The Republican journal., 1869-06-17
THE DARK DAY,

1 -'''''
the following Interesting account of the f;t-
NOUS Ozark Day of i1SO, which many of our
readers will be glad to see:
The 18th of May 1850, was a memorable.
one in the annals of New England. on ac-
count Of the thick darkness that ovel-sprcad
the land, like funeral pail. II was a ,iay
long to be remembered and talked Of bv those
who witnessed the strange, and at that time
fearful phenomena.
There was much writing upon, and discus
sion Of the subject at the time. and afterwards,
but believe no satisfactory conclusion was
ever arrived at as to its cause There were
some who thought that ii must have proceed
ed from total eclipse of the sun, that had.
| from some cause, escaped the calculations of
mathematlclans and astronomers. but that was
easily shown to be impossible lv facts and
figures. Public sentiment ut that time was
strongly tinctured with superstitions that were
so common in times previous which. though
considerably modified. had not bv any mean,
| disappeared, and thus every phenomenal oc-
currence that could not be explained and
demonstrated, was by many believed to be a
direct and special manifestation of divine Or
diabolical power, giving warnings, omens,
and ''portentS dire" but it is not strange thai
this occurrence this day of darkness and
gloominess. a day of clouds and thick dark
ness" should have made a strong impression,
There We're many who firmly believed thai
it was the beginning of the end cf all things,
that ''the sun had withdrawn his LIGHT and the
stars had ceased his shining that the reign
of chaos and old night had begun in earnest.
1t was then the darkest and most hopeless
period of the war of the revolution. and it
was thought by many Of the desponding and
discouraged to be significant Of the end Of
that which then appeared to them a hopeless
| struggle. Some of the more sanguine insist
sd that the hour before the dawn was always
the darkest, so this strange and portcntoua
gloom was bu. 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
thirteen years: and was at work in the field
with his father and brothers, planting or pre-
pairing the ground ltwas q dull, hazy morn
inc, and as the time passed it gradually thick
ened, and by ten o'clock the increasing dark
ness began to be quite apparent They kept
on with their work, and as the gloom increas
ed they observed that he would pause once in
a while. and look intcntly all around the nor
lzon and overhead. but made no remark uu-
. til he directed the Oldest boy to 90 to the
barn and turn the horse and all the cattle that
We're inside out into an open lot, and to close
and secure every door and window. 1t ap
peared that he was apprchcnsivc that some
sudden and furious gust or squall would soon
manifest itself, and that .he animals would be
in less danger out in the field than inside the
building. Still the darkness GREW thicker
and deeper. till presently he said they miolt
as well quit work for the present On reach
inr the house the mother and sisters were
about their usual duties. pale and silent. LITTLE
was sad except an occasional remark or di-
ned 70 convarsat;on o.. dn,,on s+ratinn of any.
Lind Snon d;nro, u-,s ,,naJ,, u.;th nondln.
Euhtnd tbn Same oc ., ,,;r.ht L,,t ,,ot . ,,,o,.
VA o.+o,, A do,d s;Io,7,1o sno,,,od +a NV.
,ado oil no+nro b,,o-o, o,l,, w. oaoasidF,,aI
lJoatino. Of q ianh ~. tbo J;.taGt Io1,;not "f
thn l,;n9 u-b;cl ,,,nrdoroI .,Iont rost1oss an,
nnoosy, Tbn dor1nstia fo,.Is soa,oad 70 No
inclined TO come to thn conclusion That If if
,ot n;oI,t tbo, nr,,l1 r,,t ,,l ati,a, oa,,
str,ct;nn mlnn !, - aftor nlnnl,ino avon, tho
r,atto, for u ub;lo tbc,, want 4I 1Sozt Nnl
tbus +l lono ,nd aro,,.,, ho,,,. ,,as ssnd ov-o,.
| iInnr !, tho ottornno,, tbn ,,oiI was Iiftad in
sn,,,l dno.oo ond ~ tho t;r,,o 1f s,,,,sat i
,hnn4 IN .o,,,a os i, ~, a,.1;nor1 am ari
'1n,,,I. - '''
my ,;Tit ,,.>,i,.1, f,il,,,,.,l ,,., :. ,,-,..,;l
i iAA5ii' "ii', u l"l4 H"N'' ""N' II '"
as dark prOpOltOnatcIY, IS was the ulN. 1t
was the perfect ''hlachneeS of darkness not
the fantcst outline of any object could he
discerned AGAINST the sl5[. 4 LIGHT would
penetrate it but little way, and then seem
to disclose hut a solid wall Of hlaelue7s
; around Many persons who were out, became
bewildered and lost for the time Ii was an