ What is the meaning of the present) ex^ntordiilary weather 1 f . Nothing, quoth they^i^ simpler! 0 Tt* means that for the first time m 2000 years' the ! four great planets- of the solar system have.; their /perihelia coincidental-^in : other words/ Jii jiiicv, ' V vatuis, Saturn, and Nepttlue will allbfe attheir nearest approach to the sun about the same i time, a eireu mstance which, we.are told, ; presages atmospheric disturbance^ terrific raias, prolonged droughts, pestilence,! and all manner of ills that flesh is heir \,o. Ten years ago, 'a /writer dis-. cussipg this perihelion coincidence said, "We are rapidly approaching* what will be one of: the most perilous and miilific periods of the earth's history " ; and oddly enougli liis pi?t?dictioh seems to be coming ■ vWue,- foii • what ' • with chol e^a, ,earthq.u.'ike?/volffanic eruptions, seist^iic 'uphcavals^idWwtWar^ and so forth; ws havejhada bad time of it lately, m very truth '.'j|^ pewlous arid ; nialific/peribd.'* This iwriter pointe4 out that statistical data |went to show that perihelion dates have 'always i been marked by kinusual mortality and dire calamities. 1 'Thus m the sixth, and again m the sixteenth century, three, ot.j these planets were coincidental m perihelion, and. those were the juo^t pestilential times m the Christian era. But with all four of the planers m that interesting position for the fii'st i.time since the commencement of the Christian era, ; what may not happen ? Harken tbilie words of this prophetic- writer :— „ „ „ _„ -. "Eor afew years, say fi^om, lßßo.to 1885,' vifUlity of every living thingwill be \>\ it to a severe and trying . ordeal . Somepe'rsphs ih'ink, tha^hey see m the. sign of the times evidence,, of the great disasters' at hand m ' fho ; immodjate 'ftitui'Q.' "Exiren|es '.'pi ij',e;it; and j.cold,!; the prevalence of: V-f><>\ V . s« nd. (djaasioi's, . the g^nftVal.failftre of liio iK»tatQ ; :croj», the wjdtepread ciii]l.]Fr.'vei auiony human being 4 '*nd thp^ equal ,j>ru.?enee of .the ,epizootiij . among ; animals,, jue men . tioned) ' as a'mong^j the premonitions of : /the ' rapidly " approaching-, perihelion. "" Tlia^ the jcpn joint perihelion, of all the large planets of the solar system, one of which, Jupiter, is a thousand tittles' as! large as i/lio earth must ; disturb our atmosphere and temperature. \ery considerably, ig' probable; -that i thj,s; diatarbance' must be . injuvibuKito .health and life' isi certain j and: .tiia-b;. these rpariods heretofore bJRep iipe^ilebiial is /a i matter ; of recoi'di" ... . :i u! . Li:r .. 4 „.:,-.■ ■': ■ These. words,. written ten years ago, have a curious i significance to-day. ' I don'fc place, much' reliaDce on the pro dictioiis ( of astronomical alarmists, but f confess I shall breathe freer when i that "conjunct perihelion v is all over.