Morning journal and courier., 1881-09-08

| riosity, should apply at the signal service of
 fee. During the day hundreds of applica- l tlons for information on the matter were re-
 ceived by telephone at that office, coming
 from all parts of the city and suburbs and
 from places as far distant as Lowell But ! one response could be made, which was that
 the meteorological conditions in all
 parts of the country were aus- \ p1c1ous, and that the barometer \ in Boston had maintained a steady
 figure throughout the day little above the
 normal. The most malicious and stealthy cy- ! clone that ever travelled the Indian seas
 could not catch the barometer mapping. The
 faithful sentinel is always on the watch for
 such an enemy, and even should Mother
 Shipton unhappily prove to have been wo- | man of veracity, the barometer will un- I doubtedly be able first to pronounce the fact.
 The only noticeable peculiarity about the
 weather Tn Boston yesterday was the con- stant presence of large amount of moisture
 In the atmosphere almost up to the rain point, which is 100. During the forenoon ' and early afternoon the registering instru-
 ment indicated 95, and about D. m. 97, af-
 ter which there was slight decline. In the | afternoon the wind freshened and | attained the rate of ten miles an hour
 At 3:23 D. m. the record of the barometer
 at the five observing stations of New England ranged from 29. 93 to 30.O5, the variation dur
 lng the eight preceding hours having been at
 boston and Burlington, .06; at Portland, .O7; \ at Passport, .12, and at Block Island 16 \ Nownere dld the wind exceed twelve miles an
 hour, and In temperature there was this re-
 markaole evenness Boston IT, Burlington
 9' Passport 63' Portland v, Block Island ! 12. For Eastport the figure is relatively quite as high as that of Boston.
 The hypotheses of an approacbino cvclone | of the realization of the Apocalyptic vision and of the fulf1lment of the beldame's nronh | ecy having been dismissed, the theory of the I learned is accepted on all sides in brief ! that theory is that the saffron curtain that hid the sky was composed partly of fog, but mostly of smoke; that it passed along at ! great height above the earth's surface, which explains the absence of any smell of smoke; that this smoke originated in the extensive forest fires which for several days past have been raging in parts of northern New York and in Canada; that the intense heat of these great fires produced a volume of hot air which reached great altitude; that the smoke thus gained 8 lofty atmospheric stratum, and, quietude prevailing in the strata be- low, it's mass was undisturbed, and it foated slowly towards the sea in one dense cloud, overspreading all New England, being propelled to it's ocean, ic destination by the ruling atmospheric current of high attitudes in this section of the country, which moves from west to east,
 defecting somewhat southerly; that the thin edge of the cloud passed over Albany and the
 
 It being on the northern side, so that while
 it is chronicled as fog at Portland and East
 port, it was doubtless the density of it in that
 section, density which the suns rays could
 not penetrate, that relieved it of the yellow
 ish cast 1t wore in central and southern New
 England. By p. m. 1t began to show thin
 edge at Boston, and by p. m the stars were
 visible in the zenith The general eagerness to behold the strange effects produced upon
 familiar objects and landscapes was nowhere more manifest than at the Equitable Life In- surance building. In the later forenoon hours the elevators were filled at every as- tension with curious people, who wished to get a view from the lofty roof At one time 400 to 800 were upon the roof. The rush became 8 nuisance, and excluded the tenants of the building from the convenient use of the elevators, and the procession had to be stopped, and no visitors were permit ted to go upon the roof in the afternoon. From this point of view the scene was very strange and interesting. The water in the harbor was smooth and motionless, and the vessels at anchor, uninhuenced by the light westerly breeze, pointed in various direc- tions, according to the currents in the tide It was seen that a dark, heavy fog overhung the whole city and the harbor, shutting out the hills at Arlington and Milton, and even Fort Independence. The air was loaded with dampness, and so gentle was the breeze that for some hours the smoke arising from
  hung about the lower strata in the air, pass ing very slowly seaward and occasionally ris- ing to sufficient altitude to intensity the pe- culiar darkness. At some times the glare of this artificial sky-for want of better term was 50 intense as to be painful to the eyes, and i'll the open air all brilliant colors, and those that contrast most directly with yellow, masqueraded under and strange hues The grass on the common turned dark and dull until the color matched green blinds very nicely. The delicately col pred flowers on the public garden and else- where faded until they became more interest ing as curiosities. To sensitive eye-pro- vided it was not -blind-the ribbons and dresses in store windows seemed to have dergone similar changes.
 Inquiry at telegraph offices in regard to the presence of electricity in the air met with the reply that nothing unusual had been mo- ticed. The apparatus used in measuring the strength of electric currents gave nothing that could be twisted into an unexpected record At the same time it was a common thing to hear people on the street attributing the condition of the atmosphere to the pres snce of large quantities of electricity-some |. persons protesting that they could feel cleo sricity in their fnger-tips. In the harbor very peculiar effect was produced in the changes of the color of the headlands and other distant objects as seen from the stt ann boat decks, the yellow giving place to other orismatic hues, either wholly or in variega- ion.
 Reports from all parts of New England ,how the existence of the same phenomenon hat was observable in this vicinity. In Fall River the stores and many residences were iphted In all the mills lights were burned, md the public schools were closed. In Nashua N H., artificial light was necessary or all kinds of indoor business. Gas light lad the appearance of electric light, and rass and foliage of a bright green hue The mills and stores in North Adams were ghted during the early forenoon. About II clock the air grew clearer, and by noon the uu shone like brilliant pink ball. For inc the heat was very oppressive. In some f the country towns in the vicinity of North dams female mill operatives were so fright ned that they stopped work and fled for omes in alright. The streets were CT owded ,ith excited people many of whom expressed elief that the judgment day was at hand. t Hanover N. H., the sky overhead was of light olive shading off all around to live reen at the horizon. The light was or uite pronounced yellowish green color. he green color of grass, trees, etc., was ,uch intensified, while houses painted white nowed more distinctly yellow hue. c. F. professor Of natural philosophy nd astronomy at Dartmouth College, says 1t lust be something in the atmosphere which bsorbs the shorter and longer wave lengths, aving only those which give the color of ellow and green. He thinks it may be ow- lg to the pollen from fir and pine trees, to- ether with smoke from the forest fires in anada In Norwich, Conn.,, the gas in lany places of business was light l at midday. In some of the ape towns cattle ceased feeding nd hens went to roost. In Providence, R. , the supply of gas gave out, through some istake at the works, early in the afternoon, ad for time the city was left in uncomfort- ole darkness. It was so dark in Bellows Falls lat at the hotels and among private houses oth breakfast and dinner were partaken of v lamplight Offices and stores were light l, and lamps were called into use on rail pad trains. The sun shone in the afternoon. I Contoocook, N. H., lamps were lighted at .idday, and insects sounded their evening otes There was the same peculiar atmos- here in Norwich, Putnam and Woodstock, onn. Schools were dismissed, and business enerally suspended, except when gas or mps were used.
 But for the absence of the traditional ad- ,ncts of startled fowl and terrified cattle, esterday, with it's peculiar dark, brass-hued ,mosphere, was a fair reproduction of that .mous dark day of 17sO in Salem. The tra-
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