Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-12-23

and old church members prayed
long prayers, inenthniDg the
nations and individuals OF Bible
times who had been destroyed on
account of their sins, and begged
that God spared the the great city
OF Nlnevch when it repcnted, -
He would forgive them, cheer then,
again ny the light Of the enn, and
give victory to their armies.
1t is said that the Connecticut
Legislature being in session, the
members became terrified when
they could not eec each others
face, and a motion was made to
adjourn, when Mr.. Davenport
arose aid said:
"Mr. Speaker, it is either the
day OF Judgment or it is not. If ii
is not. there ia no need of adjourn
ing 1t it is, | desire to be found
doing nay duty. ! move that can
dies be brought, and that We pro-
eeed to business
All tho shirering, frightened
people began to look forward to
evening, hoping that, as the moon
rose fuli ut uinc o'clock, her light
would .penetrate the gloom; but
all the children who we're coaxed
to sit up and see her grew very
sleepy, their strained eyes were
not rewarded by her beautiful
beams, for at eight in the evening
the darkness was total; one could
not distinguish between the earth
and the heavens, and it was ilnpos-
i. sible to see a haud before ones
= face
!, Then all the weary children
were sent to bed after the most
8 honest prayers that they had ever
] prayed; and the older people sat
: up to watch for the light that never
5 before had appeared SO glorious.
J, Aid never dawncd falrer morn
n ing than the 20tlr OF May, for the
: sun that opeusd the flowers and
}, mirrored itself IN the dew drops
i brought the color again to the
: chlldren's faces and Illed ever,
It every heart with coEkIence.
The birds sang joyonsly, the cat.
n tie returned to their pastures, the
y places of business were opened, ant
d everyone went about his work moro
y gentle toward man, and more
grateful toward God.
Y After the da, kncss had passed
g several persons travelled abunt t,
it gather all possible information con
a cerning this memorable day, ane
It DIR, Tenny wrote an account O
d what he learned while on Jour
n ncy from the east of Pennsylvania
C He says the deepest darkness wa.
c in Essex county, Massachusetts, III.
& lower part of New Ha,nshire, ano
the eastern portion Of Maine
e (where my grea.-grand-molhel
: iivcG). In Rhode Island and Con
n nectlcut it WAS not SO great q; il
a New Jersey, peculiar clonds were
6 observed, but the darkness was no
d uncommon, and in the lower part
: CT Pennsylvania nothing unusua
.r Was observed.
il 1t extende,: rs far north as th
d American settlement, and west
q ward to Albany, bnt its exact limit
e could not be aecertaincd.
q In Boston, the darkness con.
'e tinued fourteen or fifteen hours
: varying in duration at other places
As It was impossible to attribnt
:, the darkness to an eclipse, the wis
'. people formed many theories re
" specting it; being convinced that
WAS due to immense fires in til
'r woods. winds blowing in the op
II posite directions, and to the con
20 dition OF the vapors; but Hersche
,. says: "The dark day in Northern
u America was one OF those wonder.
'L ful phenomcns Of nature which vii
alwsys be read of with interest
tnt which philosophy is at los
to explain"