1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Welcome 2 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: back to the show Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always 3 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: so much for tuning in. Shout out to our super 4 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 1: producer Casey Pegro guest producer Andrew Howard. We're recording on 5 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: a lovely, darkish day here in Atlanta, Georgia. I am 6 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: ben at least that's what they called. My name is No, 7 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 1: it's it's it's I haven't even you know what. I'm 8 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: gonna be completely honest. I haven't even looked outside. Is 9 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: it darkish? I've got all the curtain straw and darkish 10 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: in here in my recording bubble. There we go. Yeah, well, 11 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: your inner weather matches the outer weather, as Robert Frost 12 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: would say, because it's it's a little overcast. It's a 13 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: it's a good day for today's episode, which we teased 14 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: a little bit null in our previous recording on Oh 15 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: what what was it? It wasn't the bull Frog episode. 16 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: But we do have oh we do have a correction. 17 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:21,960 Speaker 1: I realized this, this has nothing to do with today's episode. 18 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: Remember we were talking about taurin the way that person 19 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: had Yeah, taurin the astrological sign Taurus right, the bull 20 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: bull frogs. How can we have missed that? That's that's incredible. Yeah, 21 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:41,400 Speaker 1: those are some of the most like flowery disc letters 22 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: I've ever read in my entire life. And I was 23 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: there for it every step of the way. Yeah, they 24 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: bell chas rised. And our guest producer Andrew Howard, when 25 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: he wrote back to us with the edit, said that 26 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: it was a bell chasiris at it, which I very 27 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: much appreciate it. Yes, yes, thank you, Andrew. And today's 28 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: episode is about inexplicable weather, about darkness, you know what 29 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: it was. We talked about this when we were diving 30 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: into the story of substitute kings during the era of 31 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: ancient Mesopotamia. If you were a priest in ancient Mesopotamia, 32 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 1: you might be frightened that an eclipse would be a 33 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: sign that your king would die. So their solution was 34 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: to just temporarily higher another king and then kill them 35 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 1: the cosmological fake out. Everybody knows that move. It's also 36 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: a really six skateboard move. But yeah, I mean, for 37 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: sure they would just absolutely execute them, and then I 38 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,040 Speaker 1: bet you they would be honored for the privilege, you know, 39 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: the person being executed. They would have known the score. 40 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: It's only it would have been a surprise, like a 41 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,920 Speaker 1: wicker Man scenario. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Today's episode 42 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:01,239 Speaker 1: is about another dark day, but this one remains a 43 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: bit of a mystery even here in let's set the 44 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: scene with some ominous sci fi music. Andrew, we defer 45 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: to you on this one. But let's say you know 46 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: you're up, it's it's mid morning. You know, it's not 47 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,880 Speaker 1: quite noon, maybe somewhere between eight and ten am. And 48 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: then halfway through the morning, the sky turns yellow. All 49 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,679 Speaker 1: the animals around you are freaking out and they're running away. 50 00:03:30,720 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: They're running for cover, and people who are observing this 51 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: in New England, like handles, they start to pray. By 52 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: the time you would usually eat lunch, it's completely dark. 53 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: It's as if night came early. You're asking yourself, if 54 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: you're one of these residents of New England on mavight, 55 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: if this truly is the end of days? I certainly 56 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: would have asked myself that, giving the time and the 57 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: con text. But let's go a little bit more into 58 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: the time and the context. This really is kind of 59 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: not too dissimilar from the Bullfrog story. It is a 60 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: you know, an observation of a natural phenomenon that is 61 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 1: interpreted in a certain way that ends up, you know, 62 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: being something other than the most extreme alarmist thing that 63 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: it could have been. So what happened? You're right? Ben Friday, 64 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: May nineteen sevent eighty the crack of dawn. We know 65 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:28,599 Speaker 1: what a sunrise looks like. With this sunrise looked more 66 