Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-06-22
A Dark Day In Canada.

What was the strangest occurrence that
ever happened in the history of this coun-
try was what has been always known as
The Phenomenon of 1919" On the
morning of Sunday, November 8, 1919,
the sun rose upon cloudy sky, which
assumed, as the light grew upon it,
strange greenish tint. varying in places to
an inky blackness. After a short time
the whole sky became terribly dark, dense
black clouds filling the atmosphere, and
there followed heavy shower of rain,
which appeared to be somewhat of the
nature of soapsuds, and was found to have
deposited. after settling. substance in all
its qualities resembling SCOT. Late in the
afternoon the sky cleared to its natural
aspect, aud the neAl uay 6"o "ud
frosty. On the morning of Tuecday, the
10th, heavy clouds again covered the sky,
and changed rapidly from deep green to
pitchy black, and the sun, when occa-
sionallv seen through them, was some
times of dark brown, of an unearthly
yellow color; and again bright orange,
and even blood red. The clouds constantly
deepened in color, and density, and later
on a heavy vapor seemed to descend to
the earth, and the day became almost as
dark as night, the gloom increasing and
diminishing most filfully.
At noon lights had to be burned in the
court hou g, the banks and public offices
of the city. Everybody was more or less
alarmed, and many were the coniectures
as to the cause of the remarkable occur
renee. The most sensible thought that
immense woods or prairies were on fire
somewhere to the west; others said that IL
great volcano must have broken out in the
province; still others asserted that our
mountain was an extinct crater about to
resume operations, and to make of the city
a second Pompeii the superstitious quoted
an old Indian prophecy that one day the
Island of Montreal was to be destroyed by
AN earthquake, and some even cried that
the world was about to come to an end.
About the middle of the afternoon &; great
body of clouds seemed to rush suddenly
over the city, and the darkness became
that of night. A pause and hush for a
moment or two succeeded. and then one
of the most glaring flashes of lightning
ever beheld famed over the country, ac-
companed by clap of thunder that seem
ed to shake the city to its foundations.
Another pause followed, and then came a
light shower of rain of the same soap and
sooty nature as the two days before. After
that it appeared to grow lighter, 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 play curiously about the large iron
cross at its summit before descending tC
the ground A moment later came the
climax of the day. Every bell in the city
suddenly rung out the alarm of fire. anC
the affrighted citizens rushed out from
their houses into the streets, and made
their way in the gloom towards the churcl
until Place d'Armes was crowded will
people, their nerves all unstrung by the
awful events of the day, gazing at bu
scarcely daring to approach, the strang,
sight before them. The sky above ant
around was as black as ink; but right il
one spot in mid.ar, above them was tn,
summit of the spire, with the lightning
playing abont it, shining like sun. Di
rectly the great iron cross, together will
the ball at its foot, fell to the ground will
a crash and was shivered to pieces. Bu
the darkest hour comes just before dawn
The glow above gradually subsidized ant
died out, the people grew less fearful an
I returned to their homes, the real nigh
came on, and when the next mornn!
dawned everything was bright and clear
The phenomenon was noticed in create
or less degree from Quebec to Kingston
and far into the states, but Montreal seem
ed its centre. 1t has never yet been ex
planned. Montreal Star.