288 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. OCTOBER, 1898.
~_____~
severe.; stock water and wells are failing and the range is almost destitute of grass. Brazoria and Burnet, the month
was very dry. At Hallettsville the month was the driest on
record. At Sulphur Springs water is very Bcarce and wells
are failing for the first time in years.
WET SEASONS.
In connection with the regions of heavy rain shown on
Chart I11 the following reports affecting the crops have been
received :
Oregon.-Langlois, excessive and continuous rains damaged
the late grain. At Mount Angel the iiionth was the wettest
October on record, the excess being 3.08 above the normal, a,nd
was very unfavorable to all crops.
Washington.-Colfax, this month is the wettest October in many years ; two-thirds of the grain is ruined.
WIND.
The prevailing winds in October, 1893, viz., those that were
recorded the most frequently, are shown on Chart I1 by
arrows flying with the wind. Northeasterly winds prevailed
in the south Atlantic and Gulf states ; southeasterly winds
in the Ohio Valley, Lakes Michigan and Huron, Missouri, and central Texas; northwest winds in Nebraska, North and
South Dakota, Manitoba, Assiniboia, and Saskatchewan ;
southwest and northwest winds at the Rocky Mountain and
Pacific coast stations, New York, and New England.
HIQH WINDS.
(In miles per hour. 1
Wind velocities of 50 miles, or more, per hour were reported
a t regular stations of the Weather Bureau as follows :
2d, 72, se., a t Mobile, Ala.; 66, sw., a t Pensacola, Fla. 3d, 51, nw., a t Huron, 5. Dak. 4th, 55, ne., a t Kittyhawk, N. C.;
64, n., a t Hatteras, N. C. 5th, 60, nw., a t Shreveport, La.;
60, s., at Fort Canby, Wash.; 56, n., at Amarillo, Tex. 6th,
60, sw., at Chicago, Ill. 7th: 70, s., a t Fort Canby, Wash.
Ilth, 90, s., a t Fort Canby, Wash.; 72, w., a t Jupiter, Fla.;
70, n., a t Titusville, Fla. ; 61, se., a t Tatoosh Island, Wash. ;
60, n., a t Amarillo, Tex. 12th, 60, ne., a t Charleston, S. C!. 13th, 94, se., a t Southport., N. C.; 58, se., a t Kittyhawk, N.
C.; 56, se., a t Wilmington, N. C.; 56, e., a t Charleston, S. C.;
65, se., a t Philadelphia, Pa. 14th, 63, se., a t New London,
Conn.; 61, sw., a t Buffalo, N. Y.; 60, s., a t Northfield, Vt.;
66, se., a t Oswego, N. Y.; 50, se., a t Woods Holl, Mass., and
New Haven, Conn.; 50, nw., a t Grand Haven and Banlt 8te.
Marie, Mich. 15th, 59, sw., a t Buffalo, N. Y. 22d, 54, se., at Kittyhawk, N. C.; 23d, 80, w., a t Pikes Peak, Colo.; 55, nw.,
a t Colorado fiprings, Colo. 26th, 56, s., a t Chicago, Ill. 28th,
62, nw., a t Cleveland, Ohio.
LOCAL STORMS.
1st.-(For some account of the damage to property and
loss of life by the.Gulf hurricane of October I s u d , see low
area No. 111, p. 273.) Sd.-Thunderstornis prevailed in Lower Michigan, Wis-
consin, and Iowa. A man and a horse were killed by light-
ning at Stockton, Wis. ; a liarn was struck by lightning and
burned a t Caledonia, Wis. ; a house wa.s struck by lightning
at Davenport, Iowa, in the early morning and damaged to the extent of $1,500 (estimated).
Bth.-Heavy rains and high winds occurred along the
North Carolina and Virginia coasts. The Weather Bureau ob-
server a t Norfolk, Va., reports that 3 vessels went ashore near
Virginia Beach, vessels a total loss. High southeast backing
to northeast winds prevailed at Kittyhawk, N. C., during the
forenoon and afternoon, with a maximum velocity of 55 mile per hour ; a vessel was wrecked near that point.
