, 1881-09-11
A DAY OF DARKNESS.
The Black Friday Of 1850 Duplicated
ut Boston Ln%t Monday - Artificial
Light Needed at 1Iid-1}uy-TIe Cause

The Black Friday Of 1850 Duplicated
ut Boston Inst Monday = Artificial
Light Needed at IIid-Duy-TIe Cause
OF tho Phenomenon.
Boston Journal, Sept. :.
The famous Black Friday Of ITO will no
longer stand alone in the history Of New En-
gland. Yesterday WIS Il companion day and will
be MS long rc1ncnbYgct. Its gloom did not
strike such terror ih;as> tho hearts Of people as
did that Of Mig II, 40, but 1t found its way
into timorous souls to considerable extent.
n1ld there were pIobahly more people itied with
wonder and dread thun would be will
ing to confess To the fact The day
WAS lin exceedingly uncomfortable one, nj
though the mercury lid not clmt toAn cNtraor-
binary hight. tho oppressiycncss arising from
the extreme humidity Of the atmosphere COM
bincd with MI ordinary summer temperature.
.M ILL early hour in the morning very peculiar
appearance WIS to he perceived in the air. No
10. or haze WIS uerceptibic, except when look
lls ur toward the horizon from an elevated no
sition, but the sun was thoroughly obscnrcd and
the atmosphere WIS pervudca with Il yellowisn
light which lent str;lngc appearance to every
object On the cor1uon aud III every place
where there is grass or toiiage the green hue Of
the leaves was changed from its nnlursel shade
to something mich more vivid. There was Il
weird lustre to the surface OF the streets and
the fronts of the buildings. The aspect OF the
sky was such that some tiEnorous peoples
minds were directed by 1t to the Serptlral
prophecy concerning the brassy appearance
of the sky which is to he one OF the features Of
tho Last Day" The interiors OF buildings
grew dark us the day advanced, ,and the outer uir
us viewed through IL window III any oshor open
lnE seemed to bc pCrTudcd with the reflected
lIEat from some Vast contNgrAtion. 1t bccnme
necessary to light the sas in stores and Offices,
and the Jets emitted white Hume that strung
" rcseu1b!cd the electric light. People were sur
priscd and puzzled. Many asked ii rho end nf
the world were not at baud, some possibly
feared that it might be, others regarded the
event lis sign of something portentous to nup-
pen, Ano all nskcd enh other AS to the cullse u!
the phenomenon. Little groups gathered here
and there on the streets discussing the matter,
tho Equitable building 10 seek there un cx-
PLANTATION Of the wonderful cEeEt. and not i few
climbed 10 the roof Of the building to sec how
tue world appeared rs viewed from. that elevated
\ visit to the roof OF the Equitable Building ut
II oclock revealed curious sight 10 the
Westward vision was NHUhstTuctcd by fog or
haze to i distance Of solte two miles. Tho
green foago III the interval was brilliant tudcr
the stransc illumination. and the waters Of the
Charles River cleaned with sivcry brightness.
TO the eastward. down the barber, the view was
unobstr1cted to Il distance oil mile only, Fort
winthrop appearing to be cnrctoped in Il light
tho clcarucss OF its outline, while Fort Jndc-
pcndcncr was IN almost shapelcss dark mass
AGAINST oackKrounu OF ErNy cloud. In nll
directions distances appeared to be shortened.
through windows near ana far could he seen
star-like points or white light resembling little
elcctric-lamps, but being iii reality gag icts. On
Inc root or the post-otIice extension the roofers
had q, portable furnace. the blazc in which,
a. It cApcdtnto the air. was marked with strcaks
Of briilinut white. Away til South Boston a
Inass OF tame crowned the chimney of Il blust-
furnace, but It WIS not marked br the usunl
rutdy glow of such fire. The atmosphere itsclf
was at1n1ne with II ruddincss that took all color
out of other flames.
The view from the water was VERY strange.
The ships, the rigging. and tho piers we're alike
ct1cuH1fuscd with the ycllo,rish cast OF the sky
ana the blue Of the water, being supplemented
~ saffron was transformed to green. The
cHect On the green Of the fields and trees was to
Produce brilliant emerald. Uue uf the prcttiest
eHccts was noted from the Bates Hall Of tho
fub'1c Library, the circular Gppcr rluss uf which
appeared to be transmitted into ulon*tr trous dol
1ars fresh from the mint : still richer effect
was had from the interior ct the Athcn;rum
iluraSy. the souther1y windows Of which re-
1nE willows, cncirci1nE cold st,ufts and tablets.
sahu hudtnR . richer dyo to the yellow and sou1-
brc stones beneath. 1t was remarkable that,
whtle the gns-light approached the electric in
aae, ne latter Put onn Slightly. blush ttnEe.
~ exceedingly beautiful effect was to lie noted
II blacksmith shop near the North Ferry, the