The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-28
NEW ENGLAND's DARK DAY.
The Unusual Combination of Elements
That Caused 1t.
Pittsburg Dispatc

DlSpdlCH
Most sngularly misconceived and almost
universally misunderstood was the charac-
ter of that memorable dark day over New
England, May 19. ISL More has been said
and written about that phenomenon than
about all the comets, auroras and meteoric
showers that have presented themselves in
five centuries. The hearts Of stout men
have quailed, the faces Of women have
blanched. childhood has shrunk in terror,
as the ''Millerite scare" predicated thereon
swept the country with one of those pecul-
There had been few days of a vaporous-
tainted air, when sun and moon had red
dish, coppery light, and could not be seen
when near the horizon. 1t was Friday,
at 10 o'clock a m, that a most noticeable
diminution of light began, and in an hour
the gloom was as intense as the dusk that
just precedes the night Fowls went to their
ro0sts, domestic animals showed uneasi-
ness, dogs whined and candles were lighted
to attend to household duties. nearly full
moon arose at O'Clock, but yhe blackness
was so intense that not a particle of shad-
ing could be distinguished between earth
and sky. AT a little past midnight the dark
ness commenced TO dispense, the reddish
disc of the moon could be located, and
when Saturday evening came the sun set
with his usual luster and the stars twin
killed. with unwonted brightness. 1t seems
incredible, as one scans the data gathered
by Professor Williams, of Harvard Col
lege. that the true and simple causes that
underlay this darkness were not deduced
therefrom, but even the eminent astrono-
mer, Herschell, consigned il to the domain
or the unexplainaDie.
Clearly, undoubtedly and demonstrably as
the simplest thing in common arithmetic
this notable darkness was due to smoke
laden air currents that temporarily stopped
by reason of a not uncommon condition in
meterology that mEy be termed an atmos-
pheric dam. The character OF the darkness,
the precipitations that accompanied il, the
somewhat pungent odor, the discolora ton OF
sky on days preceding, the aspect of sun
and moon, the scum on the rivers, the dead
calm of the afternoon and forepart of the
night, the indications of the barometer the
similar occurr ences on smaller scales since
all these things attest Enthusiastically that
this phenomenal darkness was owing only
to rather unusual combination of natural
conditions.
True, the forest or prairie fires were not
In the immediate vicinity of this large
dark district and but for the inopportune
becalming OF the air when thus loaded with
this vapor, allowing II 10 gorge, dam up
spread out and thicken until the sustaining
strata close to the earth. particular
attention would have been given TO a per-
fectly natural occurrence. that tens of thou
sands OF people thought was the dawn of
doom, as prehgured in the Apocalyptic Wis
ion.
There has not been an end of the world
SCARF within the century that Ias not used
this wild-fire smoke as a basis from which
TO excite ill-equipped minds into an unseem-
ly exhibition of slavish and demoralizing
fear. That the eminent Herschell regarded
II as he did Is readily expiainable on the
hypothesis that he dwelt where there were
no factors TO produce such an occurrence.s
and he was probably unacQuainted with