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: like a sun set. And in the morning, which is 67 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: which is odd to say the least, he starts seeing 68 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: this very bizarre blood red hue kind of seeping through 69 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: the sky. The sun was rising, but it was red, 70 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: this kind of almost brass, kind of rusty red color, 71 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: described as having a strange enchanting hue. And I gotta 72 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: give props to the New England Historical Society, as is 73 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,479 Speaker 1: the stock and trade from folks from that part of 74 00:04:56,480 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: the country. Really flowery literary chops here and some of 75 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: these descriptions. I'm just gonna quote this verbatim from their 76 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: article A strange enchanting hue robed the rocks, trees, buildings, 77 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: and water. Uh. This is from Sydney Pearly and nineteenth 78 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: century Salem historian Rainwater gave off a strong sooty smell, 79 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: and a black scum floated on rivers, especially the Merrimack, 80 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: And that's from Richard Miller Devon's um, and he described 81 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: Boston as having smelled like a malt house or a 82 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 1: coal kin. And then after nine am, another account says 83 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,719 Speaker 1: that a dark, dense cloud began to rise from the 84 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: west and just kind of spread and seep into the 85 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: skyline until it was entirely covered except at the horizon, 86 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: where there was a small rim of light peeking through. Yes, 87 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: and this got worse by noon. The sky had darkened 88 00:05:55,440 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: to this midnight blackness. And we after remember that the 89 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: population of this area was still in the throes of 90 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: the ongoing War of Independence, so they would like candles. 91 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: Many people were increasingly concerned this was the biblical end 92 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: of days, the last judgment being upon them. The birds 93 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: fell quiet, but there was something else they knew. It wasn't, 94 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: you know, a garden variety thunderstorm, because there was no storm. 95 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 1: So what did people do. They didn't go to work 96 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: as normal. They crowded into local churches and that led 97 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: one minister, according to American Heritage dot Com, to dryly 98 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: observe quote. The people were very attentive, so if he 99 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: could give his congregation a yelp review, I think they 100 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: got five stars that day. This pattern went over a 101 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:56,279 Speaker 1: pretty wide swath of land. It was dark in Portland's 102 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: Maine as far north as there, and it was dark 103 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: as far south as New Jersey. If people didn't go. 104 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: Not everybody went to churches, to be fair, Some people 105 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: went to taverns, which I also I find hilarious but understandable. 106 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: Schools were closed, cattle went back to their stalls to 107 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: hide of their own accord. And then the only animals 108 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: that were really out and about it this time or 109 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: vocal were the animals that would be around and making 110 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: noises at night, like the nightbirds were whistling and singing 111 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: their night songs. The frogs were riveting and croaking the 112 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 1: way they would do in the wee hours. So what 113 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: could this have been? If this was not, as Reverend 114 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: Nathaniel Walker argued, a rebuke from Almighty God for the 115 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: sins of the congregation. Could it have been in eclipse 116 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 1: a blazing star. Could it have somehow been the heavenly 117 00:07:54,880 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: transit of Venus. Uh? What we know for sure is 118 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: that in the initial hours, most people thought it was 119 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: a supernatural or divine phenomenon brought on by the Christian God. 120 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: And we have we have statements about this that you 121 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: can see from historians like Mike Dash in BBC dot com. Yes, 122 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: Mike Dash who has a fabulous name for historian or 123 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: you know, maybe like a superhero or some sort of 124 00:08:25,920 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: action star me. It talks about how this part of 125 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: the United States was very, very Protestant and took a 126 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: particular interest in the concepts of guilt and sin and redemption. Um. 127 00:08:41,120 --> 00:08:44,880 Speaker 1: And he refers to this in in his book Borderlands 128 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: as being something of a set of paranormal beliefs, which 129 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: you know, depending on your religious persuasion, one might argue 130 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: one way or the other on that, but um, either way, 131 00:08:56,559 