The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-08-17
A DARK DAY IN 1880.

The little "onpleasautuess between the sun
and the moon which occurred on the 18th |
inst, and the consequent GOODNESS Of the
former luminary appears not to have been
unprecedented. Other people besides the
happy nineteenth centurists have also had
MONDAY night to look at through smoked
glasses. The Cape Ann AdrertiSer gives
the subjoined account Of good old fashion.
ed midday night that occurred in New
England in l7SO, in comparison with>which
our big eclipse was mer" side chow for the
amusement Of the children;
The 18th Of May, 1850, was a remarkable one
in the annals Of New England, on account of the
thick darkness that Oyerspread the land, like II
funeral pail II was day long to DO remember
ed and talked of by those who witnessed the
strange, and at that time, fearful phenomenon
There was much writing upon aud discussion OF
the subject, at the time, AMI afterwards, but be
Ieye no satisfactory conclusion was ever arrived
at as to its cause. There were some who thought
that it must have proceeded from total eclipse
Of the sun, that had from some cause escaped the
calculations of mathemAticians and astronomers,
but that was easily shown to be impossible by
facts and figures.
1t was the darkest and most hopeless period Of
the war Of the Revolution, and it was thought by
many of the Responding and discouraged to DC
significant OF the end Of hat which then appeared
to be hopeless struggle. Some of the more
sanguine insisted that as the hour before dawn
was always the darkest, 50 this strange and p0r.
tontous gloom was but the prelude to the bright
dawn of Liberty and independence that was soon
to follow.
Tho father Of the writer was then boy of
and WA ynrl a. - f,th Yr
and brother, planting or preparing the ground
Ii was dun, hazy morning, and rs the time
passed II gradually thickcned, and 10y ten o'clocb
the increasing darkness began t. be quite appar
cnt. They kept On with their work, and as tn
gloom increased they observed that he woul(
pause once in a while and look intenty aroun
the horizon and overhead, but made no remarl
until he directed the oldest boy to 20 to the bar
and turn the horse and all cattle that were insid
out into an open lot, and 70 close and secure eV
cry door and window. II appeared that he was
apprehensiye that some sudden gust squal
would soon manifest itself and that the animals
would be in less danger out in the field than in
side the building.
Still the darkness grew thicker and deeper, till
presently he said they might as well quit work
for the present. On reaching the house the
mother and daughter were about their usual du-
ties pale and silent. Little was said except an
occasional remark or direction in low tone.-
No one seemed inclined to conversation or dem
onstratiou of any kind. Soon dinner was ready
with candles lighted the came as at night, but
not morscl was eaten. dead silence seemed
to pervade all nature, broken only by the occs
sonal bleatng Of q lamb or the distant lowing
the kline which wandered about restless and I'M
easy. The domestic fowls seemed to come to thu
conclusion that it was not night, they could pu
no other construction upon 1T, so, after oiuckin!
over the matter for while they went to roost
tIn1 hon mas q 81 AZ
Along in the afternoon the veil WAS lifted /
some degree, and at the time of sunset it wa
about the same in ordinary dull and cloud
day,
The night which followed was, it is said, q
dark proportionately as was the day. 1t was III
perfect "backness of darkness" Not the fam
est outline of any object could be discerned again
the sky. light would penetrate it but litt
way, and then to disclose but solid wa
Of blaekness around.