92 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. APRIL, 1889.
AURORAS.
Tho most notable auroral displays were reported on the 7th, when they were noted in New England, New Pork, Pennsyl-
INLAND NAVIGATION.
rania; Ohio, and Dakota, apd On the !27th, when they were observed in northorn Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Dakota.
Auroras were reported as far south as southern Ohio. The
STAGE OF WATER IN RIVERS AND HARBORS.
The following table shomns the danger-points at the various stations; the highest and lowest water for April, 1889, with
the dates of occurrence and the monthly ranges :
Heiahts o f rivers above low-water mark, April, 1889 (in .feet and tenths).
I
Stations.
Red River: Shreveport, Ln.. . . . Arkandm River: Fort Smith. Ark . . . Little Rock, Ark... Mimri River: Omnhn, Nebr ....... Leavenwrth, Knna. Kansns City, hlo.. . M   8R h i n m n l i.2 i . LaCroase Wis .... Dubuque Iowa Davenp0;t xowi::: Keokuk, Ibwa . . .. . Saint Louis, Mo ... Cairo,lll . . . . . . . . . . . Memphis Tenn .... Vieksburk, Mi88 . .. New Orleans, La ..
Pittsburgh, Pn.. . . . Parkersbur W Vn Cincinnati bliio . .: Louisville: K ..... fimtmrbd Aivm r Nashville, Tenn . . . Tenncsscs River: Chattanoogn,Tenn . Maongahda River :
Pittsburgh Pa.. . . . Savannohhiuer :
An stn, (ia. ...... #lizmeLLc Rium: Portland, Oregon . .
Ohio River :
29.9
23. o
18.0
22.0
20.0
21.0
14.5
4.0
16.0
15.0
14. o 32. o 40. o
34.0 41.0 13.0
38.0
50.0
25.0
40.0
33.0
29.0
32.0
15.0
22.0
.. .-
Highest water. I Lowest inter.
, .__
Dnte. Height. Dnte.
-I
8.9 15
IO. I 13,14, 15,16,26
12.0
1
I1
3.8 21,za
5.3 19-23 7.4 29 29~30
a: il 29-30 16.3 13 24.0 16 19.0 19-20
30.2 zi
11.2 29
18. I 26
6. 2 13
15.3 25
30
I 4 I 6.0
Ieight
-
17.9
5.1 8.4
6.9 6.8
7.9
2.5
3.7 4.5 3.2 3.6 9.3 17.9 14.2 23.0
8.5
3.7 6.9 14.0 6.8
6.2
3.2
3 7
8.5
2.6
ICE IN RIVERS AND HARBORS.
The following reports relative to ice in rivers arid harbors,
and opening of navigation for the season, have been made by Signal Service observers :
Saint Marye River.-sault de Ste. Marie, Mich. : the river was reported open from here north, and as far south as Mud Lake, on the 8th. Floating ice in river, 9th, and 11th to 15th. Navigation was opened 17th. The steam barge ( Mercer 
was the first boat to depart for Lake Superior on the 17th, and the steam barge 4 Osceola, from Michigan for Duluth, passed here on the same day. &fiseissippi River.-Saint Paul, Minn. : StemIIer L L Sydney, from Saint Louis, Mo., arrived here at noon, 6th. She was
the first through boat of the season. Lake Ontario.-Oswego, N. Y. : schooner Caroline
from Port Hope, Columbia Co., Wis., arrived in this port 1 p. m., 4th, opening navigation for the season. Rochester, N.
Y. : navigation was reported open, 18th. Lake .Huron.-Port Huron, Mich. : steam barge ( Hall 
arrived here on tho morning of the 5th from Alpena, Mich. She was ten hours working her way through the ice, and sunk, from injuries received during the passage, as she reached the mouth of Black River. This was the k s t boat of the season to cross Lake Huron. Fort Gratiot Light was lighted for the first time this season on the 5th. The steamer At- lantic  was reported fast in the ice near Lakeport, Mich., 7th ; she mas released on the 9th. 15th, the ice which had been driven out of the lake jammed at the Saint Clair flats to such
an extent as to entirely stop navigation; the steamer Al-
peua becoming fast in the ice at that point. At Marine City a large fleet of vessels wkq ice bound, being unable to proceed south. The ice jam broke during the night of the 19th, and the vessels detained there moved out. Owing to the large number of vessels, and the haste to move out, several minor casualties occurred. Thunder Bay.-Alpena, Mich. : steamer (6 Atlantic, from Detroit, Mich., arrived here, 5th; t h i s being the first arrival of the season, navigation is considered fully opened. Lake Xrie.-Buffnlo, N. Y. : 12th, steamer 6 Owego 7 7
cleared for Chicago Ill., and navigation for the season is con-
sidered opened. The harbor was full of floating ice on the 4th, 9th, l l t h , and 12th. The lake and harbor were free of ice, 25th. Cleveland, Ohio: navigation was opened on the 1st. Detroit, Mich., 5th : the lake is reported free of ice, and the boats of the Detroit and Cleveland Steam Yavigation Oompany have resumed their regular trips for the season.
