The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-10-06
STRANGE PHENOMENA.
S5eeulaaous as to the Cause Of tie late
MIKay Darkness.


AKiKlay Darkness
The strange dirkaess at midday.
caused by a yellow haze filling the
sky, which awakened surprise arr
alarm in Boston, Pro lidence, and
other eastern cities on Tuesday, IS
not without parallel in meteorological
history. Everybody has heard of
the dark day Of 1880, which is some
time spoken Of as Black Friday. The
year 1880 resembled 1881 in its Won
derful physical phenomena. 1t was a
year to drive weather prophets mad,
and it impressed its memory indellib-
!y on the minds of the people. Its
freaks eliminated on May -, when
the light Of tie sun seemed suddenly
to fail, and all Of New England and
portions OF New York, Pelinsllvania
and Canada were plunged in mysteri
Gus gloom Birds and fowls retired
to their roosts; dinner was eaten by
candle light. The air seemed of "a
brassy color, and there was a sulphur
Gus or sooty smell pcrvading it. Very
many were in the greatest alarm,
thinking the day of judgment had
come The Connecticut Legislature
was II session when the mysterious
darkness fell upon the face Of nature
and the Senate chamber was shroud-
ed in gloom, SO that business could
not be transacted. The c Ieral allrm
spread TO the law makers, and one of
them solelnnly moved that the Senate
adjourn. Col. Abraham Davenport
Immediately arose and opposed the
adjournment. His speech; though
brief, was a remarkable one, and 1t
had the effect of restoring composure
Of mind in the assembllge.
am against adjournment. Either
The day Of Judgment is at hand, or-it
| i; no.. 1t it is wish to Be foiiad il
gsAeiaezl Wy ll):sa ,r.tAea M.
dlss be brought.
Nobody who ever saw that day ever
forgot it. The New England coas,
was shrouded with dareiess, which
,urned away incoming ships. Evident
!y the phenomenon observed on Tues
lay was of the same nature as that Of
1880. Such darkenings OF the sun $
light have been witnessed in various
parts of the world. In the yeor
;26 the whole Roman empire was
lowered witha reddish shadow, caused
BY strange haze in the air. In 1888
Ill of Europe, most Of North Ameri-
"a, and the western portion of A ia
vas covered with a great dry fog Of a
! pale blue color, which dimmed the
light of tie sun and at times almost
xtinguished it. 1t lasted for several
weeks. and was accompanied by vio-
lent electrical storms. 1t spread alarm
everywhere. "It was, "says one writer,
"a time Of terror, of tumult, and OF
Universal excitement" In 1891 there
vas another great fog that made the
nm look green or blue, and tinted ali
he objects of the landscape with sim
liar hucs.
Sometimes these phenomena are
onhned to comparatively small areas
# country The fogs Of London ars
'xamples. In December, 1873. Lon
Ion was darkened for week SO tha:
raic had to be suspended on the
Thames. street travel b-came almost
impossible, and many PERSONS lost
their lives through accidents. 4 yea'
go last spring 4 mysterou; dlrknes,
'verSpread portion sf Minnesota
The inhabitants. as il 1880. ate the.
dinr ,r BY atdle light, AID all ordi-
r:ry occupations were suspended.
Tne causes assigned for these phe
nomena are various. Sometimes the,
are due to the smoke arising from the
burning Of grea forests or vast peal
bogs. Occasionally these fogs have
been ascrlbsd toithe passage of the
earth through the tail OF comet. In
1861 when the ear;h is supposed t.
have passed through portion of the
tail of the great comet OF that year, a
sli sht haze was. discernable by day,
Ind at night the air seemed aglow
with strat &c phospho7escence, which
4 l. l. a