Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-02


five dollars still due, which the agent
refused to accept. Judgment was given
against Hickox. It is to be hoped that
the result will be salutary in preventing
the repetition of outrages of the charac-
ter attempted in this instance.
The Dark Day.
May 19,178O, is known in the history
of New England as the Dark Day. Be-
tween the hours of 10 and II in the
morning the sky became obscure,l with
dense clouds of a smoky hue that drift
ed from the southwest. In most parts
Of New England the gloom that ensued
was SO great that it was impossible to
read common print, to determine the
time of day by watches and clocks, or to
pursue any sort of work indoors without
the aid of artificial light. In some
places common print could not be read
out OF doors for several hours in s.cces-
sion. The fowls went to roost, the
birds sang their evening songs and set
tied themselves to sleep in their hidden
retreats, candles were lighted in all the
houses, while silence and dimness as
of night rested upon the face of all ma
ture.
For several days preceding this the
atmosphere had been unusually thick
and hazy, and the sun and moon look
ed dull and red as they rode through
the heavens. On the morning of the
18th there were slight showers in GER
tain localities, accompanied with thun-
der, while at different intervals through
the day there was rain in various places.
The water that fell was thick, dark, and
sooty, and scum of ashes appeared on
the surface of rivers and reservoirs,
while, when the tide went out, it left
line of the smut along the shore at the
width of or inches. On examina-
ton this surface matter seemed to be
nothing more than the ashes of burnt
leaves. This extraordinary darkness
lasted for period of about fourteen
hours
In the transactions of the Philosophi-
cal Society, of Philadelphia, printed
prior to 1855, there is comment on a
similar darkness that was experienced
October 81, 1716, 0. S. On this occa-
sion '"The day was so dark that people
we're forced to light candles to eat their
dinners by. Which could not be from
an eclipse, the solar eclipse being the
4th of that month" Nothing is said in
this account of the cause of the dark
ness, nor are any particulars given. On
October 10, 1852, a remarkable dark
day was observed at Detroit, and de-
scr1bed in the Philadelphia Transactions
for 1853. The writer says: TUESDAY
last being the 10Th inst. ii. e. of Octo-
berl, we had almost total darkness for
the most Of the day. got up at day
break. About ten minutes later I OBJ
served it got no lighter than before.
The same darkness continued nm
til 9 o'clock, when it cleared up
little. We then, for the space of
about quarter of an hour, saw the
body Of the sun, which appeared as red
as blood, and more than three times as
large as usual. The air, all this time,
which was very dense, was of dirty
yellowish color. I was obliged to light
candles to see to dine, at o'clock, not
understanding the table was placed close
by two large windows. About 3 the
darkness became more horrible; which
augmented until half past 3, when the
wind breezed up from the southwest
sulpher, and dirt; for it appeared more
like the latter than the former, both in
smell and quality. 7 took leaf of clean
paper and held it out in the rain, which
rendered it black wherever the drops
fell upon it; but, when held near the
fire, it turned to yellow color, and,
when burned, it fixed on the paper like
wet powder. During this shower the
air was almost suffocating, with strong
sulphurous smell. It cleared up little
aftetr he rain.'
An officer stationed at Detroit de-
scrlbed the same day In letter to a
friend. In his words: ssThe 10th of
this month October, 1862 was the most
extraordinary dark day, perhaps, ever
seen in the world" The particulars
following in this account are identical
with those already quoted from the
Philosophical Transactions. The cause
OF the unnatural darkness prevailing on
three several days was probably the ex-
tens1ve burning Of Western prairies and
woodlands.
A Centennial Bell.
Meneely & Kimberly, of this city,
have contract for bell of thirteen
thousand pounds representing thirteen
original states) to be presented to the
city of Philadelphia by Mr.. Henry
Seybert, a wealthy and patriotic resi-
dent OF that city. It is designed to
place the bell in the tower of Indipend-
ence Hall. The bell will bear the