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 1: this was the immediate interpretation that folks would would go 132 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 1: to in their minds when they would see something like 133 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: this happening. Um. He talks about Versus in Matthew that 134 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 1: might have led these folks to believe that this was 135 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,240 Speaker 1: the second Coming of Christ. There are so many natural 136 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,840 Speaker 1: events that would have been interpreted through a biblical lens 137 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: of the time, like even like you know, birds flying 138 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: in the sky were a sign of godlike intentions. The 139 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: Dark Day, they thought was a warning to man to 140 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: to like a Sodom and Gomorrah type situation, or the 141 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: very least a pretty Sodom and Gomorrah type situation. Yeah, 142 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:39,079 Speaker 1: you're absolutely right, and this affected so many members of society. Well, 143 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: the actual meteorological phenomenon affected everybody, obviously, but due to 144 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: the cultural and religious context of the day, it's fair 145 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: to say most people assumed this was a religious event. 146 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: Even members of the Connecticut legislature, which was called the 147 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: State Council, feared that the Dark Day was the actual 148 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: facts day of judgment. Uh, some members of the Council, 149 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: we're pushing to adjourn the session. But then there were 150 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 1: people like Abraham Davenport, another great name, who got some 151 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: fame for his response to these requests to call it 152 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,599 Speaker 1: a day early. He said this, I am against adjournment. 153 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: The day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. 154 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:32,960 Speaker 1: If it is not, there is no cause for an adjournment. 155 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,680 Speaker 1: If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. 156 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: I therefore wish the candles may be brought. So he 157 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: was the I mean, that's ballsy, right, he's saying, you 158 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: know what, it might be the end of the world. 159 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: But I'm here to do a job, and my creator 160 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:51,960 Speaker 1: is not going to find me, you know, cowering at home. 161 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 1: They're gonna find me doing what I believe God meant 162 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 1: me to do, which is approving these various bills and 163 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:04,280 Speaker 1: laws and are arguing about you know, bureaucratic things, so 164 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: very you know, very strong words and probably great for 165 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:15,200 Speaker 1: his political future. We know that other members of the 166 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: government wrote about this, including George Washington. He wrote about 167 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: this in his diary, and we're all pretty sure they 168 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: was writing about this specific dark day, even though he 169 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:29,200 Speaker 1: may have gotten the date wrong. He said, heavy and 170 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,720 Speaker 1: uncommon kinds of clouds dark and at the same time 171 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: a bright and reddish kind of light into mixed with them, 172 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:41,960 Speaker 1: brightening and darkening alternately. This continued till afternoon, when the 173 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: sun began to appear. The wind in the bonning was easterly. 174 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,360 Speaker 1: After that he got to the westward. For some reason, 175 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: I always pictured George Washington saying the wind and I also, 176 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: I hate to say it, but our previous episodes on 177 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: Why Shenton't have colored my perspective a little bit of him. 178 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:06,959 Speaker 1: I always picture him like kind of three beers deep 179 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: just because of that agg I know it's probably not true. 180 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 1: You know that boozy egg, now man, that stuff packs 181 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: a wallop. We always get a jar of it each 182 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: Christmas from our buddy Alex Williams, and a jar will 183 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: do you no question about it, do you? In in fact? 184 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: The wind indeed? And Abigail Adams, another historical luminary, was 185 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: home in a beautifully named town called Braintree, which uh 186 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: was very visual, and her husband John was on his 187 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: diplomatic mission in Europe, and she wrote her musings on 188 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: the Dark Day, in which she spells Friday with a y. 189 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: I guess that was a thing. I love it. So 190 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: some of this early, you know, American kind of journaling 191 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 1: always almost has this like whiff of old English kind 192 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: of Canterbury tales. That's to it. Um. So she says, 193 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,959 Speaker 1: I'm hi day, the nineteenth of May. The sun rose 194 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,560 