Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1906-05-01
HISTORIC DARK DAYS
ONE THAT BROUGHT TERROR TO rHs
PEOPLE OF NEW ENGLAND.

~ A' N""sess us coming Drought
terror TO many communities whose In.
habitsnts. thinking the day OF judy.
ment at hand made haste TO settle
their affairs as best they might before
the trump should sound.
A Boston woman In the tumult or her
fears sent a messenger TO Rev. Mather
Byles. tradition says. 10 inquire the
cause OF such an alarming occurrence.
The minister claimed no special infor.
nation AS 10 the unusual visitation and
replied that lie was las much I'm the
dark about II 5 any OF his parlsh,on.
ers"
The darkness came on between 10
and ii O'Clock and speedily had become
SO dense that candles were lighted IA,
the houses. aud men on the streets,
could navigate only with lanterns. The
birds, having sung their evening songs.
| disappeared. fowls retired TO roost. and
cocks crowed, apparently deeming ii
the darkness just before dawn.
la the Connecticut Legislature some
of the more timoruus members. unable
To see one auother's faces. sought AN
Adjournment, but certain MIR. Daven.
port gained undying fame when he
arose and said
mir. speaker IL ls either the day of
judgment or ii is not II IL is not. there
Is no need Of adjourning. fit is. | d.
sire 10 be found doing my duty. |
! move that candles Toe brought aud that
We proceed to business"
The area OF the phenomenon extend
eel from Falmouth. now Portland. Me-
As far west as Albany. v Y, aud from
| the northernmOst settlements OF New
Hampshire south along the seacoast to
| New Jersey. II varied In Intensity
the darkness being greatest. according
To one writer, Or Samuel Tenuey OF
! Exeter, y. H., In the county OF Essex
IN that state.
Although Hersche asserts that no
adequate explanation OF the occurrence
has been found. other scientists have
accounted for the phenomenon upon
| the superstition that Ures In the dense
| forests Of York county. Me. aud also
| In New Hampshire. which had been
raging for two OF three weeks with un.
precedemted stubbornness aud extent.
sent up enormous clouds or smoke aud
! vapors, which, held In suspension over
the earth AT about the height OF the
highest hilltops. prevented the suns
rays from penetrating.
For several days previous TO this
"black Friday" the air had been full OF
smoke aud vapor aud the sun and
moon were abnormally red The
| clouds were of unusual colors, and II
: was observed that green objects took
on deeper green. yerglng into azure
and that all objects usually white were
tinged with yellow.
Objects appeared TO cast shade iu
every direction, and there were sew.
eral coruscations In the atmosphere
not unlike the aurora borealis. but ne
uncommon appearances or electri,
hre," says one writer. The vapOrs
were decidedly noxious. for after tile
atmosphere finally cleared IL was found
that many small birds had been suit
located. Rain descending In some 10
cations was found TO be black as ink
and upon the surface or rivers aud 9th
er bodies or ..ater appeared scum
which had tile OdOr or burnt leaves.
This undoubtedly proves the theory OF
the forest fires
The darkness lasted all OF Friday.
ksnd IL 10 recorded that when the time
for real darkness had come II was
such as literally could he cut with d
knife, equaling the Egyptian article Of
old. One writer observed that sheet
OF white paper held a foot from The
eye was no more visible than q piece OF
the blacklist velvet.
a poem supposed to have been writ
ten about that time Is In part as fol
lows:
OF month Of May, the nineteenth day,
In seventeen hundred eighty
] Day turned to uivht-a dOleful sight
And caused transactions wrighty
The whlppoorwill sung notes most shrln.
| Doves to their cot~s retrcuted
! And all the fowls excepting owls.
| Upon their rOOsts were seated
The herds and focKs stood sulI 81 stocks
| Or to their folds were hying
Men young and old dared not to Acold
At wives and children crying
The day OF doom most thought was come
| Throughout New ENgland's borders,
The people. scared. felt unprepared
re obey the dreadful orders
Philosophy. with curious eye,
While viewing the phenomenon,
Like all the rest. freely confessed
IL was q most uncommon one
Soon II came out. to ease all doubt
In space Of half q minute,
| 10 he 40 NH %
No miracle was In II.
In New Hampshire. the woods on IRE
Sent smoke UP dense and snOtherlug
Spread round the sky a canopy
Ger all the Yankee brethren.
With one consent they did repent
| And promise reformation.
But danger Ger Just as before,
Their sins regsined possession.
History has recorded three other not
ably dark days in the United States. II
Is OF record that oct n. 171G. was 80
dark that Candles had to he lighted ~
that people might eat their dinners A"
Aug. o. 1882. was another. the cause NJ
which is supposed TO have been a
forest fire In canada On oct 10. 1862