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Subject: [Q-R] Excerpt of History
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2004 18:07:40 EST
......" Probably the most effective doomsday prophet was a middle aged
Vermont farmer named William Miller. He was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in
1782, the first of 16 children. During his younger years there was talk of that
mysterious black day of 1780. In his early adult life, Miller was not a church
goer, He was a lieutenant in the Army, stationed at the Canadian border during
the War of 1812 and he narrowly escaped death twice while there. He first
accidentally fell out of a wagon, split open his head and was unconscious for
days, suffering from a brain concussion. A few months later, he was stricken with
the pox. His arm was badly ulcerated from the disease but, only because
Miller insisted, the arm was saved from amputation. After these incidents he became
a church goer. Miller married Lucy Smith of Poultney, Vermont, where they
settled after the War.
In 1816, when Miller was 34, there was another Doomsday, actually a
series of them. It wasn't just New England that was affected but 25 states.It
began in the Spring when the earth didn't thaw and northern farmers couldn't
plant their crops. During May and June they were inundated with hail and sleet
storms. There were eight nights of frost during June.Summer temperatures fell
to 40 degrees as far south as Florida.It snowed in the Great Lakes region
during July. Also, a strange halo was arching the sun each day. Many, including
William Miller, read and reread the many prophecies of doom in the Bible.
Scientists concluded that the wintery summer of 1816 was caused by a volcanic
eruption in Bali, in the East Indies, carrying heavy ash over the United States,
blocking out the suns rays, Miller insisted it was a prelude to Judgment
Day".....................
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