Speaker 1: with a thick, smoky atmosphere, indicating dry weather, which we 195 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: had for ten days before. Soon after eight o'clock in 196 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: the morning, the sun shut in and it rained. Half 197 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: an hour after that, there arose light luminous clouds from 198 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: the northwest, and the wind at southwest. They gradually spread 199 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,320 Speaker 1: over the hemisphere till such a darkness took place as 200 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:29,319 Speaker 1: appears in a total eclipse. By eleven o'clock, candles were 201 00:13:29,400 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 1: lighted up in every house. The cattle retired into the barns, 202 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: the fouls to roost in, the frogs croaks. We got 203 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: frogs here too, and they're not having this either. The 204 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:41,679 Speaker 1: greatest darkness was about one o'clock. It was three before 205 00:13:41,679 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 1: the sky assumed its usual Look, all right, things are 206 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 1: returning back to normal. About eight o'clock in the evening, 207 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:52,559 Speaker 1: almost instantaneously, the heavens were covered with Egyptian darkness. Objects 208 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: the nearest to you could not be discerned, though the 209 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: moon was at her full. I hope some of our 210 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: philosophical geniuses will endeavor to investigate so unusual an appearance. Yeah, 211 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: and this is a thing that would stick around in 212 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 1: the American you know, collective and conscience for many many 213 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: years to come. Um. The sun did come out the 214 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,200 Speaker 1: next day. You know, there was no plague of you know, 215 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: raining blood from the sky or demons or you know, 216 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: locusts or whatever. Um, But it was really scary and 217 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 1: these pure, very puritanical people, UM would have absolutely been 218 00:14:30,240 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 1: in fear of some sort of you know, judgment day, 219 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: some sort of doom being meeted down upon them from 220 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: on high. And you know, we see these theories and 221 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:45,280 Speaker 1: these kind of you know, armshare prophecies happening, and of 222 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: course letter writing because that was the only way people 223 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: could communicate across long distances. So it took some time 224 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:53,120 Speaker 1: before people realized that they had had this kind of 225 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: shared experience, right then, Yeah, that's right. So, as so 226 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: often happens with the human species. People could agree on 227 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: roughly what they saw, but they could not agree on 228 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: why it happened. And a lot of folks, especially the 229 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: more religious bent, felt that this was a divine shot 230 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: across the bow of humanity. You know, this was a warning. 231 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: One Massachusetts farmer even wrote, oh, backsliding, New England, attend 232 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: now to the things which belong to your peace, before 233 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: they are forever heat from your eyes. And the Boston 234 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: Independent Chronicle called this quote a portentous omen of the 235 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: wrath of heaven in vengeance denounced against the land, the 236 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 1: immediate harbinger of the last day, when the sun shall 237 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,160 Speaker 1: be darkened and the moon shall not give her light. 238 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: This is These are just two examples of people who 239 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,280 Speaker 1: were certain that the end was still coming, that this 240 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: might have not been the technical and days, but it 241 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: was the beginning of something else. And then other people 242 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: try to argue a few more secular causes for this 243 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: dark day. Uh. Someone said, a blazing start passed between 244 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: the Earth and the sun. Someone else said there were 245 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: aqueous sulfurous, bituminous, silinious vitreous particles that were spread into 246 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: the atmosphere by something. I'm sorry, man, that sounds like 247 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: some Willy Wonka speak right there. What were those again? 248 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: Aqueous sulfurous bitsimenius, silidius, vitreous particles. It's got some alchemical vibes. 249 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: And then one person who I really strongly identified with 250 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: just said ash. Yeah. Well they said more than ash, 251 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: but right, right, right right, that makes a lot of sense, 252 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: you know. But why limit yourself to one word when 253 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:00,000 Speaker 1: like seven are available for you to throw around. Um, 254 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 1: but yeah, there's another description. Oh gosh, there's some more 255 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 1: great words. Uh. One commentator, as documented in this American 256 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 1: Heritage article, commented on vast quantities of elastic heterogeneous vapors 257 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 1: generated in consequence of the great body of snow which 258 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: covered the earth so long the winter passed and exhaled 259 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: during the warm, dry weather. Yeah, that one sounds right. 