The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-21
WINDS OF. FIRE
A Simeon Sweeps Across North
western Plains.
Vegetation Destroyed in Dakota,
and People in Panic.

Particulars of an unprecedented hot wave
that has been visiting sections Of the North
west are given in the following dispatch from
st. Paul, Mimi:
People in Dakota thought the world was
coming to an end yesterday. The intensely
hot weather Of the past week eliminated In
regular old fashioned Indian simeon. The
air was as hot as from bakers oven. Birds
flew about wildly and beat their lives out
against the trees in their frantic efforts to
escape unseen danger. Horses and cattle
broke from their fastenings and plunged
into streams and would not be moved. At
many places in Dakota and Iowa the mer-
curry has been up to 100 degrees Tuesday
was the hottest day ever known in Minne-
sofa, the mercury ranging from 81 to 96 de-
grees, with an average Of IS degrees during
the day. At midnight the thermometer
stood at So degrees.
The simeon in Dakota was severest at Ash
ton. At o'clock in the morning the people
were awakened by roaring noise and oppres-
sive heat, which almost stided breathing. On
going to the door your correspondent was
driven back into the house by hot air from
without, which felt like that from a furnace
or an oven. There were ut the time heavy
dark clouds in the southwest, from which di-
rection the wind came.
cyclone was forming, and they began to
congregate in the neighborhood Of cyclone
cellars. Many fathers and mothers on
awakening and feeling the heated air
seized their children from the beds and
rushed into the street, believing that their
houses were on fire. One citizen describes
his fear that the earth was be-
ing precipitate1 into the sun. A farmer
who was on his way to town, states that it
was comparatively cool when he started out,
but was soon struck by q hot wind which he
him in large drops The hot wind lasted about
half an hour. and the temperature was 120
degrees. Your correspondent has lived here
nearly five years. and been out when the
mercury stood 100 degrees in the shade, but
never before experienced such heated atmos.
phere as that Of this morning. Had this wind
continued for two or three hours there would
not have been left a vestige of living veg.
citation, and it is doubtful whether animal
life could have withstood it. AS gen.
eral rule the nights are very cool,
and this freak of nature is mystery to every
one The hot wind was Immediately fol-
lowed by cool breeze, but now, at P. n,
the mercury stands at 100 degrees in the
shade. Farmers and merchants generally
are feeling very blue over the gloomy pros.
poets of crops, as this makes the sixth day OF
excessive heat.
A special from Pierre, Dak., says: Pierre
citizens have just passed through one Of the
most remarkable and thrilling freaks of the
elements ever experienced in this section.
For the last three days the mercury has
averaged about 103 degrees, but last
nine o'clock the western heavens
were suddenly illuminated, and in a few
moments wind swept down the streets, blow
ing down several houses and doing other
damage. The wind was red hot and people
were compelled to seek shelter in cellars to
avoid the intense and suffocating heat. The
wind continued until o'clock this morn
ing, and at 2 o'clock the thermometer
registered l05 degrees. Passengers who
came in from Montana on the Northern Pa
cif3c say the air was almost unbearable. II
hand was thrust out of car window the
rushing air felt like blast from a furnace.
The trainmen had their faces blistered and
swollen by the hot air.
The letter from Ashton was referred to
Signal Office Observers Lyons and MEG Ginnis,
and for moment both were amazed, and at
first neither could believe it possible that the
thermometer had reached any such altitude
as 120at4AM. With an eagerness of twos scien-
fists they began to seek to accountfor it. Mr..
McGinnis was inclined to believe that it was
similar to the terrible Sahara Desert SIMEON
which, like this hot air storm, is accompanied
by dark cloud, and seems not only to be
hot but deoxygenized so that it acts
on the lungs almost like carbonic
acid or devitalized air, Sergeant Lyons as.
sented to this partially, but suggested that
it might have been the heat from huge
meteorite. Both agreed that it was one of
the mysterious weather dispensatious of
Divine Providence which could not be
predicted.