Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-09-09
BOst0n's Lurisl Sky.

AMUSING INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH THE PIE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. PEOPLE.
From the Boston Post.
There were some very amusing incidents con
nected with the extraordinary illumination of
the skies on Tuesday. One of them was the ap-
pearance ut Hanover and Washington streets of
an aged darkey. who is an adherent of the doc
tIine Of Brother Jasper of Richmond fame In
loud tones he made the exclamation that the
sun do move" and that il was burning through
the sky and would lap up the earth before it got
through. The most widely circulated and pre-
valent opinion in the city among that class of
persons who delight to indulge in superstitious
ideas was that the light i'm the heavens had
something or other TO do with the removal of
President Garfield from the White House to
Long Branch. An old lady was noticed to kneel
on Brattie street and lift up her emacated hands
while her lips articulated almost incoherent
prayers. The restless throng of people passed
her by. and only the representative of this Jour
nal knew that she had been Just informed that
President Garfield had arrived safely at his cot
tage at Long Branch.
Among the liquor dealers the appearance of
the sky had marked effect. They are ALWAYS
superstitious, and in this instance several of
them could not stand the great yellow sky with
out some qualms of conscience. One man on
Dover street was known to close his place and
take his family to prayers
In the shipping of the North End, the sailors
now in port showed many symptoms of fear at
W
Ibid you ever see anything like it anywhere?"
an old tar was asked by the Post Tuesday even
ing. mo, Sir; I've travelled in every sea in the
world, and never saw such an awful sight as that
OF to-day" do you call it awful?" the reporter
asked. WELL it was beautiful. and / lust
thought God was about to come through the
clouds" the poetic reply came. From the
steamers the sky appeared even more beautiful
than in the city. Persons who were passengers
say that the golden light fell on the water and
turned each wave-top intoa miniature mountain
OF half yellow. half crystal green. To descend
to the practical: People were obliged to light
their gas In private families in stores and count
ing rooms. 1t was semi-moonlight evening
the entire day.
The excitement of the day, and the question
ing, was concerning the phenomenon of the red
sky. Nothing else. perhaps could have drawn
away the excited attention of the pOpulace from
the bulletin boards Of the newspapers Several
scientists and popular meteorolOgists were called
upon. but they could not furnish positive infor-
nation as to why the country should have such
a day. One gentleman. who is temporarily stop
ping at the Parker House, and who lives in Lon
don. says that he has often noticed such DAYS in
his city. Another gentleman said that he also
lived in London, and that he neuer saw such
day. London seems to be the foundation for
precedents in the matter of this sort Of weather;
but representative of the Post ran against
ScOtchman at the Crawford House who had once
upon time seen just such day. He said that it
was in Aberdeen in 1861, and that the heavens
were of the same golden hue, and that the peo-
pie of his parish were much, if not more ter
rified. than the residents of Boston Business
in the city was much affected by the strange
light in the sky, and merchants. clerks Grand
boys and children all stopped their usual occupa-
tlons to accost each other upon the curiosity of
the event Between and o'clock the red ap-
pearance Of the heavens began to fade into
grayish tint, and before the latter hour had
been told the sky had assumed its natural ap-
pearance.