The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-02-13
DARK DAYS.


Num- rous Times In the Worlds Bistosy
When the San wss Dsrksasd.
The earliest mention of the phe.
nomena referred TO In the headline o.
this 'note" appears to be that which
occurred In the year A. b G.. about
the time OF the death of Julius Caesar.
whore we read In Plutarch and Die
Cassius that the sun was paler than
usual for whole year. The great
darkness which lasted two whole days
all over Europe appears to have pre-.
coded the great earthquake Of MI
comedia. which occurred August %
A. ID. 1858. Two years later In all the
eastern provinces OF the Roman EN-.
pire there was dark day." which
was 30 dark as to make stars visible
at MONDAY. From further descrlp.
tions one might consider this the re-
suit OF total eclipse but astrono-
;ners say that neither the eclipse oil
March 4, 800 nor that of August 28.
Of the same year. was visible in the
countries mentioned. During Alric's
siege OF Rome 40y and 410
A. d.. there were several
days .as dark as the nights
which preceded and followed them. "
In $50, 567 and GIG we find mention
Of long periods of diminished sun.
light According to Schnurrer. 1.-THE
sun darkened in an alarming manner
on. August 10. 1888. without there be-
ing the least possibility OF an eclipse
being the cause" The Portuguese
historians record several months OF
diminished sunlight in the year 934.
says the St Louis Republic which
terminated by an apparent opening in
the sky from which loud sounds
issued, the noise sounding not unlike
two giants quarrelling.n In 1891, on
September 29 (not 81. as given in
some translations OF Humboldt's
.Cosmos''), the sun turned suddenly
black and remained so for three hours.
For days after the blackness had dis
appeared the sun gave out peculiar
greenish light which occasioned great
alarm Schnurrer next mentions u
dark day in June. 1191. but astrono-
mers attribute it to the total eclipse
which was visible In the greater part
OF Europe in June Fl OF the year men
toned. Several dark days are record
ed as having occurred in February
1106, the darkest being the 4th. 9Th
ana 18th. On the 9th bright star
was seen shining .only foot and a
half from the blackened remains Of
the sum-"
'On the last day of February.
1906" says Cortevza q Spanish
writer, 1.-The sun appeared to suddenly
go out causing darkness all over
the country for about six hours" The
superstitious writer's OF the tims at
tributed the great darkness OF 124l 20
Gods displeasure over the results 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. Schiaparelli who
has been years collecting data concern
ing that uncanny event. is now in
clined to refer the cause to the total
eclipse OF October 8, 1241. Kepler
tells us his authority being Comma.
that there was a sun-darkening in
1547 which lasted for three days.
April 22-25 which finally ended by
the sun appearing to be suffused with
blood to that degree that stars were
visible at MONDAY" America has ex-
perienced several dark days during
her short historical life. the most
memorable being that OF May 10.
1880. 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.