During a high south wind a t Hatteras, N. C., 2 men werc
drowned in the Sound near by. High winds and heavy surf prevailed along the Washington
and Oregon coasts. A vessel was wrecked 30 miles south oi
Tatoosh Island, and 6 persons were drowned. The vessel valued at $15,000, was a total loss.
Qth.-A violent thunderstorm passed over Shreveport, La.
oetweeii 8.16 a d 9.40 p. m. The wind reached a maximum
velocity of 60 miles per hour. A house was struck by light-
ning, and considerable damage was done by high wind.
6-lt8h.-Severe gales prevailed over the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Valley. High winds at Toledo, Ohio, on the
3th caused the water in the river to run out to such an extent
that a barge went aground ; above the city the water was said
to be the lowest on record. Three schooners were reported wrecked, and a nuniber of
rtccidents to shipping of a minor character were reported.
9th .-During a heavy thunderstorm which passed over
Gardiner, Me., 4 houses were struck by lightning, one in Gard- her, and 3 in adjoining towns.
11th.-Severe gales and heavy rain prevailed mer north-
west Washington. A t Tatoosh Island the wind attained a
maximum velocity of 61 niiles per hour from the southeast, scconlpanied by rain and a very heavy sea swell.
The following notes are supplementary to the general report
3f the storni of October 11-14, p. 873:
At Saint Augustine, Fla., the waters of the Matanzrts and the Ran Sebastian rivers were united, a phenomenon that has not occnrred since the great flood of 22 years ago. The tide rose abont 12 inches over the ciea wall. All tele raph and telephone lines were rostrated, many houses flooded, the cypress byocks 3f the street pavement dated away, and railroad traffic totally sus ended. The tide during this storm rose higher than any known since 1821, a n i as the city was not guarded Ly a sea wall the present high water must be considered as the hi hest known. At Jacksonville, Fla., a high wind prevailed, with rain,
all day of the l2th, causing damage to some cottages and bringing np the water of the Saint Johns River higher than known for years. Savannah, Ga., reported damage of a minor character, wind reached 40
miles and sea ran heaviest for years. At Charleston, S. C., the wind reached 60 miles, but no damage done to shi ping interests. Beorgetown, S. C., was probably the worst sufferer of a11 stations along the
coast The wind is estimated to have reached a velocity of about 90 miles from the northeast at 9 a. m. of the 13th; died to calm at 10 a m., and rose to about 60 miles from west by 11 a. in., gradually falling as the day passed. The high tide exceeded that of the great storm of August of this year by from 10 to 28 inches, and although the reports of lives lost are somewhat conflicting a conservative estimate places the total at fifteen. At Youthport, N. C., the wind reached a maximum velocity of 94 miles from the south on 18th, wharves were damaged, and a three-masted schooner went ashore. At Lonisbnrg, N. C., one life was lost. At Wilmington, N. C., a heavy gale set in early on the 13th and rain con- tinned throughout the day, maximum velocity of wind being 56 miles. The tide was hi hest ever recorded, esceeding previons highest tide by 16 inches. Some vessefs were lost and much damage done; all low lands submerged. A t Ralei h, N. C., large trees were nprooted and cotton damaged severely. Hatteras, #. C., re orts barkentine Ravenscraft went ashore. At Norfolk, Va., wires blown iown. At Spottsville and Ashland, Va., cro s were dam- At Wmhington, D. C., the wall of a church in conree oferection was
%:n down. In Baltimore, Ald., the rain began in the forenoon continuing to fall heav- ily at intervals until the early morning of the 14th. The wind reached a
high velocity blowing the wire of the Bruhh Electric Co., in contact with the wooden portion of the building and causing a loes by fire of $125,000 and the death of two prisoners in the city jail, an adjoining building, by suffocation. Tide in harbor higher than for a nnmber of ears and many wharves and
bridges were swept away. Solomons and Woolstock, Md., also report great dama e to roperty. At %hiIa!elphia, Pa., the wind reached a velocity of 50 miles, with gusts of
60 miles durin the afternoon of the 13th, continuing to early morning of the 14th. Some sfght damage done by wind; tide unusually high. The storm wa8 felt at Chester, Stroudsburg, Westtown, Lewishurg, Kd-
OCTOBER, 1893. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 289
Feet.