260 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: I think that that that's it's not as good an 261 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: explanation as any, right, Yeah, it's not bad. It's interesting 262 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: because this became a perfect conceptual venue for enlightenment ideas 263 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: to debate the pre existing religious ideas and values. You know, 264 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 1: there weren't scientific journals or widespread academies yet, but there 265 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: was this emerging culture of scientific inquiry that was sweeping 266 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:01,560 Speaker 1: the Western world, a revolution of its own in a way. 267 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:07,360 Speaker 1: And because of this, in part, New Englanders would not 268 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: forget that dark day. They said many more than seven 269 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 1: words about it. It lived on in folklore and poems 270 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 1: and diaries. It was mentioned in sermons and churches across 271 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 1: the region for generations afterward. And I did a bit 272 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: of a bait and switch at the beginning of the 273 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: episode because I said it remains a mystery in the 274 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: modern day. That's technically true, but there is We're going 275 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: to go through the theories now, and there is one 276 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: theory that stands out as by far the most plausible. 277 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 1: But first let's talk about the secular stuff. Could it 278 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,280 Speaker 1: have been a crazy bunch of clouds. Could it have 279 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: been some kind of eclipse? Could it have been a 280 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 1: volcanic eruption half a world away? Well, let's see what 281 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: what do you think? What do you think about the clouds? No, 282 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: it could have been just some wackadoo clouds. That seems 283 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,119 Speaker 1: like a bit of a stretch. It seems like there 284 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: needs to be more apt play than just like weird clouds. 285 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: Um But you know, I'm no cloud scientist. I do 286 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: remember from school there's cumulus, cumulo, nimbus, and stratus. If 287 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken. So is this what like another category 288 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: we're talking about? But yeah, solar eclipse was able to 289 00:19:18,920 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: be ruled out because these you know, as we know 290 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: right from the UH episode about the bait and switch 291 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,400 Speaker 1: of the gods, even ancient cultures were able to kind 292 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 1: of predict when solar eclipses would happen. And this is 293 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 1: not a thing. Oh my goodness, gracious, this amazing Icelandic volcano. Naw, 294 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do my best. I think we've done it 295 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:42,439 Speaker 1: before in the eruption of the Great Icelandic Volcano. I 296 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: have fall Joe cool. I don't know Icelanders, correct me, 297 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: but that definitely pumped enough ash into the atmosphere that 298 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: could have caused something like this to happen. That particular 299 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: eruption actually grounded flights all across northern year. Um. I 300 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 1: actually because of a previous episode of stuff they don't 301 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: want you to know. I actually did learn the pronunciation 302 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: of this volcano. I have fat nice you know. I 303 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 1: was trying to dig deep back into my memory banks. 304 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: Uh for that very pronunciation that you um that you gave. 305 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: But I think I think I felt a little short. 306 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 1: But thanks for thanks for clarifying. I still butchered it. 307 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: So please icelanders right to us, let us, let us know. 308 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: Hopefully our attempts are at the very least endearing. But yeah, 309 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: you're right, an eclipse doesn't make sense. Clouds can go 310 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,960 Speaker 1: low enough to require cars to use their lights their 311 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 1: headlights during daytime, but neither of those explain things. And 312 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: the issue with the volcano comes to us from a 313 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: guy named Thomas Schullerton who was a professor of atmospheric 314 00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 1: science at the University of Manchester, and he confirms, yes, 315 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: ash clouds from volcanoes can cause what we would describe 316 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: as yellow days. We know that eruptions at Mount St. 317 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 1: Helens of Washington State have lowered light levels pretty recently 318 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: in the past few decades. But the problem here, he says, 319 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: is that there's no record of volcanic activity in seventeen 320 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: