The Rhode Islander

Atmospherical Phenomenon.

From the Nashville Banner.

A Shower of Flesh and Blood.

'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'

Thus spake the Prince of Denmark, and every day we hear of something to confirm the remark. On Tuesday we heard from various persons that a shower, apparently of flesh and blood, had fallen in Wilson county, near Lebanon, in this State, and that the fields were covered to a considerable extent. The account staggered our belief; but, strange as it may appear, it has been confirmed by the statement of several gentlemen of high character, who have personally examined the scene of this phenomenon. They state that the space covered by this extraordinary shower is half a mile in length and about seventy-five yards in width. In addition to the information just received, we have been favored by Dr. Troost, professor of chemistry in the University of Nashville, with the following letter from a highly respectable physician of Lebanon. We have also seen the specimens sent to him for examination. To us they appear to be animal matter, and the odor is that of putrid flesh. We do not pretend to offer any theory to account for this phenomenon: we leave that to abler and more scientific hands. When the specimens have passed thro' the crucibles of Dr. Troost, we will furnish our readers with the result:

Lebanon, August 8th, 1841.

Dr. G. Troost: I have sent you some matter, which appears, from an authentic source, to have fallen from the clouds. With me there can be no doubt of its being animal matter—blood, muscular fibre, and adipose matter. Please account to us, if you can, on philosophical principles, for the cause of this phenomenon. The particles I send you I gathered with my own hands. From the extent of surface over which it has spread, and the regular manner it exhibited on some green tobacco leaves, leaves very little or no doubt of its having fallen like a shower of rain, and it is stated, on the authority of some negroes only, to have fallen from a small red cloud—no other clouds visible in the heavens at the time. It took place on Friday last, between eleven and twelve o'clock, about five miles northeast of Lebanon. I have sent what I think to be a drop of blood, the other particles composed of muscle and fat, although the proportions of the shower appeared to be a much larger quantity of blood than of other properties.

I am, in haste, your most obedient servant,

W. P. Sayle.

From the Nashville Banner, August 23.

We publish to-day, from the Lebanon Chronicle, some further details of the 'Shower of Blood' which fell in Wilson county. Our readers may rest assured of the facts stated, however we are unable to account for them. A scientific gentleman of this city left here on Saturday, on a visit to the scene of this phenomenon, for the purpose of gathering further particulars.

The following communication is from too respectable a source to question its verity; we therefore give place to it. We will add that we have evidences of the fact, that the substance mentioned in the communication did fall from the heavens in a shower, that no man in his senses can doubt. Although no one save the negroes saw it fall, yet the manner it was found spattered upon the tobacco leaves could leave no doubt upon the mind of any one who saw it that it had fallen. We have seen and examined the substance—what it is, we do not pretend to conjecture; but it looks like putrid flesh, or a bloody glutinous matter concreted, and smells very nauseous. It is indeed a miraculous occurrence, but not stranger than true. Scores of men of unimpeachable veracity will testify to the fact of the substance being found as described in the following communication, and none who have seen the place and learned the circumstances pretend to question its having fallen from the heavens.

For the Chronicle.

Mr. Editor; it is with some degree of diffidence I submit to the task of making the following communication to the public through your paper; being well aware that, from the novelty and strangeness of the occurrence which I shall relate, I shall subject myself to the incredulity of the public. But as the facts can be attested by a number of witnesses of the first respectability, I feel indemnified in making the statement.

The facts are as follows: On Saturday last a young man brought to my office a small piece of tobacco leaf, with an apparent drop of coagulated blood upon it, and requested an analysis of it—stating that the substance upon the leaf had fallen from a cloud in the heavens. This excited my curiosity, and led me to make particular inquiry relative to this strange phenomenon. I ascertained that Mr. J. M. Peyton, of Lebanon, was in the neighborhood at the time this strange shower fell, which led me to inquire of him. Mr. P's. statement was, that he was at the house of Mr. E. M. Chandler, living on Spring creek, about five miles from Lebanon, on Friday last; that about 1 or 2 o'clock P. M. two of Mr. Chandler's negroes came in from the tobacco field, where they had been at work, and stated to their master that it had been raining blood in the tobacco field. Whereupon Mr. Chandler, accompanied by Mr. Peyton and Mr. D. S. Dew, returned with the negroes, and found, promiscuously scattered over a portion of the field, drops of blood, adhering to the tobacco leaves. This statement of Mr. Peyton's—he being a gentleman of strict veracity—induced me to go in person to the spot and examine for myself. Accordingly, on Sunday last, I went to the house of Mr. Chandler, who, in company with Mr. T. R. and John Jackson, proceeded with me to the tobacco ground. Mr. Chandler stated, in substance, the same that Mr. Peyton had stated: that his negroes were at work in the tobacco, and about half past 11 or 12 o'clock a rattling noise like rain or hail was heard by them falling round, which they soon found to be drops of blood falling. On looking up, the negroes state they saw a small red cloud, passing swiftly from east to west, immediately over their heads, and which, soon after passing over them, disappeared entirely.

Mr. Chandler and Mr. Peyton visited the place, about 3 o'clock the same evening, and found, as they thought, drops of blood and small portions of flesh. Mr. C. stated he found a piece which he thought to be about half flesh and half fat, an inch and a half or two inches long, all of which produced a very offensive smell, extending all over the field. My visit was not until Sunday evening, about fifty hours from the time the matter fell; at that time, there was no odor perceptible, except when the particles were brought very near; the smell was then very offensive. I examined the drops on the tobacco leaves, and satisfied myself that they had fallen perpendicularly on the leaves. I next examined for the extent of the shower, and ascertained it to have been from forty to sixty yards in width, and six or eight hundred yards in length. A forest on the east, and a field of woods on the west, prevented our tracing it beyond the green tobacco. It was thinly scattered, probably a drop for every ten or fifteen feet, although irregularly dispersed. I gathered from the leaves some particles, which appeared to have been clear blood, uncombined with any thing else; others seemed to be finely-pulverized muscle and blood mixed, and others composed of muscular fibre, and adipose matter interspersed, one portion of which I found an oily exudation issuing from, caused by the heat of the sun. As to the quantity which probably fell, I could get no very satisfactory account, so as to make a probable statement; but that it did fall in a shower over the space above mentioned, and that it is animal matter, are facts unquestioned by me, both from my own observation and from the statements of the gentlemen before named, who are both men of unquestionable veracity. Mr. Chandler and his neighbors have great confidence in the veracity of his boy, who witnessed the falling of the matter. I forbear any further comments at present; I would only add that I have sent all the matter I could collect to Dr. Gerard Troost, of Nashville, who will, no doubt, exhibit it to any person who may call on him, where they may examine for themselves, and give the philosophical cause if they please.