St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-15
SEVERAL DARK DAYS.
When People Thought the World
Was Coming to an Fad.

Was Coming 10 an f.'iu'
The earliest mention of the 'phenOn-
ena known as the dark days appears to
be in the year Il Is. c., about the time
of the death of Julius Cesar, when we
read in PIutarch and Dio CasSiuS that
the sun was paler than usual for
whole year, says the st. Louis Republic.
The great darkness which lasted two
whole DAYS over all Europe appears 10
have preceded the great earthquake
of Nic0media, which occurred Aug. %,
A. ID. S5S. Two years later in all the
Eastern provinces of the Roman empire
there was dark day." which was so
dark as to make stars visible at noon
day.
From further descriptions one might
consider this the result of total eclipse,
but astronomers say that neither the
eclipse of March 1, $50, nor that OF Aug.
2S. of the same year, was visible IN the
countries mentioned. During Alarlc's
siege OF Rome, 400 and 4l0 \. d., there
were several DAYS las dark as the nights
which preceded and followed them"
In $50. 567 and 626 we find mention OF
long periods of diminished sunlight.
According to Schnurrer 1.-The sun dark
ened in an alarming manner on Aug.
10, 7S3, without there being the least
possibility of an eclipse being the
| cause"
The Portuguese historians report sew
eral months of diminished sunlight IN
the wear gS4, which terminated by all
apparent opening in the sky, from
which loud sounds issued, the noise
sounding not unlike two giants quarrel
ing" Iii 1861, on Sept. %, mot q, as
given in some translationS of Hum
boldt's Cosmos" y the sun turned sud
denly black, and remained so for three
| hours. For DAYS after the DlackneSS had
disappeared the sun gave out pecullar
/ greeniSh light, which occasi0ned great
/ alarm.
Schnurrer next mentioned a dark day
! in June. 1871. but astronomers attribute
! it to the total eclipse which was visible
in the greater part of Europe on June
! 81 of TIE year mentioned. Several dark
! days are recorded as having occurred IN
/ February, HOG. the darkest being the
/ 4th, 5th and 18th. On the 5th bright
star was seen shining ''Only foot and
a half from the blackened remains OF
the SUM-
ION the last day of February, 1906, "
saws CortevZa, a Spanish writer, 1.-The
sun appeared to suddenly go out, cauS-
ing darkness all over this country Tor
about six hours" The superstitious
writer's of the time attributed the great
darkness Of 1241 to Gods displeasure
over the result OF the battle of LeignitZ,
the sun being so obScured as to make 1t
necessary to keep lamps burning until
after the ninth hour
Prof. Schlaparelli. who has been years
collecting data concerning that uncanny
event, is now inclined to refer the cause
to the total eclipse Of Oct. q, 1241. KEEP
Ter tells us, his authority being Gemma,
that there was a sun-darkening in 1547,
which lasted for three days, April 22-25,
which finally ended by the sun appear
ing to be suffused with blood to that de-
gree that stars were visible at noon
day."
America has experienced several dark
days during her short historical life, the
most memorable being that of May 19,
1850, when the darkness was so great
that all the people of New England,
with the exception of sturdy few,
were terrified almost to the verge of
distraction. If you swear off today don't
swear Oh tomorrow.