The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1893-11-09
DARK paws.
Numerous Tinnes ID the worlds Blstoey
when the SUN Was Darkened.

- - ~ - - - = s
Numerous Tirnoa ID the worlds Hfskoey
When the SUN Was Darkened.
The earliest mention of the phe-
nomena referred to in the headline Of
this mote" appears to be that which
occurred in the year Al. b. c.. about
the time of the death of Julius Cesar.
where we read in Plutarch and Dio
Cassius that the sun was paler than
usual for a whole year. The great
darkness which lasted two, whole days
all over Europe appears to have pre-
ceded the great earthquake of Nj
comedia, which occurred August %
A. d. 35S. Two years later in all the
eastern provinces of the Roman en-
pire there was dark day.. which
was SO dark as to make stars visible
at MONDAY. From further descrip-
tions one might consider this the re-
suit of a total eclipse, but astrono-
mers say that neither the eclipse of
March 4, $780, nor that of August %.
of the same year was visible in the
countries mentioned. During Alric's
siege of Rome 409 and 410.
A. D.. there were several
days 'as dark as the nights
which preceded and followed them.
In $50. 567 and 626 we find mention.
of long periods of diminished sun
light. According to SGhnurrer. the
SUN darkened in an alarming manner
on August l9, 733. 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." In 1901, on
! September 90 (not p. as given in
some trauslations of Hum boldt'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 IL
! 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 21 of the year men,
toned. Several dark days are record
I ed as having occurred in February,
HOG. the darkest being the 4th. 5th
ana 18th. On the 9TH bright star
was seen shining only foot and d
half from the blackened remains of
the sum-"
On the last day of February.
1906" says Cortevza. a 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 time at
tributed the great darkness of 1241 to
Gods displeasure over the results of
the battle of Leignitz the sun being
so obscured as to make it necessary to
keep lamps burning until after the
ninth hour. Prof Schiaparelli who
has been years collecting data concern
ing that uneanny event. is now in
cliped to refer the cause to the total
eclipse of October E, 1241. Kepler
tells us his authority being Comma,
that there was a sun-daTkening in
1547 which lasted for three days.
AprA 22-25. which finally ended by
the sun appearing to be sutfused 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 49,
1880. when the darkness was so great
that all the people of New England
with the exception of a sturdy few.
were terrified almost to the verge OF
distraction.