The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-06-10
THE DARK DAK.

Tho 18th day of May, 1880, was a
memorable one in the annals of New
England, on account of thick darkness
that overspread the land. like a funeral
pail. 1t was day long to be remembered
and talked of by those who witnessed the
strange, and at that time fearful phenom-
enon.
There was much writing upon, and
discussion of the subject at the time, and
afterwards, but believe no satisfactory
conclusion was ever arrived at as TO It's
cause. There were some who thought it
must have proceeded from total eclipse
of the sun that had, from somo cause,
escaped the calculations of the mathema-
ticians and astronomers, but that was
easily shown to be impossible by facts and
figures. Public sentiment at that time
was strongly tinctured with the supersti-
tions that were 80 common in times pre-
vious, which, though considerably modi-
fed, had not by any means disappeared,
and thus, every phenomenal occurrence
that could not be at once demonstrated,
was by many believed to be direct and
special manifestation of divine or diaboli-
cal power giving warnings, omens, and
''portents Dire" but it is not strange that
this occurrence, this "day of distress and
gloominess, a day of clouds and thick
darkness" should have made a strong
| impression. There were many who firm
ly believed that it was the beginning of
the end of all things, that ''the sun had
Withdrawn his light, and the stars had
ceased their shining" that "the reign of
chaos and old night had begun in earn
est. 1t was then the darkest and most
hopeless period of the war of the revolu-
tion, and it was thought by many of the
despondiRg and discouraged to be signifi-
cant of the end of that which then ap-
| peared to them hopeless struggle. Some
of the more sanguine insisted that as the
| hour before the dawn was ALWAYS the
| darkest, so this strange and portenlious
gloom was but the prelude TO the bright
dawn of Liberty and Independence that
was soon to follow.
The father of the writer was then a
| boy Of but thirteen years, and was at
work in the field with his father and
brothers, planting or preparing the ground.
1t was dull, hazy morning, and as the
time passed, gradually thickened. and by
| IO O'Clock the increasing darkness began
to be quite apparent. They kept on with
their work, and as the gloom increased
they observed that be would pause once
IN a while, and look intentIy all around
the horizon and overhead but made no
remark until he directed the oldest boy to
go to the barn and turn the horse and all
| the cattle that were inside, out into an
open lot, and to close and secure every
door and window. 1t appeared that he
was apprehensive that some sudden and
furious gust or squall would soon mani~
fest itself, and thought that the animals
would be in less danger out in the field
than inside of the building, Still the
darkness grew thicker and deeper, till
presently be said they might as well quit
work for the present. On reaching the
house the mother and sisters were about
their usual duties, pale and silent, and
little WAS said except an occasional re-
mark or direction, in low tone. No
one seemed inclined to conversation or
demonstration of any kind Soon dinner
was ready and candles lighted the same as
dead silence seemed to pervade all nature,
broken only by the occasional bleating of
lamb or the distant lowing of the kline,
which wandered about restless and unea-
sy. The domestic fowls seemed to be
inclined to come 10 the conclusion that it
was now night, they could put no other
construction upon it, SO, after clucking
over the matter for while, they went to
roost. And thus the long and dreary
hours passed away. Along in the after~
noon the veil was lifted in some degree,
and at the time Of sunset it was about
the same as in an ordinary dull and
cloudy day.
The night followed. Dark as was the
day, it was the perfect blackness of
darkness" Not the faintest outline of any
object could be discerned against the sky.
A light would penetrate it but little
way, and then seemed 10 disclose but a
solid wall of blacknsss around. Many
persons who were out became bewildered
aud lost for the time 1t was an anxious
night of watching in many household,
but the dawn at length broke bright and
! beautiful, and never Was the face Of the
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