Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-01-01

lbe Thames. street traffic became diff
ficult, and lives were lost By Academia
due to the obscurity. In the spring OF
1873 a mysterious darkness covered
portion Of Minnesots, ordinary occupa-
ticns were suspended, and people were
obliged to eat their dinners by lamp
IL ht.
TIE black FRIDAY OF 1850.
More celebrated, however, is the
BLACK Friday" of New England, May
10. 17SO. The coast was shrouded IN
darkness, which turned away incoming
ships. The air WAS of brassy coior,
anu pervaeiesl by sup Crols ana SCOTT
smell. Many thonghs The day OF Juu
ment come. the Connecticut IeSlsia-
fure was In session when the darkness
fell and the Senate chambtf became
shroaded in gloom. Tue general alarm
Spread TO the law makers, and one OF
them so.enniy moved that the Senate
adjourn Col. Abraham Daveapprt ln,-
mediat.ly aruss and opposed the ad
tournament. His speech, though brief,
vas u remarka able one, and had the ef-
the assembly. He SAID: II am against
the adj ,urnmsnt. Either the day of
judgment is come or it Is not. If 1t Il
not there is no c.use for adjournment.
If it is wish to be found in the line of
INV duty. l ask that candles may bs
brought" This terrorizing darkness
sxtendei over most OF New Engiand and
portions of New York, Pennsylvania
nd N.ra1.. nd Hrrsx ~ CltrtflaF
causes to those which produced the fam
p ,ndent of the Glc5s sends the following
extract from y letter relating to that
darkness, and dated Boston, May 10.
lIsO. The letter WAS puolished In the
Imperial Magazine for 1889. The extract
says:
"rhis day has been rendered very re-
markable by an extraordinary paenom-
enon which demands particular rela-
ton. An unusual darkness came on be-
tween the hours of ten aud eleven IN
the morning and continued to increase.
Your friend, having been accustomed to
dark days in London, regarded il with
no special attention until called to do IL
by his neighbors, who w,re much
alarmed. de dined by caRdlelight
about one. After thai it grew much
lighter and he walked at about five
o'clock to a tavern. a mile distant on the
road to Boston, to meet q committee OF
Roxbury On special business.
when they had finished, about 6
o'clock At night he set out for home. no,
suspecting but that, being fully ac-
quainted with every foot of the road. be
should easily return. Notwithstanding
it's being extremely dark. There were
houses all the way, though at n cOnsid
cradle distance from each other. He
marked the candle-light of one. and
with that in his eve. went forward till
he got up To il: but remarked that the
appearance of the place WAS so diffaren,
from what was usu,l, that he could moi
have believed it t. he what it was had il
not been for his certain knowledge oi
its situation. He caught the light of .
second house. which he reached, anG
thus on. At length the LIGHT being re
NOV d from the last he had gained ,
slant of ere he was up to it, he founl
him self in such
PROFOUND DARKNESS
as TO be incapable of proceeding. anf
therefore returned to the house no hat
passed and procured lantern. Sewers,
IT the company. having further 80 GO
were on hors back. The horses coul,
nos see tn direct themselves. and bv tn
manner in which they took up and pm
down their feet on the plain ground
appeared To he involved in total dark
| ness. The shifting of thu wine
put an end TO it; and at midnight it WA
succeed a by a br;pht moon and star
lioht. The decree To which it rose wa
different in different places. In mos
parts of the country IL was so great j,
the daytime that the people could no
tell the hour by either W Itch ar clo,k
nor dine. nor manage their domesti
business without ths aid Of candl IS.
y The extsnt of this iarkness wa
extraordinary. 1t was observed as fa
east of Falmouth. tn the westward i
reached u the farihest parts of Connec
ficut and Albany. To the southwark i
was Observed all ,lone the sea coast. ane
To the north ~ far AS thu American set
t.ements extend.
This phenomenon appears to have
been owing tn the clouds being highly
charged with smoke. which they had
been collecting for DAYS i'm the back
country. tho weather being
clear. tho air w-ightv. aud the wind
small and variable for s~vertl DAYS, the
smoke. instead If disappearing. rose and
instantly collected in the air till the
atmosphere was lOsded with such an
immense quantity If it ~ proved. in
combination with other vapors, the par
ent of the proceed n darkness