Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-06-24


SON of Extraordinary weather.
About 10 O'Clock Sunday night Eureka
was visited by such a hailstorm as never
was known in these regions before. From
the time Of nightfall up to this hour the
clouds had been forming and the air had
become as dark as ink. Those of our peo-
pie who live in unsafe places trembled in
momentary expectation of a cloudburst and
food. Along the line Of the "big ditch"
not only the women, but the men as well,
made frequent trips to the front door to
watch the heavens to the south and west,
fearing that before the sky was cleared
such q mass of water as has been seen here
three times before might come rushing
with turbulent force through town. At 10
O'Clock the impending clouds began to re-
lieve themselves of their su%perfiuous mois-
ture. On the h~ouse-roofs, singly at first
and afterwards like shot dropped from q
tower, pellets of hail ratified sharply down.
Had there been no protracted warning of q
a violent storm, the people Of Eureka
could hardly have believed at once that the
tattoo on the roofs Of their dwellings was a
~hail-shower, 30 fierce and loud and IN
usual was the din that ensued. The vio-
lence of the storm was over within q quar-
ter of an hour, when the hail turned in q
rain; but after the storm had continued
for a few minutes, it afforded one of the
most interesting and startling phenomena
ever witnessed in this neighborhood. The
shower was SO vigorous that the surface Of
the ground to the depth Of from two TO
three inches was covered with the pellets,
ranging in size from the bulk Of q bear to
that Of an ordinary marble. As stated
above, the air was inky black, and II con-
tinued 80 until after the storm had abated,
but, at almost regular intervals Of about a
minute, the atmosphere was illuminated
| by a vivid fash Of lightning which showed
the streets white with hailstones. The
momentary flashes presented the surface
OF the ground as covered with snow, 30
| brilliantly white did the hailstones appear
under the reflected lightning. The storm
does not appear to have extended far be-
| yond Eureka. For instance, in the direc-
| ton Of Secret Canyon, it did not reach so
far as a mile. On the road in that direc-
| ton, however, the storm must have ragged
with more fury than even here. Master
| Harry CLARK, who drove in from there as
late as at 2 O'Clock yesterday morning says
that he saw the hailstones piled up along
| the road five or six inches high, and that
he noticed many Of them lying on the
ground as big as pigeons eggs.
We learn since writing the above that
the ravages Of the hailstorm are quite
marked in several places in and out Of
town. Out at the Italian ranch the potato
| plants were beaten down and looked, yes
terday morning, as though an army of cut
worms had exercised themselves vigorously
on the crop the night before. Willow trees
were stripped Of their leaves and smaller
branches, and the grass was cut up and
matted together. In spots the tough sage
brush shrubs we're battered and broken
down to the stump just above the roots.
The canvas awning in front Of Lauten-
schlager's saloon, and the one, also, in
front of W. j. Tonkin d Co.'s saloon, were
completely riddled. and in several places
holes were made in them W or three feet
square. The hailstones passed through
them as sharply, where they fell separate,
as so many bullets would have pierced
them If shot from a rifle. The terrific
clatter and rattle of the hail on the tops OF
several Of the saloons broke up the games
going on, and sent the crowds that were
gathered inside running out to the side
walk to see what was up and to be in the
open air If the roofs we're giving away. We
learn from our dispatches that Sunday
afternoon a similar hailstorm visited Den
yer with fatal results in several instances.
and wounding q number of men on foot
and horseback 80 that it Is doubtful if they
recover. So far. we have not heard of any
injuries to persons from the very lively
hail-shoWer here and in the vicinity.