The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1892-01-22
GhelemnrrA-Star
n. EaRrn,s pasK BAYS.
6t. Louis Republic.

St. Louis Republic.
The earliest mention OF the phe.
nomina known a. the dark day;
appears to be in The year A B. q.
about the time Of the death OF Ju.
Illus Caesar, when we read 10 Plu.
tarch and Dio Cassius that the sui
was paler than usual for a whole
year. The crest darkness which
lasted two whole days over all Eu.
rope appears 10 have preceded the
great earthquake of Nicomedis,
which occurred August 81, A. d.,
Sb6 Two years later in all the east.
ern provinces Of the Roman EN-.
pre- there was a dark day." which
was 20 dark as 10 make stars vii.
BILE at MONDAY.
From further descriptions one
might consider this the result of a
total eclipse, but astronomers say
that neither the eclipse OF March
4, $50, nor that of August % of the
same year was visible in the cen.
turtles mentioned. During Alric's
siege Of Rome, 400 and 40, A. d.,
there were several days "as dark
as the nights which preceded and
followed them" In 536, 567 and
626 We find mention of long peri.
DDS Of dimnished sunlight. Accor.
ding to Schnurrer, 'the sun darken.
ed in an alarming manner on Au.
gust 19, 733. without there being
the least possibility OF an eclipse
being the cause"
The Portuguese historians record
several months oil diminished sun.
lightin the year 934, which termi.
mated By an apparent opening in
the sky "from which loud sounds
issued, the noise sounding not un-
like two giants quarreling." In
1901, on September 20 mot u, as
given in some TRANSACTIONS Of
Humboldt's "Cosmos"), the sun
turned suddenly black and re
manned so for three hours. For
five days after the blackness had
disappeared the sun gave out a
peculiar greerish light, which oc.
casioned great alarm.
Schnurrer next mentions a dark
day in June, 1191. but astronomers
attribute it to total eclipse which
was visible in the greater part of
Europe on June 81 Of the year
mentioned. Several dark days are
recorded as having occurred in
February, 1I06, the darkest being
the 4th, 9Th and 18th. On the 5th q
bright star was seen shining "onIy
. foot aud a half from the blacken.
ed remains Of the sum-"
sOn the last day Of February,
1906" says Corievza, a Spanish
writer, "lhe sun appeared 10 sud.
denly 60 out, causing a darkness
oil over this country for about six
hours" The superstitious writer's
OF the time attributed The great
of 1241 10 Gods displeas.
nre over the result of the battle OF
the sun being so obscured
% 10 make it necessary to keep
lamps burning until after the ninth
Prof Schlaparelli, who has been
years collecting data concerning
that uncanny event, is now incIin-
ed to refer the cause 10 the total
eclipse of October 6, 124l. Kepler
tells US, his authority being Com.
ma, that there was a sun.darkening
in 1647, which lasted for three
days, April 1925, which finally
BY the sun appearing to be
with blood 10 that degree
that stars were visible at noon.
America has experienced sever.
dark days during her short his.
HE, the most memorable
being that ofMay 10, 1850, when
The darkness was SO great that all
The people Of New England, with ::
The exception Of a sturdy few,
we're terrified almost 10 the verge {
u distraction.