The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-11-17
Historic Sun Darkenings.

In 536. 567 and 626 we find mention of long
periods of diminished sunlight. Schnurrer
records that in 1873, a year after the Saracens
had been driven back beyond the Pyrenees
consequent on their defeat at Tours, ''the sun
darkened in an alarming manner on August
49, There appeared to be no eclipse by the
moon, but rather an interruption from some
meteoric substance" There was an eclipse OF
the sun, annular but nearly total, on the morn
ing of August Il; it is mentioned in the Saxon
Chronicle which tells us that "the suns disk
was like black shield" The near coinci-
dence of date suggests, in this case, connec-
ton between the darkness and the eclipse. In
934, according to Portuguese historian, the
sun lost it's ordinary light for several months;
and this is followed by the doubtful statement
that an opening in the sky seemed to take
place. with many flashes of lightning, and the
full blaze of sunshine was suddenly restored.
In 1891, on Sept. 29-not 2l, as given Ill some
of the TRANSACTIONS of Humboldt's Cosmos -
Schnurrer relates that there was darkening
of the sun which lasted three hours, after
which it had peculiar color, which occa-
stoned great alarm. A century later, or in
June, 1871, according to Schnurrer, the sun
was again darkened, with attendant effects
upon nature. Here the cause Is easily 1ound
On June % there was total eclipse, in which
the moons shadow traversed the continent OF
of Europe from Holland to the Crlmea. The
eclipse was total in the country between the
coasts of Cumberland and Yorkshire.
-fsi1IrIstu our-dur hcrfns i'ebrtl-
airy II, 1106, which was accompanied by mete-
ors: and we read in the cometographies that
on the 4tli-or, according to others, on the 9th
of February in this year, a star was seen
@i,of I. irIt 10 fltn ,intI nj
which was distant from the sun ''only foot
and half" Matthew Paris and Matthew OF
Westminster term this star comet, and we
may take it to have been the same which later
in the same month was observed in China I'M
der the sign Pisces, and which at one time was
supposed to have been identical with the great
comet of 1860; this body, however, would not
appear to have been sufficiently near the earth
as, even on the assumption OF denser constl-
tuition than usual with comets. to account for a
dimnution of the solar rays by its interven-
ton
On the last day of February, 1906, according
to Spanish writer, there was complete dark
ness for six hours. In 1241, Give months after
the Mongor battle of Leignitz," the sun was so
obscured and the darkness became so great
that the stars were seen at the ninth hour about
Michaelmas. In this case, again, the darkness
referred to was undoubtedly due to the total
eclipse of Oct. 6, of which Professor Schiar-
parelli has collected q full account from the
italian writers.
Later, in 1847, from April % to 25 Kepler
relates, on the authority of Comma, 'the sun
appeared as though suffused with blood, and
many stars were visible at MONDAY" Schnur-
rer thought this phenomenon was what the
Germans call "hohenrauch," notwithstand-
ing the visibility of stars.
From the above brief summary of what have
been considered sun darkenings, we see that in
several cases the dminution of light has been
due to the ordinary effects of total eclipse,
while it is clear that there are no grounds in
the historical evidence for any prediction of a
period of darkness. The nervous in these
matters, and it would really appear that such
exist, may take consolation therefrom.-
Nature.