The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-06-25
The Tremendous ST Grm at st. LOHis
Friday Evening.

The Tremendous ST Drm at st. LOHis
Friday Evening.
TFrom the St Louis Globe-Demoerat, June I9.
In conversation with Sergeant Prem
der, the United States Signal Observer
at St. Louis, the following valuable and
interesting meteorological information
was ascertained regarding the storm.
At midnight the sky was free from
clouds, and remarkably clear, and the
wind was blowing from the northeast at
the velocity of four miles per hour. AZ
ter this clouds formed steadily. On the
northern horizon was a cumulo- stratus
of clouds; in the zenith, cumulus, and
in the southern and eastern horizons an
irregular stratus.
AZ A. NJ. yesterday morning the sky
was overcast with mint bus clouds, large
rain drops fell, and a white electric
sheet spread from horizon to horizon.
kept continuously flashing for about
half an hour.
At 2:30 the sheet-lightning was inter
luded with frequent and sharp electri-
cal discharges, rolling thunder, heavy
rain and diminishing atmospheric pres
sure.
At 8 O'Clock there were sharp, contin.
uous discharges, accompanied by deaf
ening thunders.
At $50 the rain poured heavily, amid
forked and zigzag lightning; the barom-
eter oscillated very much, and fairly
danced up and down.
At 3:45 the wind raised to velocity
of sixteen miles per hour. A very
heavy, beating ram prevailed Balls of
lightning descended frequently and rap
idly to the earth, and exploded with
deafening thunders, and Jared the earth
as if shaking with light earthquake;
the continuity of the sheet lightning
spanning across from horizon to horizon,
and the frequency of ball lightning
lighted up the earth for probably twen-
ty minutes, brighter, but more intense,
than the suns rays would have done.
This dazzling, fashy brightness awoke
thousan6s to the realization of the pre-
valence of the storm, and all manner of
expedients were used to shield the op-
tics from the binding influence OF the
flashes.
At $50 the wind increased in velocity
to forty eight miles per hour. The rain
fell in torrents, flooding the streets and
sidewalks with water several inches
deep. Streams of electric FIRE descended
from the clouds to the earth. About
this time the storm was at its heighth,
and scene of terrific and most incon-
ceivable grandeur was presented. Water
and lightning rolled ont Of the clouds
like water over Niagara Falls and drop
ped on the earth in great sheets. The
thunder bounded with great vibrating
force.
At o'clock the wind decreased in
velocity to thirty eight miles per hour.
The thermometer escillated remarkably.
The thermometer fell in three hours
fourteen degrees.
Between 4 and o'clock the storm
gradually lessened in force. The wind s
velocity fell to eighteen miles an hour,
and again increased to thirty-six miles
At6 O'Clock the rain fall diminished
rapidly.
At $50 the wind increased in veloci-
tv, until it reached the rate of forty
miles per hour.
At Z o'clock the storm ceased.
The wind, besides being high in We
locity from the North, was remarkable
for circling from the right to left, or
contrary to the movement of the hands
of watch. The rain descended for
about four hours, and in that time three
the largest quantity in SO short time
that has fallen in this vicinity since
rainfall records have been kept in this
locality.
The storm was tropical one, and is
of very rare occurrence north of the
Gulf of Mexico, and this one is prob
ably the. first to visit ST. Lonls. 1t was
altogether local to this city, and seemed
to have descended in the neighborhood
of Alton, Illinois, and moved over ST.
Louis, and then arose again after NOV
ing about hundred miles. According
to Prof. Tice's theory, it may be that a
| cylinder full of tropic meteorological
agitations was placed above the city in
an acute angle, and dumped on the city,
similar to the Tice cylinder of frigid
combinations that were emptied on the
| city last March