The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-11-20
THE DARK DAY.
A Memorable Phesomenen During the
Americs m Revelation.
ISt. Nicholas for November.l

she was a little girl, the most wonderful was
about the dark day in New England. Fri
day, May 10, 1850. This was during our
revolution, you will remember, and the
Arnold, attempted to betray his country to
Its enemies
For several days before the 18th, the air
was full of vapors. we often see it when
fires are raging in the woods near US, and
| the sun and moon appeared red, and their
| usual clear light did not reach u.s. especially
| when rising and setting. The wfads blew
chiefly from the southwest and northeast
| and the weather was cool and clear. The
| morning of the 18th was cloudy and in
many places slight showers fell, sometimes
| accompanied by thunder and lightning; but
| as the sun arose it did not increase the light,
| and the darkness deepened and deepened
| until the children standing before the tall
clocks could not see TO tell the time, and
| older people peerIng over the almanac were
not able to distinguish the letters. The
| birds sang their evening songs and hew TO
| their nests in the woods, the poultry hurried
| to their roosts, while the cattle in the fields
! uttered strange cries and leaped the stone
fences to gain their stalls, and the sheep all
huddled together bleating piteously.
Color which you know depends upon the
light OF the sum- filled many with astonish-
ment by ITS unusual appearance, for the
clouds were in some places OF a light red,
yellow and brown; the leaves on the trees
and the grass in the meadows were of the
deepest green, verging on indigo; the bright
est silver seemed tarnished, and everything
that is white in the sunlight bore deep yell
low hue.
The shadows, which before noon fall to
the westward and afternoon to the eastward,
were observed during the darkness to fall in
every direction.
The rain, also, was unlike any other rain,
and it set all the people to wondering as
they dipped IL from tubs and barrels, for a
! scum formed on il resembling burnt leaves,
emitting a sooty smell, and this same sub
, | stance was seen on streams and rivers, es-
pecially the Merrimac, where it lay four or
five inches thick for many miles along its
shore.
Another peculiarity was the vapor; in
many localities it descended to the earth
| from high in the atmosphere; but at one
point a gentleman saw the vapors at 8 o'clock
, | rising from the springs and low lands; one
column he particularly noticed ascending
far above the highest hills, then it spread
: into a large white cloud and sailed off to the
, | westward; second cloud formed in the
: | same way from the same springs. but dad not
o rise as high as the first, and third formed
4 fifteen minutes afterward. AT quarter OF
, 10 the uppermost cloud was OF reddish hue,
. the second was green, indigo and blue, and
!. the third was almost white -
i | So unwholesome was this yap0r that small
: birds were suffocated in 1t, and many of them
= were SO frightened and stupefed that they
> flew into the houses adding to the fears OF
= ignorant people, who considered it bad
3 sign for bird to enter dwelling.
: The commencement of the darkness was
between ten and eleven in the forenoon
when the men were busy in the fields and
| Offices and workshops, the women spinning,
80 weaving and preparing dinner, and the chill
=. dren ar school or helping their fathers or
%. | mothers at homel and it continued until the
- middle of the following night; but the de-
: gree OF darkness varied; in some places the
-. disc of the sun was seen when the darkness
=. was the most dense.
Lights were seen burning in all the houses,
- and the people passing out of doors carried
torches and lanterns, which were curiously
... reflected on the overhaDging 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 follows the wrongs
.. they had done, and endeaVored TO make
-; | restitution.
The meeting houses were crowded, and
- neighborhood prayer meetings were formed,
... | and the ministers and old church members
.... prayed long prayers, mentioning the nations
-; | and individuals of Bible times who had been
DESTROYED on account of their sins, AID beg.
- | eing that as God spared the great city oi
/ Nineveh when it repented, so he would for
.... give them cheer them again by the light of
--" The sun and give victory to their armies.
sees 1t is said that the Connecticut legislature
/ beng in session, the members became terri
.... fed when they could not see each other''
'".. faces, and a motion was made to adjourn
Sc" when Mr.. Davenport arose and said:
"Mr. Speaker, 1t is either the day of judg
. ment or it is not. III it is not, there is nj
of need of adjourning. II 1t is l desire to b'
of | found doing my duty move that candies
In be brought and that we proceed to ousi
ill | ness"
l45 | An the shivering frightened people begar
zen now to look forward to evening, hoping tina
, a as the moon rose full at o'clock, her Iign
he would penetrate the gloom; but all the chill
the dren who cosxed to sit up and see her, gre'
i'd very sleepy, their strained eyes were not re
ar warded by her beautiful beams for at il
liza. the evening the darkness was total; on
eir could not distinguish between the earth an
SIS. the heavens, and it was impossible TO see
rth hand before ones face.
he Then all the weary children were sent I
srs bed after the most honest prayers that the
1ri: had ever prayed, and the older people sat u
,m- to watch for the light that never before ma
ms, appeared so glorious.
adj And never dawned q fsirer morning tina
ON the 10Th of May, for the sun that opened tn
ion flowers and mirrored itself in the dew drop
res. brought the color again to the children
The faces. and filled every heart with conhdenc
! is, The birds sang joyouslyT the cattle return
the ed to their pastures; the places OF busine
ius. | were opened, and every one went about
attic work more gentle toward man ana MOI
the | grateful toward God
anv After the darkness had passed, several pc
,e sons travelled about to geIher all possible II
ring formation concerning TINS henoiaoto 20
,ich and DIR. Tenny wrote. an account OF what |
olen learned while on journey from tne eas'
Penusylyania He says the deepest darkne
was in Essex county, Massachusetts,, Il
lower part OF New Hampshire, and the eas
ern portion of Maine (where my great-gran
=, mother lived) In Rhode Island and Co
last hectSue !, na, W . - .Sesa-,,ad tut the dsr
ded, pecanar cioau o, on,,aon and in the lev
ion. ness Was no, ,,t,an;a Nothing Unusual "
tnrs observed.
ndis- AZ 4. eAtenueu .,5 a. ras.wsrs 10 Albany butI
,s was ! exact limit could not be ascertsined-
neiS In Boston the darkness continued fo'
u,sn ISL teen or ffteen hours, varying in duration
,ooIa other PLACES.