Lake Xchigan.-Grand Haven, Mich. : navigation on the lake was resumed, 15th. Green Bay, Wis. : steamer 6  De Pere 7 arrived, 9.30 a. m., 8th1 from Chicago. She was the first arrival of the season, and was also the first departure,
leaving the same evening. Lake Superior.-Marquette, Mich. : navigation opened, 2lst.
Duluth, Minn.: propeller  James Fisk, jr., departed on the 18th for Buffalo, N. P. She was the first departure of the
seaeon for the lower lakes. The steamer Osceola,~ from
Port Huron, Mich., arrived in t h i s port 4.40 a. m., 20th. She was the lbst arrival of the season from the lower lakes.
HIGH TIDES.
Norfolk, Va. : during the storm Of the 6-7th the northeast- erly wind backed up the water into Chesapeake Bay and
caused the tide to rise to an .extraordinarily high point, flood-
ing the lower streets in this city. The tide rose to a point higher than ever before seen here, being between six and seven feet higher than the ordinary high mater mark, and twelve inches higher than the highest tide hitherto known-that dur-
ing the great gale of August, 1879. The water was blowu out of Albemarle Sound lowering the water in the canal until ressels got aground where the1 should have had two feet of
water to spare. This was due to .the gale being immediately rollowed by a strong westerly wlnd.-Report of Branch Hy-
irographic Ome, Norfolk, Va. Suffolk, Va. : the storm of the 6th waa the fiercest and most
iestructive ever known in this section. The tide in the Nan- iemond River was unprecedented, and on t h e 7th the river ex- ;ended over its banks on each side for a hundred yards or
nore. Considerable damage W m done to wharf property and
;o goods stored in warehouses along river. The track of the Suffolk and Carolina Railroad along river was mashed from the *oadbed and considerably damaged.-Richmond Diqatch, 8th. Hatteras, N. C. : a very high tide submerged Hatteras Island
In the 7th, and water entered many houses. Trees were up- sooted, fences demolished, and gardens ruined. It is stated ;hat this tide waa the highest that has occurred since Hat-
;eras Inlet was cut out in 1846. Cedar Keys, Fla. : high wind, with an extreme velocity of
sixty miles per hour prevailed during the 14th. The wind :ansed the tide to rise very high, damaging many amall craft, tnd floating away a considerable number of cedar logs from
;he saw mill rards.
~
~-.
High tides also occurred follows : Cape Henry, Va., 8th, Kth, 16th; Norfolk, Va., 16th.
ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.
towards the zenith every few beconds, producing a most bril-
liane display. Northfield, Vt. : an aurora was observed from 8.23 p. m. t o 9-25 p. ni., 7th, extending from northeast to north-northwest. Streamers rose to altitude Id0, with a dark cloud, luminous in
SPOtS, underneath. Another aurora was observed, 8.25 p. m., 22d. It resembled tho one mentioned above, and lasted
twenty minutes.
observer.
-
Saint Vincent, Minn. : au aurorai display was observed 10.10 p. m., 7th. It consisted of a diffused white light which rose to altitude G O and extended from azimuth 126O to 260O. This
arch disappeared at 11.40 p. m. and was succeeded by a low Irregular arch of very bright light, having an altitude ofso ?Qd extending from azimuth l6Oo to 210O. Anothor auroral
arch was observed 10.40 p. m. 27th, the arch extending from azimuth 1200 to 160 and to altfitude Go. The light increased
steadily in brilliancy until it attained its niaximum intensity at midnight, at which time the arch had risen to altitude 15O
and covered 150 of the horizon. Fort Buford, Dak. : a faint auroral display began 10.48 p.
m. and ended 11.55 p. m., 7th. I t consisbd of ail arch about 30 width which rose to altitude 45O and extended over 90 of
the horizon from northwest to northeast. No changes of auy occurred during the display, except that the arch a t times became slightly brighter. Another aurora mag observed 10.26 p. me, 27th. It coiisisted of a well-defiued arch of straw color, from northwest to within a few degrees of east, and I& maximum intensity occiirred at 13.17
: m., 28th. The light had 8 motion from west to east. Tho
dlaPlaY ended 3.16 a. m., 28th. 
to altitrlde 300.