9.9
5.3
3.9
7- 3
mer, Mifflington, Bethlehem, Carliile, Chambersburg, Reading Huntin on, Norristown Easton, Columbia, Pine h o e , Harrisburg, West bhester, Etts- burg, and hrie, Pa., where trees were blown down, houws unroofed tele- graphic communication intern ted, and railroad traffic dela ed. While the center of this storm passed near? as far west as Pittaburg t i e damage along the New Jerse cowt was mucg greater than might have been ex ected. Several branch fines of the West Jersey Railroad were washed out, tecgaph wires were blown down. and many small vessels were washed ashore. The storm in New York state began about midni ht of the 13th and did little damage exce t in the western portion and on thefakes. On Lake Erie, off Dunkirk, the Sean Richmond  foundered with 18 persons. Smaller ves- sels were reported as being wrecked all along the coast; The total known loss on the Lakes is 13 vessels, 51 lives, and $6i6,000; this is the eatest loss ever known in proportion to the number of vessels out. At Sanistiyue, Mich., a raft of loga valned at $50,000 was lost.. At New London, Conn., the wind reached a masimnm velocit of 63 miles at 3.23 a. m., the Ilth, all boats from New York delayed, and light Ship Mart.ha Eniiun  wrecked. At New Haven, Conn., the wind reached 50 miles. Telephone lines over Vermoiit, near Mont elier. were damaged. In Massachnsetts t i e storm visited North Billericu, Hadley, Mansfield, and Boston, but no greater damage done than uprooting trees. The gales attend- ing this storm were felt as far east as Portland, Me., and west as far as nu- luth, Minn., during the 15th, as the storm center passed off in the direction of Labrador.
17th.-Hail fell a t Fort Buford, N. Dak., a t intervals,
g,10,12
16
5
15
....................
INLAND NAVIGATION.
Feet.
15.0
17.0
4Cr. 0
IS. 0
21.0
STAQE OF WATER IN RIVERS.
The following table shows the danger-points a t the various
river stations; the highest and lowest stages for the month,
with the dates of occurrence : and the monthly ranges :
Heights of rivers above low-water ntark, October, 1868.
.
S
mc :2 d
Stations.
In ;E&
P e d .
2.0
1.2
0.1
0. I
7.7
Red River.
Arkamas River. Fort Smith Ark ................ Little Rock: Ark.. .............. dthauri River. Fort Buford, N. Dak ............. Bismarck N.Dak ................ Pierre S.Dak ................... Sioux bit ,Iowa. ................ Omaha d b r ..................... KansaiCit mo ................ i&ia@i River. Saint Paul, Mion... .............. l~ Crosse, Wis .................. Dubuque, lowa.. ................. Davenport. Iowa.. ............... Keokuk, Iowa .............. ; .... Hannibal Mo .................... h i n t LOAS, m o .................. Cairo, 111 ......................... Memphis, Tenn.. ................ Vicksbnrg, Miss.. ............... New Orleans La ................. oiw Riwr. Parkersbur W Vu .............. Oineinnati, k d .. ............... Louisville, Ky ................... l3mabWknd River. Naehville, Tenn ................. TdnMDsee B i w . Chattanooga Tenn ............... Knoxville lenn ................. Mokgahda Biver. Pittsbur . Pa .................... $avannah Eiwr. Augusta, Ga.. ....................
