The North-Carolinian., 1853-08-20
From the Raiegih Register

troi" the Raiegih Register
THE GREEN sun OF 1881
In the memory of many yet living,
there occurred in 1881, IA phenomenon
which will never be forgotten by them
aud which will be handed down ~ tradi-
tinn TO their remote>t .eneratons Par.
aiie' circumstances gave the phenomenon
an unusual Importance. and all the lean
lnsS "i super sutton added TO its strength
In the year 1851. in the mouth of Au-
gust. during the dog days, appeared what
was called the green sua. For many days
previous, IA heavy and mysterious silence
had chained the elements. no clouds had
o5scured the sky. and no forked light tiinrs
had clcavsa the armament. The deep
muiterlnss of the thunder were unbeard.
yet pail hung over the face of nature.
\ strange and solemn calm rested upon
every thing, and men looked wondering. al
each other to divine the result.
Those who have read Latrobe's VOYAGE
dowh the OHIO. IN 1911. at the time when
the great earthquake OF that year devastat-
ed the west, It they sd" this phenomenon,
can enter iuto his feelings. Then the Son
seemed to stand still in its course, para
Iyzed and benumbed, shorn of it's rays.
aud powerless for good or evil while
nature stood ashast, waiting the hidden
agency which was to assert IA new power.
Days passed on upon the Ohio, and while
ii general gloom overshrouded the country.
The issue was at last unexpectedly preci-S
plated, aud the whole valley ef the ukynfs II
torn by the iuost terrible % sfh1nnf
kn0WE in Nprthcrn AMerica. -
In 1881, nature here assumcJ4he q SAM!
mysterious aalb. and those who rene mbc r-s
Ell the disasters of New Madrid and the
valley OF the Mississippi, looked forward
10 repetition Of the same. At lesgth
the CT isis seemed to have come. rhc sun.
which rose clear and cioudless in the morn
| ing and reached the meridian i'm full glory.
alter passing it, began to assume "a pale
| aud s,kIy hue. aud by four O'Clock was
totally deprived Of all Illuminating power.
Ii then had the appearance of a greenish
globe, thlekly set across its diameter with
black spots of various sizes; which con-
tipueu Visible to the naked eve, until sun
set. lly alter day this was repeated,
| untii the heart became sick with dread
| anticipation. Nor were fears misplaced
! or creduity too active. 1t was then, by
| Il strange coincidence Of horrors, that the
| murtler"us blows OF Nat. Turner were
struck. aud the negroes of Southampton
believed ior while that they were free
'nen. Then. in this State, and virginia.
with the sky looming vengeance upon US :,
| ":'H encouraging the OiaCkS To freeuOni,
according to the reading of the oracle.
we're enacted those horrible tragedies. 80
eagerly s"uSht to be renewed by the aboli-
tionis,s Of thi, day. No man went to his
bed without placing his gun within reach,
aud no family separated tor the night with
out dismal torebodings. The enemy was
OF their own household. But the defeat
Of the insurgents IN Virginia, and summary
punishment upon the rebeIIions in North
Carolina, at length restored qviet, and
though those disturbances will never be
forgotten. they will be remembered as
things that cannut be repeated.
W bile man reassumed his accustomed
calm. nature proceeded to Do the same,
and alter daily obscurity Of some weeks,
| the sl,one out with hi, usual brilliancy
and iervor. A solution to this phenomenon
has never been offered. 1t seems never to
have attracted the attention philosophers.
1t may have been owing to dense exbala-
tions from previous cop,ous rains. which
hung suspended in the air, without assum-
in. the cloud form. Why the sun, how
ever, should have assumed the green hue.
seems beyond explanation. 1t certainly
did. however and left the face Of the King
Of day exposed to the irreverent curiosity
of the profane, showing more patches than
he is generally willing to acknowledge.