Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-29
The Dark Day in Canada.
The UnexpIai in ed Phenomenon of Novem-
 her, 1SI9,

The Unex pIa fn ed Phenomenon of Novem-
 Der, 1s19.
 In some interesting and graphic remin- iscences of Montreal 60 years ago, Mir. J. H. Dorwin writes to the Montreal Star as fol lows: "What was the strangest occurrence of that time, or rather the strangest thing that ever happened in the history of this G untry, was what has been always known as the 'Phe- nomenon of 1S19.' On the morning of Sun day, Nov s, 1919, the sun rose upon cloudy sky, which assumed, as the light grew upon it, 8 strange greenish tint varying in places to an inky blackness After short time the whole sky became terribly dark, dense black clouds filling the atmosphere, and there fol lowed a heavy shower of rain, which appeared to be something of the nature of soap sud, and was found to have deposited after set tling substance in all its qualities resembling soot Late in the afternoon the sky cleared to its natural aspect, and the next day was fine and frosty. On the morning of Tuesday, the 10th, heavy clouds again covered the sky, and changed rapidly from deep green to pitchy black, and the sun, when occasionally seen through them, was sometimes of dark brown or an uneathlv yellow color, and again bright orange, and even blood red. The clouds constantly deepened in color and den sity, and later on heavy vapor seemed to descend to the earth, and the day became al most as dark as night, the gloom incre lsing
 
 bad to be burned in the courthouse, the banks, and public offices of the city. Every body was more or less alarmed, and many were the conjectures as to the cause of the remarkable occurrence. The more sensible thought that immense woods or prairies were on fire somewhere to the west, others said that a great volcano must have broken out in the Province, still others asserted that our mountain was an extinct crater about to re- sume operations and to make of the city second Pompeii; the superstltious quoted an old Indian prophecy, that one day the Island of Montreal was to be destroyed by an earth quake, and some even cried that the world was about to come to an end. About the middle of the afternoon a great body of clouds seemed to rush suddenly over the city, and the darkness became that of night. pause and hush for @ moment or two suc- ceeded, and then one of the most glaring flashes of lightning ever beheld famed over the country, accompanied by clap of thunder which seemed to shake the city to it's founda- tions. Another pause followed, and then came light shower of rain of the same soapy and sooty nature as that two days before. Af- ter that it appeared to grow brighter, but an hour later it was as dark as ever. Another rush of clouds came, and another vivid flash of lightning, which was seen to strike the spire of the old French parish church and to play curiously about the large iron cross at it's summit before descending to the ground. moment later came the climax of the day. Every bell in the city suddenly rung out the alarm of fire, and the affrighted citizens rushed out from their houses into the streets and made their way in the gloom toward the church, until Place d'Armes was crowded with people, their nerves all unstrung by the awful events of the day, gazing at but scarce ly daring to approach the strange sight before them. The sky above and around was as black as ink, but right in one spot in mid air above them was the summit of the spire. with the lightning playing about it shining like sun. Directly the great iron cross, together with the ball at it's foot, fell to the ground with crash and was shivered to pieces: But the darkest hour comes just before the dawn The glow above gradually subsided and died out, the people grew less fearful and re- turned to their homes, the real night came on, and when next morning dawned every, thing was bright and the world was as natural as before. The phenomenon was noticed in a greater or less degree from Quebec to Kingston, and far into the States, but Mon treal seemed it's centre. It has never yet been explained"