Something is literally hanging in the air and residents of New England in the northern part of the United States can see it. It’s May, and one of the harshest winters here has ended. It’s getting warmer, but the air is somehow strangely dense and heavy…The sun is usually red at dawn and dusk, and the moon catches the same hue. At this time, General
George Washington (1732-1799), the future first American president, was moving nearby. He writes in his diary: “
The sky remains cloudy, cold, and there is light rain. But something is wrong. Birds don’t sing in the forest. The chickens return to the coop. The clouds thicken more and more and, to everyone’s amazement, cover the sun. Day, morning, already getting dark. After some time, New England finds itself in complete darkness. Scene from the biblical apocalypse. Is this God’s vengeance for America’s attempts to break free from British rule and gain independence, as God-fearing people think? After all, the Bible describes similar events. Biblical darkness struck Egypt as the ninth of ten plagues to strike the land. Darkness also falls on Jerusalem, like the wrath of God after the crucifixion of Jesus. The Bible says the dark days will return. And soon after this Jesus will come and the final judgment will come.
Is anybody here
The darkness is so impenetrable that people without candles cannot see objects at hand. Farmers stop working because they “can’t tell the difference between soil and manure,” as one quote from the time puts it. Everything is immersed in pitch darkness.Something is approaching from the forest and multiple sounds are heard. These are nocturnal birds, owls, which add an even darker mood to everything.
They want consolation from the clergy, but they themselves are puzzled by the situation. Other residents, on the other hand, head to the pubs to experience their latest pleasures. But even in the face of the end of the world, some refuse to slow down.
A quote from the American politician Colonel Abraham Davenport (1715-1789) came to light :“
I don’t like procrastination. Judgment Day will either come or it won’t. If not, then there is no need to wander around; if so, then be glad to find me performing my duties. Now bring me a candle. “In the end, the apocalypse is postponed again, and humanity can breathe a sigh of relief.
Factual explanations
Historians have concluded that this phenomenon was caused by smoke from forest fires, thick fog and very low cloud layers.
In fact, large wildfires can contribute to global darkness by producing large amounts of soot that remains suspended in the atmosphere for a very long time, even months after impact.
Fires were reported as the likely cause of the mysterious darkness over New England in 1780.
A similar incident occurred in September 1950 in Edinburgh, Scotland. This comes just days after a strange, deep darkness descended on a number of American cities.
The official explanation for this phenomenon was also a forest fire, but this time in Alberta in western Canada…
