The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-05-19
TODAY I'M HISTORY
Famous Dark Day OF i7so-May 1e
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1910.

Famous Dark Day Of i7so-May 10.
The words Dark Day" apply 10 "A
number of days In which the sunlight ap-
pears 10 have been remarkably dim or
altogether absent. In our country, how
ever the term is specifically applied to
May 10. 1880. which Is also known as
Black Friday" Other notable dark
days In the United States were those OF
October n, l716. and October 10. l762.
The darkness Of the Dark Day Of
May 10. wns principally observed I'm lower
Canada. the New England states and the
upper part Of the northern states, The
darkness is known Ia have been the re-
suit OF n com blnation of ordinary cloudl-
ness combined with the smoke from for
In 1850 the wind was southwest with oc-
casional light rains. The remarkable
phenomenon was attributed by the super
stltious To supernatural causes,
on the plains OF Tibet. according 10
Marco Polo and other travellers. dark
days arc sometimes caused By clouds OF
dust so fine and light that IL Is carried
to a great distance by the wind. Similar
days Of darkness have been caused by
clouds of mingled vapor, smoke and dust
cmanating from volcanic oruptlons. al.
though such Clonds do not usually extend
TO the great distances reached by clouds
Of smoke from forest fires
Stygian darkness often prevails during
eruptions OF ashes from volcanoes. Cases
OF such volcanic clouds occurred In con-
nection with the eruption OF Mont Pelee
and La Soufriere In the West Indies III
May 1902.
In recent wears the months OF August
and September. 1881. were remarkable In
the eastern part OF the United States for
long series OF days In which artlncisl
day and business was generally very
much interrupted In commenting upon
this the United States Monthly Weather
Review for September. 1881; says
THE foGgy or smoky condition OF the
atmosphere became quite general from
the first 10 tho tenth OF the month. II
reached an unusual elimination or den
sity In the eastern portion OF the middle
land. The destructive violence OF prairie
fires throughout northern Michigan and
portions OF Canada has perhaps never
been exceeded and the intensity OF the
accompanying smoke was simply dread
full.
On September s southwesterly winds
prevailed from Tennessee northward to
Lake Superior. and thence eastward TO
the Canadian maritime provinces ana
smoke was reported as far south as
Knoxville. westward TO Milwaukee, north
to New Brunswick. The darkness OF the
dark day of May, 1850. covered very much
the same area. Friday being considered
an unlucky day by superstitlous people
orally known as BLACK Friday
However this name applies more gen
orally TO the financial than to the ma
terial world. In America, on Friday. Sep
Wall street by the effort Of Fisk and
Could TO corner the gold market; and on
Friday. September 10. 1878, occurred IN
the New York stock Exchange. the great
financial crash which was followed by IN"
widespread panic OF 1873, These were
Americas two notable Black Fridays
In England the name OF Black FRIDAY
is given TO December 6. 1745. the day on
which news reached London that the
Pretender had arrived at Derby; again.
May II. 1866, when the failure OF over
end q Gurney brought on a dangerous
financial panic. Good Friday is also known
as Black Friday In the Western church.
because on that day clerical vestments
and altar draperies are black
May 49, 1896 Anne Boleyn. queen OF
England, was behcaded in London, by
order OF Henry VIII II is the birthday
OF Johns Hopkins founder of the univer-
sitv and hospital bearing his name In
Baltimore Q795); Professor John Wilson.
poet and miscellaneous writer NIS5l, ana
il Is the day on which tho following not
ablcs died; Beaumarchais. the French
dramatist G77a); James Boswell, the
noted biographer G705); Nathaniel Haw-
thornc. the author (iS6i); and William e,