The Placer herald., 1869-09-04
Remarkable Phenomenon at Caraboo.


Letters and papers from Caraboo describe
an extraordinary phenomenon as having =
occurred on William Creek on the 2Oth Of
July, which filled all minds with conjecture, :
mingled n some with solemn awe, and others
with CONSERVATION. During the day dense
smoke clonds bad been gathering about the
hills, apparently the effect of distant fires. :.
At 2:3o p. NJ, the sun looked like an amber
ball floating in lake Of smoke. At 4
O'Clock all had the appearance of night
close at hand At $3.50 it was NIGHT in
earnest, all outdoor business abandoned and
store and cabin lit up as in the darkest night.
AT 1t was not only night, and that of deepest
darkness, but it was an impervious, impene-
trable gloom, oppressive to all the senses, ;
The line from "Young's Night Thoughts
would float in the memory's darkness, how
deep! Silence, bow profound! And the
Great Creators statement made in relation
to the Egyptian plague was realized Even
darkness which may be felt" fer truly and.
most painfully it was felt" and in wav
hat none can describe, or any that felt it
ever forget. -. ,-,,
Its effects upon humanity we're very
marked. The face was indicative Of solemn
thought; not unmixed with anxiety and care, :
The suppressed tone of voice and the half
whispered question, Wha. can it be bow
will it end r. The gloom was doubtless
deepensd by dense electric clouds. and the
feeling of awe heightened by a thunder storm p
OF 20 usual order le. even the lightning
aud thunder seemed to struggle in the grasp
of difficulty, and to be opposed by some
power unknown before The lightning could
only pierce few feet Of the "thick dark
ness" aud that only with a pale and sickly
flicker, whilst the thunder seemed to be a
4iant power sullocating in attempts to be
heard. lis impression on the mind was that
of the midnight funeral of creation. the LIGHT,
ping becoming funeral lamps in the pioces- /,
sion to the sepulchre; and the thunder the
"mutlled drum" Of the dead march," At
about $50 rain fell or rather a shower Of
yellow, muddy water, having the appearance
(when light came back) of strong I've from
Ieeched ashes, and SO copious was the fal! i.
that man, and trees. and housetops were
plastered with it. With the rain came a
current Of air, and with the subsiding of the
rain came the strange but welcome dawn Of
evening and evening time there was light !"
Aud beautiful was the breaking of the day
IN the evening. The whole heavens became
clothed in sottest yellow drapery, tinted with
amber, and subsiding gradually at 1880 INTO
our lovely, soft and long northern twilight,
he prelude of pleasant mountain night.
Aud now came the congratulations of frends
and hs joyous greetings of those who had
not seen tho face of nature, or the human
face, except in the light of some dwelling
for three hours aud half of terrible dark
ness overlook them. How cherry, then.
when returning light, came the ringing,
musical "good morning" at eyeutide, each
and all feeling that painful and distressing
night bad passed, and all were ready to SUBJ
scribe to the philosophy that Light is life
and that da kness is DEATH" And now, what
was the cause of this strange and deep dark,
ness? The answer to this will leave with
Others, only recording few concomants Of
the dalk affair, both in relation to its ap-
proach and disappearance First, there was
st,ll atmosphere; second, heavy smoke
clouds; third, the air was loaded with dust.
wood ashes and leaves of trees, such as pine,
spruce, hr, maple and many punches of tree
moss with parts Of tree branches attached
tell IN the streets; fourth, an unusual accu-
10 u alton of electric clouds, as if piled ayer
upon layer, and all the heavens covered at
the same time, and laundering from five to
SIX points OF the compass in rapid succession.
Then came change. A breeze sprung up,
the thunder clouds passed away.~the rain
brought down the dust and ."snes and then
light came. And here z leave the dark sub
iect to the ilum;-.ting process Of the phil
osopher. may add that the creek WA
xr.,@d py many during the evening, drawn
'h'ioer oy It's strange appearance. that Of
soapsuds and strong lye, with the slinnerv
uo'seess e'ide OF soap and water. rather than
1ne dasn'ng' ringing sound of creek We
90 no' aes're repetition of night in day
''me. And men have been taught their
po"er'essness IN the grasp of even secondary
causes. Who. then, shall contend with the
great frsl cause. - Philadelphia Bulletin,