The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1882-04-19

The year 1881 and the present year. so
far, have been noted over all the world for
extraordinary atmospheric disturbances.
In America and Europe destructive floods
and storms have been recorded with loss
Of lives and property, both on land and
sea. Whether planetary conjunctions and
comets exercise any influence or not on
the weather. it must be admitted that the
year 1881 was a very remarkable one as
regards the disturbance of the elements.
Droughts and famines, floods and forest
fires, avalanches and hurricanes, deadly
heat and as deadly cold, characterized it
throughout Climatic variations, seeming
in many instances to amount almost to
permanent changes We're observed. In
old England there was scarcely any sum
mer. while in New England there was a
total absence of summer rains. 50 that all
the streams and wells were dry, and water
came to be an object of serious expense in
that region. Failures of fruit and vege
table crops in one place We're balanced by
failures Of cereal crops in another. Every
where the exceptional character of the
weather was in the direction OF maleticent
phenomena.
The disturbance of the elements has not
vet ceased either in Europe, America or
here. A recent issue of the S. +. Aha
says: .' The present winter has no recorded
parallel. either for the low degree Of
| temperature attained. or the number Of
DAYS of frost. The 22d of February Is
here and still the frosty weather con
tinues Usually at this time the frosty
weather is over. the fields carpeted with
living green, and the balmy air laden
with the delicious breath of the early
spring flowers. But today the scene IS
different The icy breath of winter holds
back the growth of all vegetation, and all
Is dreary and gloomy where beauty and
cheerfulness should reign"
Here at the Islands also. the weather
has been unusually cold for this latitude,
and planters inform Us that the cane
crops are very backward, and have grown
less than Is usual during the winter
months The rainfall has been excep-
tionally large. At Hilo. we learn that
over 100 inches have fallen since January
!. while IN Kau. the rainfall during the
same period three months exceeded
sixty inches. Yet with our unusually
cold and wet weather, we nay be thank
ful that we escape the destructive storms
which visit the old countries Only few
weeks since. we read of cyclone which
swept over northern California, and accord
ing to the published report, the tele-
graph poles. wires and fences along the
railroad We're torn up and carried away;
huge oaks. that have stood the test of
storms for ages, fell before the gale like
reeds. and the branches were picked up
and scattered before the winds as lightly
as leaves; panels of fences, it Is said few
through the air like kites, and fields of
finely growing grain were swept bare, not
bit of vegetation remaining to be seen.
A man driving in spring wagon near
Nelson was struck by the breeze and mar
rowly escaped instant death. His horse
was hit by the flying limb of a tree and
instantly killed: the wagon was blown to
pieces, and the man saved himself by
crawling into a ditch The ditch con
tanned several inches of water, but the
man said he would rather stay there than
bravo fba sfn,-o =