Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-11-07

before the nineteenth. the AR was iuil
or vapors, a. We often seen Il when fires
are raging in the woods near uss and the |
sun and moon appeared red. and their
usual clear light did not reach ts, espe-
cially when rising and setting. The
A@iAlls blew chiefly from The southwest
and northeast, and the weather was cool
and clear. The morning Of the nine
teenth was cloudy and in many places
slight showers fell, sometimes accom-
panied by thunder and lightning: but
as the sun arose il did not increase the
light, and the darkness deepened and
deepened, until the children standing
before the tall clocks could not see 20
tell the time, and older people peeTing
over the almanac were not able 10 dis
tinguish the letters. The birds sang
their evening songs and few 20 their
nests in the woods, the poultry hurried
10 their roosts, while the cattle in the
fields uttered strange cries and Ieaped
the stone fences to gain their stalls, and
the sheep all huddled together bleating
piteously.
Nor we're men aud women and chill
dren less afraid: snd the mysterious
changes in nature that then took place
have never been fully explained.
Color. which you know depends upon
.he light of the sun, filed many with
astonishment BY its unusual appearance.
for the clouds were in some places Of
light red, yellow and brown; the leaves
on the trees and the grass m the mead
ows were Of the deepest green, verging
on indigo, the brightest silver seemed
tarnished, and everything that is white
in TIE sunlight bore deep yellow
hue.
The shadows, which before noon fell
to the southwark and after noon to the
eastward, were observed during the
darkness 10 fall in every direction.
The rain, also, was unlike any other
rain, and il set all the people to wonder
ing as they dipped II from tubs and bar
rels; for a scum formed on il resembling
burnt leaves, emitting sooty smell,
and this same substance was seen on
streams and rivers, especially the Mer-
rimac, " here it lay four or Eve inches
thick. for many miles along its shore.
Another peenliarity was the vspors
in many localities 1t descended TO the
earth from high in the atmosphere; but
at one point gentleman saw the vapors.
at nine o'clock, rising from the springs
and low lands; one column he particu-
lsrly noticed rapidly ascending far above
the highest hills, then il spread into
large white cloud and sailed of to The
westward; a second cloud formed in the
same way from the springs, but dId not
rise as high as the first, and third
formed fifteen minutes afterward. At
quarter OF ten the uppermost clouds was
Of a reddish hue, the second was green
indigo and blue, and the third was al
most white.
So unwholesome was this vapoF that
small birds were sufocated in IL, and
many of them were so frightened and
stupefied that they ae " into the houses.
adding to the fears Of ignorant people,
who considered il bad sign for biid
to enter dwelling.
The commencement Of the darkness
was between ten and eleven in the fore
noon (when the men were busy IN the
fields and Offices and workshops, the
women spinning. weaving, and prepar-
ing dinner, and the children at school,
or helping their fathers and mothers at
home and il continued until the mid
die of the following night; but the
degree Of darkness varied; IN some
places the disk of the sun was seen
when the darkness was the most dense.
Lights were seen burning in all the
houses, and the people passing oHt-Of
doors carried torches and lanterns, winch
were curiously reflected on the over
hanging clouds.
Thousands Of people were sure that
the end OF the world had come, many
dropped their work and fell on their
knees to pray, others confessed to their
fellows the wrongs they had done, and
endeayored TO make restitution.
The meeling-houses were crowded,
and neighborhood prayer-meetings were
formed, and the ministers and old church
members prayed long prayers, mention
ing the nations and individuals Of Bible
times who had been destroyed on ac-
count Of their sins. and begging that a.
God spared the great city Of Nineveh
when il FepeBted. 80 he would forgive
them, cheer them again by the light Of
the sun, and give victory 10 their ar
mics.
Many regarded .he darkness a. an
omen OF some disaster that was about 10
belall the country, nor could they have
had more fitting emblem Of Arn0Id's
treacbery, which was disclosed only
four months later.
Some persons supposed that blazing
star had passed between the sun and
the earth, and many even believed that
huge mountain had sprung up. they
were not quite decided where, and OBJ
strncted sEIe lsgist Of the sun.
Il ~ said that the Connecticut legiSla-
tuFe being IN session, The members be-
came terrified when they could not see
each others faces, and q motion was
made 10 adjourn, when Dir. Davenport
arose and said:
"Nr. Speaker, il IS either the day ol
i iudgmenf.or il - not. Ii Is not, therp
Is no need Of adjourning. Ifh j., de-
sire 10 be found dong my duty. ] move
that csndies be bTUsIghl, and that we
proceed to business
AL the shivering. frightened people
began now 10 look forward 70 evening.
hoping that as the moon rose iulI st