eighty and so if there was an eruption that can 321 00:21:28,119 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: make an ash cloud big enough to create this effect, 322 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,919 Speaker 1: someone would have known about it. It would be documented somewhere, 323 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: and it's simply not. He also says, hey, and I 324 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,439 Speaker 1: love his vibe here. He says it could maybe be 325 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: a meteorite. It probably isn't, but you can't rule it 326 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:49,400 Speaker 1: out completely, which I thought was open minded. But luckily, 327 00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:54,480 Speaker 1: with the help of our research associate Gave Louisier, we 328 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:59,120 Speaker 1: were able to find an eye witness accounts that hinted 329 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: at a more plausible explanation. And this was cool because 330 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: it was published on May in the Continental Journal. It's not, 331 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: you know, so not too long after the events occurred, 332 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 1: and most of the letter is a first person accounts 333 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: of their step by step experience encountering the yellow day 334 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:29,880 Speaker 1: that turned into a dark day. But there's a very 335 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:34,560 Speaker 1: interesting thing in about the third paragraphers, so where they 336 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,600 Speaker 1: start looking at the evidence. We get a Batman vibe 337 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: from this letter writer, because while their description of how 338 00:22:41,760 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: they felt watching this is very much the same as 339 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: every other description, they did something different and they started 340 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: investigating the scene afterward. That's right. It goes like this. 341 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,560 Speaker 1: About eleven o'clock, the darkness was such as to demand 342 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: our attention and put us upon making observations. At half 343 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: past eleven, in the room with three windows twenty four 344 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: panes each, all open towards the southeast and south, large 345 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: print could not be read by persons of good eyes. 346 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,879 Speaker 1: About twelve o'clock, the windows being still open, a candle 347 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:19,280 Speaker 1: cast a shade so well defined on the wall as 348 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:22,120 Speaker 1: the profiles were taken with as much ease as they 349 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: could have been in the night. Huh. At one o'clock 350 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: a glen of light which had continued till this time 351 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: in the east shut in, and the darkness was greater 352 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: than it had been for any time before. Between one 353 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:38,399 Speaker 1: and two o'clock, the wind from the west freshened a little, 354 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: and a glenn appeared in the quarter. So yeah, as 355 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,120 Speaker 1: I said, that's that's pretty much on par with everything 356 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:49,000 Speaker 1: else people have reported at this time. And then they 357 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:52,719 Speaker 1: go on to describe the things we've heard before, like 358 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,320 Speaker 1: the woodcocks, which are night birds whistling, the frogs peeping 359 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: as they would in the evening, even though it was 360 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:03,200 Speaker 1: clearly a time. Here's the kind of Sherlock Holmes E. 361 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:08,239 Speaker 1: Batman asked part They say, I will now give you 362 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 1: what I noticed. Afterwards. I found the people at the 363 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:16,639 Speaker 1: tavern nearby much agitated. Among other things which gave them surprise, 364 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 1: you know, besides the fact that the sun disappeared, they 365 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: mentioned the strange appearance and smell of the rainwater, which 366 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 1: they saved in tube in a tube, And this author says, 367 00:24:29,520 --> 00:24:33,200 Speaker 1: upon examining the water, I found a light scum over it, which, 368 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 1: rubbing between my thumb and finger, I found to be 369 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: nothing but the black ashes of burnt leaves. The water 370 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:44,160 Speaker 1: gave off the same strong sooty smell which we observed 371 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 1: in the air, and confirmed me in my opinion that 372 00:24:47,760 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: the smell mentioned above was occasioned by the smoke very 373 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: small particles of burnt leaves which had obscured the hemisphere 374 00:24:55,320 --> 00:24:58,840 Speaker 1: for several days past and were now brought down by 375 00:24:58,880 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: the rain. So this person goes on to say what 376 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,919 Speaker 1: they believe happened was that there was a vast body 377 00:25:05,960 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: of smoke from the woods they have been burning for 378 00:25:08,440 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 1: days and days, and then it was condensed by wind, 379 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: and that this compression of all this junk from this 380 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: forest fire may have been enough to produce the blackness. 