New England’s “Dark Day” is a phenomenon that is actually rooted in
more fact than folklore. Nevertheless, it is as interesting as any story
told purely from imagination. On May 19, 1780, by noon, day seemingly
turned into night. Throughout the duration of the anomaly, candles had
to be used during daytime hours and a strange odor of soot filled the
air. Reactions to the occurrence were greatly mixed with many seeing no
cause for alarm and others reading in the skies the signs of the Day of
Judgement.
Whether it is the rare intermixture of atmospheric properties or simply
Mother Nature’s sense of humor the sky did, indeed, darken over New
England on May 19, 1780 and did not subside until sometime the following
day. Prior to the dark day, the sky had turned as yellow as the fields
and the sun and moon as red as blood. This unusual spectacle has since
been attributed to the influx of smoke into the atmosphere from forest
fires. And while neither the cinder-like smell, strange colors nor
peculiar rain did any physical harm, how greatly unsettling this must
have been for those without the power to understand it. For even in our
own time, with our understanding, would not a noonday night, today, not
make one uneasy still? I am apt to think so.
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THE “HISTORIC “DARK DAYS,” [August 1, 1889]
Phenomena Due to Very Heavey, Thick Clouds, Mingled with Smoke.
The “dark day” first mentioned occured in New England on May 19, 1780.
The darkness became a great as it ordinarily is on a clear night.
Candles were lighted in houses, and many superstitious people were
greatly alarmed, dropped their labors, and betook themselves to
religious devotions. It appears that, with regard to the state of the
atmosphere preceding this uncommon darkness, it was noticed in many
sections, for several days before, that the air seemed to be of smoky
and vaporous character. The sun and moon exhibited an unusual color, and
divested of their unsual brightness and lucid aspect. The time of the
commencement of this extraordinary darkness was between the hours of ten
and eleven in the forenoon of Friday, and continued until the middle of
the following night. The morning was cloudly and darkish, and the sun,
rising towards the zenith, gave no increase of light, as usual, but on
the contrary, the darkness continued to increase throughout the day. The
color of objects is another point of interest. That of the clouds was
compounded of a faint red yellow and brown—that, during the darkness
objects which commonly appear green, were of the deepest green verging
to blue, and that those which appear white were tinged with yellow. In
most places thunder was heard a number of times in the morning. The
clouds soon began to rise from the southwest, with a gentle breeze, and
there were several small showers before eight o’clock. The water that
fell was found to have an unusual character, being thick, dark and
sooty. The rain-water which people saved in tubs was the subject of
universal and wondering remark. On examining the water there was found a
light scum upon it, which, on being rubbed between the thumb and
finger, seemed to resemble the black ashes of burnt leaves; the water
also gave the same strong sooty smell which characterized the air. There
is no doubt but that the upper air was charged with the smoke of
burring forests, probably many miles away, and that the pressure of the
atmosphere becoming less (it was noted that the barometer fell
considerably) this smoke came earthward, and was mingled with the heavy
rain clouds.
A great many “dark days” have been chronicled, the most ancient being in
295 B. C., and A. D. 252, 746 and 775. England had “dark days” in
January, 1807, and October 21, 1816. Detroit had one on October 19,
1862. Another remarkable one was in Canada, October 16, 1863. London is
subject to them, because of the fog and smoke. They are all doubtless
due to very heavy, thick clouds, mingled with smoke.—Toledo Blade.
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