The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-30
STRANGE COLORS.
MEN FEAR SKIES YELLOW, RED,
GREEN AND BLACK.
The Red Terror OF the Fourteenth
Century-Green Day of the Column
bian year-Dark Day OF
the Revolution.


smoke of the censers arose uninter-
ruptedly. Thousands of terrified peo-
pie lay prone upon their faces in the
streets and squares. Women clutch
ing their infants to their breasts ran
shrieking along the highways. Cred.
itors iorgave debts; usurers pressed
upon their ruined clients their ill-got-
ten gains; rich men distributed their
wealth in the name of charity TO all
who would consent to accept. Grim
inals voluntarily confessed their mis-
deeds and besought the extremity of
human justice. Kings and princes
threw off their ermine, donned the
rags of beggary, and vowed new cru
sades for the recovery of the Holy
Sepulchre from the Turk. Men went
mad Anchorites and hermits issued
from their cells, wild-eyed, clad in
goat skins or sackcloth, and, stalking
through the streets, cried aloud:
"Woe woe The hour of judgment
is at haudl"
1t was the Day of the Red Terror.
described by the ancient chroniclers.
The dawn broke clear and mild as in
midsummer, we are told, aud "not
cloud of haudbroath's bigness was to
he seen in all the sky" But just be.
fore the sun rose n strange red haze
or mist overspread the heavens, deep
ening in hue and density, until at Q
o'clock the armament was q crimson
pail which obscured the sun and cast a
dull, omlnous glare upon the earth
like the reflection from tremendous
con6Ogration at a distance. DESPITE
the unnatural illumination the gloom
was 80 profound, even at midday, "thnt
one man knew not another, though
he were his own brother. Toward 3
of the afternoon there came great
splendor of crimson, like blood, and
come cried that now, indeed, the
heavens were departing as II scroll
when It is rolled together; others
that they beheld the angels battling
against the hosts of the Apollyon in
the upper air, aud yet others that
blood rained upon the earth" At
about midnight the fiery pail disap-
peared, seeming to be dissipated as
light mist is driven before II strong
wind; the stars came forth in their
tranquil beauty, and the panic.stricken
world grew calm again.
In April of the year in which Col
umbus set out upon his memorable
voyage to the Indies, incidentally dis.
covering America, occurred the won
derful Green Day. During the fore.
noon there had been succession of
light showers, but at IL o'clock the
sky cleared, and the sun shone bright.
ly. At an hour past noon the sun
grew pale, and lost its brilliaDcy, as
II obscured by ia winter fog, though
there was no trace of vapor i'll the at
mosphere. At the same time the azure
hue of the sky changed to livid green
deepening gradually to rich emer-
aid tint. The sun became wholly in.
visible, and there was sort of pre-
ternatural twilight upon the earth.
The green hue was SO intense that "all
objects took the color OF oak leaves,
and men stared in alright at each
others faces, " for they, too, were of
the prevailing iivii green. The pop.
ulace poured into the streets to gaze
IN terror at the emerald sky, and to
ask each other what had become of
the sun, and If the end of the world
were ut hand. Bells were tolled, ser.
vices were held in all the churches. In
one French town several persons ex.
pired from fright. At about S o'clock
III the evening the sky resumed its
normal aspect,
There are several Yellow Davs on
record, the most remarkable being
that which occurred in the reign Of
Charles X. of France. "All the pre-
vious night such tempest of wind
blew rs not the Oldest man had seen.
Steeples tell with horrible crash.
Strong houses and palaces fell down
fiat upon tue earth. Whole forests
were levelled and thousands of deer
destroyed, SO that there was no hunt
ing in all the realm for the space of six
years. At sunrise the storm died down
10 breathless calm. 1t became SO in
tensely hot that cattle died in the fields,
men fell down in the streets, steam
rose from standing pools, and hayricks
took fire. Yet there was no visible
'uH' ~ ohy Nha w illlhHb NtilOW,
like that sometimes seen in the west Mt
early twilight, deepiug toward noon
to splendid orange, and later, to an
ugly muddy brown. So frightful was
the omen THAT men, not daring to go
forth Tor the dreadful heat, confessed
themselves to each other, forgave
debts and old feuds. Those that ven
tured out of door drenched their
clothing with water, which turned to
vapor in hundred PAGES. Many died
in their houses, whether of the heat
or fear, and half the world was over
come"
The Dark Day of the Revolution
has been frequently described, to
many yet living, by ancient people
who were eyewitnesses. This account
was given by Rhode Island lady, a
cousin of General Nathaniel Greene:
"fhe sky was clear until near noon,
when the sun began to fade, as if its