381 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:28,600 Speaker 1: So to them, this kind of perfect storm of smoke 382 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: and wind and weather created the darkness, not the judgment 383 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: of some divine entity. And they're not the only person 384 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,679 Speaker 1: who thought this. We have to introduce another guide to 385 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: this story. A man with the name Cotton Tufts, like 386 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: a tuft of cotton, that's his real name. He jumped 387 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 1: in and echoed the forest fire theory. That's right. He 388 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 1: points out that in the woods from Ticonderoga for thirty 389 00:25:56,600 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: miles downwards, that's that's his description of it, had been 390 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: for some time on fire, with drought that lasted many days, 391 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 1: and winds at the west and northwest. And he conjectures 392 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: that these winds carried the smoke and vapors a long, 393 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: long distance uh and brought them into that vicinity in 394 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,879 Speaker 1: the New England region UH. And that that the sky, 395 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: as he describes it, became obscured, the air crowded with 396 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: smoke and vapors, a disagreeable smell like that proceeds from 397 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: swamp on fire, which this seems not not too too 398 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: far off the mark to me. What do you think then, yeah, yeah, 399 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 1: I agree. You know, he's clearly putting the pieces together 400 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: in a rational, understandable way. But it remains a theory 401 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:57,480 Speaker 1: for centuries, right, So before the early two thousand's, before 402 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,280 Speaker 1: about two thousand and six, the idea of a forest 403 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: fire would still have been mentioned along with things like 404 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: eclipses or volcanic eruptions or you know, even stranger fair 405 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 1: but dindo chronology. The study of tree rings saved the 406 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 1: day in two thousand and six, and examination of tree 407 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: rings in Ontario, Canada confirmed that there had been a 408 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: widespread forest fire, that it had sent smoke way over 409 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: into New England, and that coupled with fog and cloud cover, 410 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:37,359 Speaker 1: could have combined to produce a weather event just like this. 411 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: So we owe a great deal of thanks to the 412 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:45,400 Speaker 1: researchers at the University of Missouri who say the evidence 413 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:50,439 Speaker 1: from these tree rings finally found not just revealed that 414 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: massive wildfires could cause this, but found where those wildfires occurred. 415 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: Those rings inside of trees are like a historical record. Uh, 416 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:05,960 Speaker 1: they tell the story of the life of that tree 417 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: and the in the history of what's kind of gone 418 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,840 Speaker 1: on around it. Aaron McCurry, who's a research assistant at 419 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:14,840 Speaker 1: the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Tree 420 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: Ring Laboratory, that's the thing, she says, we think of 421 00:28:18,760 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: tree rings as ecological artifacts. We know how to date 422 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:23,920 Speaker 1: the rings and create a chronology so we can tell 423 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 1: when there has been a fire or drought occurred and 424 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: unlock the history of the tree has been holding for 425 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: years sort of like ice cores, you know, in like 426 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: more frigid climates. And now two and thirty years after 427 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 1: the Dark Day, MU researchers have kind of joined forces 428 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: and written various accounts um and kind of documented the 429 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: fire scar evidence to determine that, in fact, the Dark 430 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: Day was caused by massive wildfires in Canada. Yep, yep. 431 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:02,520 Speaker 1: They walk through how they discovered this. So, according to 432 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,000 Speaker 1: Richard Gayette, the director of the Tree Ring Lab and 433 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 1: Research Associate Professor of Forestry over there at the University 434 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: of Missouri, a fire comes along, heat goes through the bark, 435 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 1: killing the living tissue. A couple of years later, bark 436 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 1: falls off, revealing the wood and an injury to the tree. 437 00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: And Richard says, when looking at the rings, you can 438 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: see charcoal formation on the outside and a resin formation 439 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,400 Speaker 1: on the top that creates a dark spot. So when 440 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,959 Speaker 1: they studied these tree rings from the Algonquin Highlands of 441 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:38,120 Speaker 1: southern Ontario and multiple other locations, they found there had 442 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:40,840 Speaker 1: been a major fire. It happened in wait for it 443 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: is big enough to affect atmospheric conditions and these large 444 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 1: