The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-08-03
A MEMORABLE DAY.
The Earth Enveloped in a Mys-
terious Darkness.
sages and Scientists Alike at Fault for
an Explanation of the Phenomenon
Which Filled the People
with Terror


The most memorable phenOme non of
the heavens in modern times was that
day of remarka BILE darkness over New
England Nav 10 I1Sl. That day. says
a writer in the Chicago Times. made a
more profound impression. has been
more written and talked about. than
all the auroras. comets and mcteoric
showers within the last five centuries
The great astronomer Herschcl placed
il in the domain Of the uneXplainable.
80 pronounced was the darkness that
settled down over the earth that fowl
went to their roostS. horses and cattls
showed distress. dogs whined. and
thousands of persons anticipated the
dawn of doom. The great colonial
struggle for American independence
was still in progress. the federal union
was not vet established: there wa
that chaotic state that generally pre-.
cedes great changes, and there wa
considerable rancor in the minds of tho
people
Patriot and royalist each regarded
the ominous sky and the threatening
gloom as the evidence OF Heavens dis
pleasure against the other. and tn,
pending mystery would eliminate il
the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah. The
ignorant gave way to all sorts of gro
tcSque cOnjectures. and the few pro
founder minds were unable to advance
any rational explanation of the very
unusual occurrence.
The legislature of Connecticut was
in session on this ill-omened day. and
most of the members made no secret
of their belief that now had come the
great day fOretold in the apOcalyptic
vision. \ member got up and pro
posed adjournment. The matter being
open for discussion legislator named
Davenport arose and said:
Mr. Speaker. it i either the day of
Judgment or 1t Is not. If it il not there
Is no need of adjournment; if it Is, de
sire to be found doing my duty Let
candles be brought and let business
continue"
But the motion to adjourn was deci-
sively carried. and the lawmakers who
fashioned the laws for the men OF
steady habits went forth from their
chamber to gaze at the weird and som
Der sky.
1t was Friday and the intensity be
gan soon after ten o'clock a. IN. and
continued till past the middle OF the
following night The wind was from
the southwest, and the darkness seemed
To come with IL from that direction 1t
soon became too dark To- read common
print readily and candles were lighted
in order to attend to household duties
After time the breeze subsidized: q
dead calm followed and added to the
solemnity. The darkness was all over
New England. westward as far as Al
bany. y. Y. southwark along the coast
of Maryland. South Carolina and
Georgia. and northward as far as any
communication was had with any set
Elements.
Nothing was known beyond these
boundaries. but there Is reason to be-
lieve that much greater area was in
volved
Prof. Williams. Of Harvard college,
was indefatigable in observing. collect
ing and recording reports Of the cOndi-
tionS attending this phenomenon, and
to him the credit is due for the data
from which 1t iS possible to deduce the
causes Of this Soul-harrowing dark day.
Mr.. Williams profeSSed himself unable
to offer any solution. but this was prob
ably owing to the lack of knowledge
of the physical interior of this great
country and its sometimes peculiar re
lationship to current meteorology.
All was black as primevaI night
when chaos ruled the world and sur
and stars We're as inl1y spots in the
heavens.
And now we come to the key that
unIocl<s the mental situation and it be
comes clear what ii was that stood il
the way of an understanding of thi:
mystery. InnumerabIe were the gro
tesque and irrational hypothesis thai
We're advanced from which their advO
Gates endeavored to find the solution o.
this extraordinary occurrence.
An eclipse of the sun was claimed
but as the moon was nearitS full anC
probably one hundred and eighty de
grees out of solar line from the earth
such a condition was physically impos
sible. \ transit of Venus or some othe1
celestial body across the suns disc haC
advocates. Men of grave demeanO
contended that star had caught fir,
and started a contiagration of tn,
heavens. or the sun had expired. henc
the reSiduum of smoke and ashes.
There had been immense land fires
where there was no one to report, GOV
ering perhaps many hundreds if ~
thousands of square miles, prcEd biy
famed by brisk gales, the vSpor anc
sooty substances taken up oy ascend
ing currents from the heated surface
and loaded on favovhg breezes to be
waited over the sand of the pilgrim.
and. as it ch~.iced. to be air-dammet
with the ->Sults narrated. This con
tinue.' until the barrier gave way, wher
thevapOr soon dispersed.
The great middle and western state.
have time and again had this smoki
ness. which no one now thinks of re
garding as supernatural The only un
usual feature of this occasion was the
unusual combination of conditions
This, in brief, Is the explanation O
the wonderful dark day.