Shreveport, La. .................
3
13
31
112
................... 6-9,3@31
Feet. 19.2
23. o
25. o
75.0
18. o
14.0
16. o
15.0
17.0 30. o
40. o
33.0 41.0 13. o
38- 0
45.0 24.0
40. o
33.0 29. o
22.0
3: 7
21.0
IO. 0
14.0
22.0
32.6
&et. -2.6
-I. o
3.5
6.9
from noon until 2.30 p. m. Twenty miles to the southwest, in Montana, a small number of cattle were killed by lightning.
90th.-During a severe thunderstorm near Uniontown, Pa., a large mill was struck by lightning; estimated loss
about $5,000. Four sheep were killed by lightning at Tiffin,
Ohio. fL4th.-A heavy gale prevailed on Lakes Bnperior, Huron,
and Erie, and stopped navigation a t the Straits of Mackinao.
A schooner was wrecked 7 miles from Grand Island in Lake
Superior. The crew were rescued, but the vessel, valued at PS5,000, was a total loss. A number of other accidents
occurred. A report from Los Angeles, Cal., states that the heavy rains of the past two clays, in the San Bernardino and
Santa Ana valleys have damaged raisins and grains.
28th.--Severe gales prevailed over the Lake region. On Lake Superior the gale was accompanied by a heavy fall of
snow, a i d snow squalls marked its progress across lower Lake
Michigan, upper Lake Huron, and Georgian Bay. A number of wrecks were reported.
29th.-At Palermo, N. T., a severe storm blew down buildings.
I. 2
25,28-31
29~31
I. 2
Highest water.
0.8
1.7
5.3
6.0
[Qight
Feet.
5.4
13.0
7.3
2- 7 -3.8 6. I
7.3
3. I
3-1
3- 1
1.4
1.9 4- 2
IO. 3
5- 8
4.0 4.9
9.0 19.5 8.0
3.2
-
12.0
......
2.0
9.6
......
6.8
18.8
. 31
16
..................
20
31
Date.
10
4 6
17 23.30 39 79 11-14 22-31
5 ..........
7;:
7a -2
9 29
I. 19,24-26 23-26,31
26
11
2
15 18
10
14
17
. 16
14
..........
The following table Shows in detail for OCtol)er, 1893, (1)
Lowest water.
thunderstorms (T) and auroras (A), respectively, in each
state and on each day of the month on which the phenomena
1.2 1 1,2,13
5.0 3 I
- h
c
S d
O E
E
FSeL
s a
-
s. 0
13.0
9- 5
0.6
0.6
1.9
0- 4
1.0
I. I
0.8
0.7 0.6
0.9 5.3 3. I
3.7
1.0
0.2
.....
1. I
7.6 14.5
5.0
2.4
7.9
1.5
12.8
.....
Heights of rivers-Continued.
Slations.
IViUmi~dta Rim. Portland Ore on ................ &&nnn E i w . Rarrisbur . Pa.. ................. ~lubamnn River. Montgomer Ala ................ ~k u River. Lynchburg Va .................. &anmito River. Red Blutf Cal ....................
De.sMo1~8 River. Des Moine8,Iowa
cjacramenio Cal ................. ................ I I I
FLOODS.
The colunin giving the highest stages of water during Octo- her shows that, noiie of the rivers there mentioned rose to the
danger point- during this month ; the following reports as to other rivers have been received :
Ntw nlexico.-The Hoiido River rose on the 5th and 6th 8
feet higher than was. ever known before; and considerable damage was done.
South Car0lin.n.-The Wateree River rose froni the 22d- %th, reaching 31 feet a t Camden bridge, being the highest
rise since 1886.
I;i:yinia.-On the 15th and again on the 23d the James
River overflowed its banks a t Irwin.
CLOSING OF NAVIGATION.
La.kes and rivers continued open to navigation during Oc-
tober, excepting local interruptions, due to low water in the
upper Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY.