The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-06-11
THE DARK DAY.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES VI Woot - Know
10 the histories If the New Englant
States as The Dark Day ALI Of th,
local historiscs. and the numerou
learned geptleDen of leisuss Who kep
diaries in those days. which have sinc,
gwen US perfect knowledge not only
Vt Tho castDms. but svsugf tue ih0uRhtl
Of thoss sturdy 10 efs q freedom. hav,
more or less TO -av about tLis phsnom-
enon IL LETS lasting and vivid i'm.
preston upon :hoss who hsppensd 4
bs its witnesses. For several days T.
fore May 10. 1850, there had oser
hanging over the whole extent of eoun.
try between Casco Bay in Maine and
Dsnbury. G ,nu.. . mass Of smoke and
vapor. that greatly obscar ed the sky
and through which the sun and mon
looked like
A GREAT cLoT OF BL0oD
Impending over, cad ssady 70 dror
upon and overwhslm the earth. Thil
gloom gradually grew msrs oppressive
Heavy clouds gathered on the horiznn,
especially along the south sand south.
west. By Thursday- sftsssoon, Nay
18Th, the wind had ceased almost. alto.
gether TO blow. aud = heAvy ssnusty
smell and sensstion of smot herring op-
pressed the chests of the. inhslitants.
On Friday morning. the sventful Day.
the sun appeared rsddsr- than, usual.
but light hreezs sprsng up snd drove
the clouds over from the south aud
south west. aud By 8 o'clock the .uu
was hardly visible. At this time il
began to shower, the smutty odor in.
creased. and the clouds continued to
gather in great masses. hurried now BY
. strong upper current ltgssws ed.
siansly darker, and 4 cold chill Assnied
to creep over the earth. From every
direction farmers and lxborers were
hurryina. with locke ,of fearful H. qairy
in their faces, tow srd their hOwes. By
ii o'clock it was 90 dark that i
became necessary 10. lisht, capdLrA
CSnfused groups vsre hasryiag 1reo
street to str-et with the old fashioned
lamps. by which it was their custom to
light ones way on dark nik hts. in their
hands. la many houses frightened
members of the household, ~ the dark.
hess increased. fell upon their knees,
under the impression that tho les, day
had arrived. and invoked tho divine
pardon. To add to the general confu.
siun. the brute creation seemed craxed
by an extraordinary terror, and their
piteOus cries increased the
GENERAL DISNAY.
Horses nsighed. cattle Lowell, chickens
soueh ht tbsif rossts snd the cock 'sshrill
crow and the clarion answer announced
that even they were deceived into
suppoeing that night had arrived.
Towards l2 o'clock the slight rein en-
tirely CEASED. At o'clock . glimpse
81 light. which hsd costinued in tie
east. disappeared. snd. though 1T
seemed impossible befefes that The daybI
ness cuuld be greater. It now became
impenetrsble. Towards 3 o'clock
slight Glimmer Of light appeared in the
west, and the. motion of the clouds
overhead could be seen. It resemblsd
the movements of smoke when conflned
in bottle and agitated by vapors, only
its inky blsckn.sss ssAd pdGllion over
head made it appear like n enormous
black wing that might with one swoop
brush mau from the face of tho earth.
When the darkness drst heesn 70 ossh-
er. some men Who were vorkiup en /.
ship in Waterbury. Massechusests hsr.
bor. desired to cease work. but on 90
couat Of tho nrgeney a De- cgpsaAct
thew vere net allowe6AeA s6. L
than beams necs.eesw ~ Na~,.h than
WITH candlas and ~ dull rev.rh.r.t;on
"f ,h.;r ham m.r. - ~. 49, .s-sn..
~ nhsrs - sna -. s.;.. .i;m,n.: - sSs;r
i;oht. - ,hs, vorksa = ~. ~sra. nc. no.
dnced : MOI vsird and th,;lI;nc i'm
nre.s;on unon thoe. vhc ~. -, a.
the clouds rollsd one v.v snd .nosher
ov;nc - the .ssilnre o. ssnnr .,1rfrc
dri.s them 'nu;ck a..h.s - No..
s;sns snc.s,sd - Their -.
liz. fhs snrnra h.reaI;. ~ ~ -.
nro. v.n.,d = hesemI II. N,.Rs 81
...~oscH ofS.s.inc ec,~1 shSSs.sk.
~. Ths v;nd ro- 80. ~ r..
m..... - c,ord. ..;ii ,..s.d 80. 49,
..r,h sna
Ih1 NIGHT
Was perhaps the darksst thse has ever
besn known 10 history. elf - 1Ae
noou h.d futtsd bst - na1y heogos
Between I and o'clock the wind BE-