Auroras were observed during the month as follows : 4th,
Pekin, Ill. 7th, New Hartford, Conu.; Fort Buford, Dak.; Eastport, Kents Hill, and Orono, Me.; Amherst, Blue Hill
Observatory, Newburyport, aud.Royalston, Mass.; Port HU-
I ron, Mich. ; Saint Vincent, Mum. ; North Suttou, N. H. ;
Madison, N. J.; Constttbleville, Ithaca, Barues Corners, and Wedgwood, N. Y. ; Collinwood, Lordstown, and Vienua,
Dak. ; hount Morris aud Wiune6ag0, Ill. ; Malison, Iowa Duluth, Moorhead, and Saint Vincent, Minu. 20t,h, Ames,
Iowa. 30th, Pekin, Ill.; Wedgwood, N. Y.
THUNDER-STORMS.
The more severe thuuder-storms are described uudcr Local
storms. Thunder-storms mere reported in the glaatost num-
ber of states aud territories, twenty-eight, on the 12th ; iu iiineteen on the 20th; in eighteen 011 the 10th; in sixteeri ou the I l t h , 21&, arid 24th; in from ten to fifteen, iiiclusive, on the 1st to 3d, 6th, 13th, 14th, 17th, PSth, 22d, 23d 25th, 26th, 28th, and 29th; in from five to uiue, inclusive, ou tile 9th, loth, 15th, lGth, and 30th, and in less thau five on the 4th, Bth, and 8th. There were no dates for which thunder-storms mere uot repork& in one or more states or territories. Thunder-storms mere reported ou tho greatest number of
dates, twenty-one, in Texas; ou seventeen in Missouri; on fifteeu iu Kansas and Louisiana; ou thirteen in Ohio; on twelve in Indian Territory and North Carolina; ou eleveu in Alabama and Nebraska; on from fire to ten, inclusive, in
Ark., Cal., Colo., OOUU., Dak., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Ky., Me., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., N. J., N. Mex., N. P., Oregon, Pa., S. C., Tenu., Va., Wis.; on less than five in
Ariz., Del., D. C., Mont., N. H., R. I., Utah, Vt., W. Va., Wyo. I n Idaho, Nevada, aud WasliiugtOn Fer. no thunder- storms were reported.
-
MISCELLANEOUS PHENOMENA.
PRAIRIE FIRES.
I
Rapid City, Dak.: a prairie fire started at tho northeastern
limit of the city a t 2.45 p. 111. 2d, and swept six miles down
the valley befor0 i t was extingnished. The high wiud caused
the fire to travel at a fearful rate. several ranches in t h e
of the fire were mmpleteIy demolished; one person was
. yankton, Dak.: duriiig the high wind on the 2d, smoulder-
g prairie fires were fanned, and extended into t h e city, con- sumlng Several buildings near the boundary. Prairie fires
Prevailed north of the city on the lst, and to the north and
Buford, Dak. : prairie fires were observed on the bouth
aide of the Missouri River on the 19th. Prairie fires were also
Observed three miles east of this place 26th ; the wind, which
to death and scveral injured.
011 t h e 2d and 3d.
was high from the northwest at the t h e , caused the fires to sweep rapidly to a belt of cottonwood timber along the river, sotting firo to the timber, consunung all the low brush, and injuring the larger trees. The fires are supposed to have
caught from sparks of locomotives. Fort Sully, Dah.: it is reported that very destructive prairie fires swept over the eastern portion of this (Sully county) on the 2d and 3d. The fires were pushed onwmd before a gale,
which at times blew at t h e rate of sixty miles per hour, and progressed fifteen to thirty miles per hour. Many farmers have
bceri rendered entirely destitute by the fires, haviug lost all seed, farming implements, houses, and live stock. A careful
estimate places the loss of property of all kinds, iu this countx, at froiii $50,000 to $75,000.
Prairie ares mere also reported as follows : Wolsey, Dak., 15th, l7th, 18th; Fort Sill, Ind. T., 1st to Gth, 27th; Fort