Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-28
COLD WAVES BIG JUMP.
SWEEPING DOWN FROM THE
HOME OF billiards..

Freezing Weather in the West and "A
Big Fall in Mercury Here-B oistine
the Cold Wave Flag Out of SUNNI r
Quarters-The Drought CoutiDues-
The DrieAt October ON Record-Some
of the Phenomena Reported to the
Signal Bureau.
The cool wave that started from way up
in the North west ard has been sweeping
down over the country since Monday
reached here last night. There was a big
drop in mercury yesterday, and the indi-
cations were that it will 90 still lower to-
day. At Omaha yesterday morning it
was dogs. below the freezing point,
and at st. Paul, Mimi, below. AT
LeaVenworth, Kan, Davenport. Ia, Du-
luth. MIMI, Marquette, Mich, Yankton,
OAK, and half dozen other places in the
West water was frozen. The greatest fall
in temperature was in the Southwest.
Although mercury did not 60 so low
there the fall was greater, and
throughout Texas there was a
fall of y to - dogs. a high barometer
prevailed throughout the Southwest, indi-
eating colder weather.
The wave moved rapidly Yesterday, At
. O'Clock p. m, when mercury is usually
al It's maximum point. Palestine, Texas,
reported 5Sdegt Mobile, Ala, 50, and, NeW
Orleans 81 dogs. Atlanta reported 52degs.,
the lowest at any point IN the SOulh. The
ii O'Clock reports last nigut showed the
rapid movement Of the wave toward the
coast. The observation here showed 81
degs. AT midnight the barometer Was ris-
ing rapidly. There was little humidity in
the atmosphere, ard mercury was tall
ing. The officers on duty
at the signal station said If
it keeps on there will most likely be d
frost before the wave paeses. The cold
wave nag is not ordered up until mercury
goes TO 40 degs. Inc chances are that
1t Will 20 below that, and that the big flag
VIII be hauled out OF its summer quarters
to-day or tomorrow.
There are no indications Of rain. aud
aside from the slight precipitation OF
tuesday night, tie ury spell IS unbrOken.
An accurate record OF the daily rainfall
is Kept al the signal office, where ~ small
a quantity as one hundreGih part Of an
inch is measured. Thus far the rainfall
for October mas been less than one inch,
and tue month promises to 20 on record
as the dryest October since the signal
service was established. or course the
record NAV be broken between now and
JRhAcigs WHICH ID Tue idbb Ndt " IuG
month, but the indications are not laV ora
bic TO this.
The largest rainfall in October since
1871 was ~ inches, in 1875. The rainfall
thus far THIS month is 80 inch. Tue
smallest rainfall in any October pre-
vlous to this year was l % inches, in 1873.
In October last year il was very nearly 3
inches. The country is suffering from the
need Of rain, and crops are drying up.
1 he rainfall since August Is less than : d
inches, or about OBe-nalf of the normal
rainfall Tor October. Nothing like it's on
record.
The signal bureau, besides the DROUGHT.
is having good many questions to deal
with. Besides Earthquakes, the phenomena
OF rain falling out of cloudless sky is
reported by the observer at Charlotte, \.
=. IDe NEWS some days ago had a refer
ence to the phenomena. Sergt. Barry is
the signal officer AZ Charlotte. In his re-
port to the signal bureau he says the
shower falls daily about 3 O'Clock in the
vicinity OF two large oak trees and from
a cloudless sky. CtWiJhstauding the
TACT that Sergt. Barry made a report to
tue Chief signal officer confirming the re-
ports OF the phenomenal shower, he did
not attempt TO explain it, being CON-
pletely mystifed.
Reports OF fall OF rain from a cloud
less SKY are frequently received from sta
ton observers, but none have been at
tended with the same regularity ana
peculiar circumstances as the daily
shower at Charlotte. When Sergt.
barry witnessed the phenomenon a cloudy
sky al first intertered with the customary
shower, but be waited until the sun ehone
brightly, when The phenomenal shower
put IN It's appearance. The rain has for
It's central pClutt two oak trees In yard in
Charlotte, aud occasionally it mOisJens
the earth Tor nearly a quarter of an
acre about them. The rain, he says, can
be seen falling from above the trees, and
upon investigation the twigs and leaves
are found to be perfectly dry. This has
been going on, it is said, for over three
weeks. oergt. Bsrry's report, which has
been received at Washington, was dated
Oct. q, and on that day be witnessed the
phenomenon. In the absence OF further
Information the weather bureau officers
are Inclined to look with suspicion upon
the matter, as so many wonderful things
have been reported which proved either
untrue or easily accounted tor.
The sign j officers here do not
put much confidence in the story, and are
inclined to think it a "North Carolina"
hoax. still it is matter of record in the
signal bureau.
All sorts of phenomena are report
ed from various parts of the coun-
try. day or two ago a package
containing sulphur was received from a
man who stated that it had fallen from
tine sky during storm and was gathered
by him and sent to Washington tor ex-
PLANTATION. Upon careful examination
with a powerful glass the contents showed
unmlstakable signs of having been
broken with n hammer or soine instru-
mont of that Kind, leaving the impression
that the sender was better informed as TO
it's source than be represented.