Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-07-28

the sky. the particles averaging the size of
a gian. but in shape longer. The dark
column moved on nearer and nearer. and
the darkness rapidly increased, while the
scoriaceou> hail thickcned at the same
raIc. y full hour before noon candles had
to be lighted i'll the houses. and at noon
the darkness was us dense As that of p,
windowle>> house: even abroad the tinrers
of the hand could not he distinguished at
t distance of Il few inches from the eve.
This pitch dtrkne>s lasted for about an
hour. During the dark all glass windows
appeared like mirrors to those inside, re-
ilectInT the ohj''c on which the light fell
rs II they had been covered outside with "A
coat of quicksilver For four consecutive
hours 1t wis necessary to have lighted
candles IN the houses. Daring all that
time the ashes and the sand We're ftllinr
thick and fast. Lightning and claps of
thunder We're at the time seen and heard
IN rapid succession. and the earth and
rNthln@ seemed to trcmhle again. The
ar was chai ged with electricity to such
m extent that pnnacl,s and atf-Spikcs
OF iron. " hen turned in the air and even
ones hands. when held up. seemed all
ablaZr. But the thunder differed from or
dlnary claps in this. that it Travelled in
rapidly repeated echoes across the skies
W lien the darkness Wore off The ashes
ahaied. The d;u X column now moved IN
land toward the upper valleys but. being
there met by 4 counter current of air. it
remained At first stationary for while.
and aftcrward moved slowly along the
valleys 50 that one e more the daylight was
accompanied l,y the fall of fine ashes.
Ai,er the fall the e4rth was covered
with layer of ashes or scorea from one
and half inches to eight inches deep;
roar>cst where i, lay lhic ke>t, in many
cases exhibiting pnmice boulders twice rs
large rs the fist. In these places the ashes
fell hot rs rmhers on the ground At
first the fail of the ashes WAS accompanied
by Il foul. sui lhurous stink. which, how
ever. very soon vanished. When the
ashes had any perccptble taste it was that
of salt and iron. For three days after the
fall still weather prevailed. ana the ashes
lay undisturhed on the ear h. Before the
fall of the ashes the land was snowles>
and pasture pltnIitul; but after it not Il
creature coult be let on; of doors. and the
sheep. if they We're let ont would run AS
if mad i'll all directions. On the fourth
day Il pretty stiff southwest gale blew
the a,hc, away from the hillocks and
mounds, except the finest part which re-
manned .n the >ward. presenting the APP
pe;lrance of u compact >curf But what
little good the gale might have done was
un1one the next day 10y u wind blowing
from the north west.
The results Of the calamity is that nearly
1000 of the inh ,bitlnt- are rendered des-
liue and Threatened with starvation
Nearly 5000 square miles of land which
WAS he pasture of 10000 sheep. , 900 cat
tie. and ; q NJ hon ses are now Il prolitltSS
waste and less unfortunate districts are
crowded wi h people who have fled from
he volcanic districts. There II IS been no
similar misfortune in Iceland since l7S3
and the c"nsrql' nrr>, already appalling.
will be Vet more disastrous unle>, aid is
extended to the poor people.