Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-04-30
Annlner Lark nnr.

All or New England and large sec- ton or New York state had strange at mOspherlc experleuce, says a cOrrespOn- dent Of the Philadelphia Times, writing from Boston, in September 1881. Itwas
 another "dark day" and in many respects
 the phenomena were similar to those oh- served in May 17S0. In some some sec
 tions the day began with a slow gather
 ing Of fog from all the water courses.
 The thin clouds that covered the sky at
 midnight seem to crowd together and
 descend upon the earth, and by sunrise
 the atmosphere was dense with vapOr
 which limited vision to very short dis
 tances and made those distances illus
 slOnary. As the sun arose the vapors
 became thick, brassy canopy, through
 which strange. yellow light pervaded
 the ar and produced the most peculiar
 effects on the surface of the earth. Tbs
 color aud darkness lasted until about 5
 o'clock m the afternoon, once in a while
 tightening and then again deepcniug, sO
 that during large part of the time
 nothing could be done conveniently
 indoors without artificial light. The
 unusual complexion of the air wearied
 and palned the eyes The grass assumed
 a singular bluish brightness. as if every
 Dldelt Ndc AiHHEN NAAA AlLuNs ltllUN
 blossoms turned pale and gray, a row O. sun flowers looking ghaStly, orange mas
 turtiums lightsned. pink roses famed, lilac-hued phlox grew pink and blue flowers were transformed into red. Lux
 uriant morning-gloIies that had beer,
 blossomIng in deep deep blue during tho season, now were dressed in splendid
 magenta; rich blue clematis dOnned an
 equally rich maroon. friDged gentians
 were crimson in the fields. There was luminous on every fence aAd rOOf-ridge, and the trees seemed ready to fly into fire. The light was mysteTiOusly devoid of refractiOn. One sitting with his back to a window could not read the news newspaper If his shadow fell upon it; he was obliged to turn the the paper aside to the light. Though the darkness was nos at all like that of night. the birds kept still. When in ti:s afternoon the sun began tO be visible through the strange mists, it was like pink ball amidst yellow cushions it was not until between and o'clock that the sun had sufficiently dlsSipatet the mists to resume its usual clear gold and the earth returned tO it's usual as- pect, the grass resigning its unnatural brilliancy and the purple daisies no longer fading into pins. The tempera- ture throughout the day was very close and oppressive. and the physical effect was one of heavIuess and depresslon. Not breath of air was stirring the smoke from the engine, whenever It stopped at a station, ascending perpen- dicularly. The sun, in usual form as round body, was utterly invisible. and no particular brightness m any partlcu- lar part of the heavens indicated it's To- cality. Gas was used m this city unuI five o'clock. The gas jets, which Ordl- narily show a yellOwIsh light, burned with white bril fancy that made them look like electric lights. Telegrams from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut, indicate that almost the same phenomena de- scribed above were witnessed there. \ Rutland dispatch says: The whole earth and sky seemed envelOped in one pail" At Albany, Troy Utica and other points in Eastern and Central New York, the sky assumed the same hue. School was dismissed n various places, as indeed study was per force suspended in those that kept up their sessions, and many factories also let ont their hands when their facilities for lighting were insufficient. Super stItiOus people were filled with all sorts of dire fOrebOdIngs, and many watched anxiously for the phenomenon to dIsap- pear Some thought the earth was pass Ing through the comets tail, others ascribed the darkness to smoke and haze, and few expected an approach ing millennium.