DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0219
A SHOWER OF YELLOW DUST. 105
ened with it. It was followed by rain. Some people assign
the cause of it to some extraordinary eruption of Hecla.’
Phil. Trans, vol. Ixiv. p. 297-
In June, 1*55, I returned to Zetland, and found what
Mr. Brown had written me was attested by Mr. Mitchell,
parson of the parish of Tengwall, and by several gentlemen
of credit and reputation, who had seen and observed the same
phenomenon in different parts of the country at the time
above-mentioned,
“ I found the wind had blown south-west, which does not
seem to favour the opinion, that the dust proceeded from
an eruption of Mount Hecla, which lies north-west from
Zetland.”
Ann. Reg. 1758, p. 349.
A SHOWER OF YELLOW DUST.
April 19, 17dl. The wind being south-west, between
eleven and twelve at noon, there fell at Bourdeaux, a shower of
yellow powder, resembling the flour of brimstone, but of a little
deeper colour, which soon lay a quarter of an inch deep in
many parts of the city. The inhabitants, having never seen the
like, were greatly alarmed ; their minds were possessed with a
thousand frightful ideas. Pure sulphur could proceed from no-
thing but some dreadful volcano; they expected torrents of fire
to follow the eruption, and every minute to see the earth open
and swallow them all. In a word, the final dissolution was
thought to be at hand.
While the multitude were foolishly terrified with their own
chimeras, our physicians, and some other sensible citizens,
coolly collected this powder, examined it with attention,
viewed it through a microscope, and soon discovered the
simplicity of the phenomenon. It was nothing more than
the dust or pow der of the stamina of the flowers of pincsv
ened with it. It was followed by rain. Some people assign
the cause of it to some extraordinary eruption of Hecla.’
Phil. Trans, vol. Ixiv. p. 297-
In June, 1*55, I returned to Zetland, and found what
Mr. Brown had written me was attested by Mr. Mitchell,
parson of the parish of Tengwall, and by several gentlemen
of credit and reputation, who had seen and observed the same
phenomenon in different parts of the country at the time
above-mentioned,
“ I found the wind had blown south-west, which does not
seem to favour the opinion, that the dust proceeded from
an eruption of Mount Hecla, which lies north-west from
Zetland.”
Ann. Reg. 1758, p. 349.
A SHOWER OF YELLOW DUST.
April 19, 17dl. The wind being south-west, between
eleven and twelve at noon, there fell at Bourdeaux, a shower of
yellow powder, resembling the flour of brimstone, but of a little
deeper colour, which soon lay a quarter of an inch deep in
many parts of the city. The inhabitants, having never seen the
like, were greatly alarmed ; their minds were possessed with a
thousand frightful ideas. Pure sulphur could proceed from no-
thing but some dreadful volcano; they expected torrents of fire
to follow the eruption, and every minute to see the earth open
and swallow them all. In a word, the final dissolution was
thought to be at hand.
While the multitude were foolishly terrified with their own
chimeras, our physicians, and some other sensible citizens,
coolly collected this powder, examined it with attention,
viewed it through a microscope, and soon discovered the
simplicity of the phenomenon. It was nothing more than
the dust or pow der of the stamina of the flowers of pincsv