San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-29
DARK DAY.
Tho Stnsss Ciosd That Settled Dow" o's'
New EnEland.

ADARK DAY.
Tho stnass Ciosd That Settled Dow" o's'
New Enxland.
Doston special to Philadelphia Times.
All OF New England and alarge section
of New York state yesterday had
strange atmospheric experience. 1t was \
another "dark day." and III many re-
spects the phenomena were similar 10
those observed on May IL, 1870. In
some sections the day began with o
slow gathering of fog from all the
water courses. The thin clouds that
covered the sky at midnight seemed,
to crowd together and descend upon
the earth, and by sunrise the atmos'
phere was dense with vapor, which
limited vision to very short distances
and made those distances illusory. As
the sun arose the vapors became thick,
brassy canopy, through which strange
yellow light pervaded the air and pro-
duced the most peculiar effects on the
surface OF the earth. This color and
darkness lasted until about 8 o'clock in
the afternoon, once in q while tighten
ing and then again deepened so that
during large part Of the time nothing
could be done conveniently indoors
without artificial light. The unusual
complexion OF the air wearied and pain
ed the eyes. The grass assumed q sin.
gular blush brightness, as if tipped
with light. Yellow blossoms turned
pale and grey, and row OF sunfiowers
looking CHASTITY, orange nasturtiums
lightened, pink roses famed, hlac-hued
phlox grew pink and blue flowers were
transformed into red. Luxuriant morn
ing glories that have been blossoming
in deep blue during the season now
were dressed in splendid magenta; rich
blue clematus donned an equally rich
maroon; fringed gentians were crimson
in the fields. There was singular lu-
minousness on every fence and roof
ridge and the trees seemed to be ready
to fly into fire.
The light was mysteriously devoid of
refraction. One sitting with his back
to window could not read the news
paper if his shadow fell upon it; he
was obliged to turn the paper aside to
the light. Though the darkness was
not at all like that Of the night, the birds
kept still. When in the afternoon the
sun bagan to be visible through the
strange mists it was like pink ball
amidst yellow cushions. It was not till
between five and six o'clock that the
sun had sufficiently dissipated the mists
to resume it's usual clear gold, and the
earth returned to its everyday aspect,
the grass resigning its unnatural bril-
liancy and the purple daisies no longer
fainting into pink. The temperature
throughout was very close and oppres.
sive, and the physical effect was one OF
heaviness and depression. Not a breath
of air was stirring, the smoke from the
engine whenever it was stopped at
station ascending perpendicularly. The
sun, in usual form as "a round body, was
utterly invisible, and no particular
brightness in any particular part OF
the heavens indicated its locality.
Gas was used in this city until 8
o'clock. The gas jets, which ordinari-
ly show yellowish light, burned with
a white brilliancy that made them look
like electric lights. kilograms from
Maine, New Hamshire, Vermont, Rhode
Island and Connecticut indicate that
almost the same phenomena described
above were witnessed there. A Rut-
land dispatch says: The whole earth
and sky seemed enveloped in an orange
colored pail. At Albany, Troy, Utica
and other points in eastern and central
New York the sky assumed the same
hue. Schools were dismissed in vari-
GUS places, as indeed study was perforce
suspended in those which kept up their
sessions, and many factories also let out
their hands when their facilities for
lighting were insufficient. Supersti-
tious people were filed with all sorts
of dire forebodings, and many watched
anxiously for the phenomenon to disap-
pear. Some thought the earth was
passing through the comets tail, others
ascribed the darkness to a smoke and
haze, few expected an approaching
millennium, and some of the more cred
ulous said that it was sign for the
removed of the president.
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