smoke columns were carried away into the upper atmosphere. So 445 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 1: combining historical accounts with modern technology and physical evidence gave 446 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,880 Speaker 1: us the opportunity to solve the mystery of New England's 447 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: darkest day. But luckily we still have a lot of 448 00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: cool poems, a lot of cool folklore from the times 449 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: before the mystery we know. Isn't it funny? This is 450 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: also has a lot in common with the frog story 451 00:30:13,600 --> 00:30:16,320 Speaker 1: and that it generated a lot of poetry. Um And 452 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 1: I think we we can end probably on this one 453 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:23,400 Speaker 1: from John green Leaf Whittier, which is a person clearly 454 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: born to be a poet um in eighteen seventy three, 455 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: And it starts lastly twas on a May Day of 456 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: the far old year eighty, that there fell over the 457 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: bloom and sweet life of the spring, over the fresh 458 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: earth and the heaven of noon, a horror of great darkness, 459 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: like the night in day of which the New Orleans 460 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: sages tell the twilight of the gods. And I'd like 461 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: to follow up with his last standard. Please from that poem, 462 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 1: this may well be the day of judgment which the 463 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: world awaits. Be it so or not. I only know 464 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,640 Speaker 1: my present duty and my Lord's command. Two occupy till 465 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: he come. So at the post where he hath set 466 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: me in his providence, I choose for one to meet 467 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 1: him face to face. No faithless servant, frightened from my task, 468 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: be ready when the Lord of the Harvest calls. And therefore, 469 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,960 Speaker 1: with all reverence, I would say, let God do his work. 470 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: We will see two hours bring in the candles, and 471 00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: they brought them in. So Lord of the Harvest is 472 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:37,240 Speaker 1: kind of a metal name, very much Christian. Not to 473 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: mention the twilight of the gods and the Lord of 474 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 1: the Harvest, you know that is a super metal at 475 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: the very least, very jethroats all. But man, this is 476 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:50,000 Speaker 1: a fascinating concept, and it's one that we I think 477 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,280 Speaker 1: we can call this are like fake Doomsday. I wish 478 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: it was a trilogy. What do you call it? A 479 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: two part thing? Just a two parter. There's not a 480 00:31:57,520 --> 00:31:59,600 Speaker 1: fancy word for two things. It only gets fancy when 481 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: you start three or four there is I think it's 482 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 1: a duology. Okay, we could call it a cycle. Perhaps, 483 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, but either way, we had two really 484 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:10,360 Speaker 1: cool episodes about apocalypses that didn't happen, but people were 485 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,440 Speaker 1: pretty convinced we're going to and I think we could 486 00:32:13,480 --> 00:32:16,360 Speaker 1: have more, you know, peek behind their curtain, folks. Uh. 487 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: For a while a few years ago, I really wanted 488 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:24,080 Speaker 1: to do a series that was all about incorrect predictions 489 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: of the apocalypse, because you run into the all the time. 490 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,719 Speaker 1: But something tells me we'll have some more close calls 491 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: with the end of the world on Ridiculous History, and 492 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 1: we can't wait for you to come along with us 493 00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: on this journey. As always, thanks to our super producer 494 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:46,080 Speaker 1: Casey Pegrom, our guest producer Andrew Howard, and our research associate, 495 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 1: the one and only Gave Lucier there's no other. Alex Williams, 496 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 1: who composed our theme. Christopher hasciotes here in spirit soon 497 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 1: to be here corporeally. We promised We're not gonna keep 498 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:57,520 Speaker 1: teasing that and not follow through. You Just wait and 499 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 1: see folks. Huge thanks to Jonathan Strickland. Thanks in quotation, 500 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:06,560 Speaker 1: fingers see you against sooning, you murderous cur you um 501 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:09,080 Speaker 1: and Ben. Thanks to you. May all your days be 502 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: merry and bright and not dark and smelly at all. 503 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:16,440 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, you go. I'm an overcast guy, but 504 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: stories like this make me appreciate the sun a little bit. 505 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: A little I might go step outside a little bit, 506 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: at least open a window. We'll see you next time, folix. 507 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, visit the I 508 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:43,360 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to 509 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: your favorite shows