The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-04
STORM UNDER Tx EQUATOR



grozs me fssrusas 81 aas.iaA
Midday approaches. The cloud,
firss erect sheusseIves n vsuIted forms
from tie horizon upward. Nov the,
gather tossthsr In thick, wide masses
and gradually dsrksning The sky up
proach The sun. which stiIi rules tn
landscape beneath with his perpendie
uiar rays. Under his scorching fsvol
the plants fairly culver. seil-iost
they yield themselves 10 his might,
attraction. Golden-winged beetle.
and humming birds bum or hum JOY
fully nearer. In the livesiest display
Of colcrs gay and brilliant butterflies
and draeOn7Ses near the river bank
engage IN wanton sport The path.
ways swarm with ants. which, In Ions
exiended lines. are dragging leaves Il
the structures they are 20 indus.
tYiousIy erecting. Eoxious animals
too, feeI the fierce glow and unwonsesl
attraction OF the midday sun. The
crocodile mounts upward from oul
his hiding places In The deep ooxe Of
the river bed and stretches himself al
fail length upon the burning sands.
TOrtOises and lizards creep out Of their
damp and shady retreats. Hand
sofnely variegAted a. well as dusky.
coIored serpents crawl along the warm
and brilliantly lighted pathways.
And now NJ length the clouds begin
70 lower, forming themselves vertic-
ally In huge, separate strata, while
ever heavier. thicker. gioomier. they
surround the horizon. while just in
the zenith they tower upward in
enormous widespread masses, clear
shining. In marked contrast 70 the
clouds Of deep-laden hue ON the hori.
ron. A beautiful image of gigantic
mountains - seen in the air. Sud.
denly the whole heavens become over.
cast. and only here and there appears
= patch Of deep blue sky between con-
tieuous clouds. The sun conceais
himself. Fiefeer than ever, however.
gioWs the furnace heat OF the at.
m0sphere over the landscape.
Midday IL past. In awful. gloomy
melancholy suspense. hangs this dis
NAL hour, big with terrible conse-
quences, over all nature. Deeper and
deeper grows the gloom. More and
more awful the suspense. as d woe to
be brought forth, which the air of the
day has gensiered.
Wild beasts roam hither and thither in
anxiety ~ looking for the coming oil
some terrible calamity. only the quiet,
sluggish animals concealed in the
deep ahades Ut the forest have no pre-
sentiment that mighty crisis Of
nature Is at hand even ut the very
doors. The crisis cannot be avoided
With rapid strides approaches the
storm. 20 soon 10 break forth in ire
sistible violence upon the expeetant
earth beneath. The temperature of
the air RAPIDLY descends. The winds
arise from every quarter of the hcay
ems and engage ia fierce contention.
They root up the forest. They lash
the sea into foam "a sea that ever
biacker and more awful grows beneath
the dark and angry clouds overhead
while the loud. rushing torrents that
plunge in its bosom twhose very roar
Is drowned in the fierce, whi-tling
windsl, grows dark and black a. night.
while they seem 10 empty therein
without the slightest noise each ike
= very Phlegethom-a river Of he'll,
The storm breaks Twice, thrice,
tears q streak OF fawn-coiored light
ming through the dark background OF
clouds. Twice, thrice, rolls the thun-
der. with long and steady
trembling through the quaking sky.
Drops fall. The plant world RECEIVERS
from its exhaustion. Another peal
sharper. heavier than before, as though
the whole heavens were falling in one
tremendous crash that shakes the
world. II ID no longer rain that falls.
but the very fountains of the upper
deep are opened and pour out their
contents from the bending heavens
The forest OF gigantic trees sways and
signs. while the lisping, ruslling sound
OF the leaves has increased TO a roar.
striking the ear somewhat Ike the
dull rolling OF distant drum. Flow
ers shake. Leaves fall. Torn-otl
branches and stems are preeipitaied
60 the ground or are driven through
the air by the violence of the wind
The hurricane snatches away the last
charm OF virginiiy from the PROSTATE
plant forms. Aud Why not Have they
not bloomed and loved Does the
lnga curl together alone its enpf.ed
stginasf Does the Bani<tery alone
allow its golden serais TO fail from lis
already terhiized caiyag Does the
stock OF the Arum plant. heavy With
fruit. give alone its withered husks
as prize to the tempest
The animal world. too. feels the ef.
feet OF the awful hour an hour of
fright aud terror to the stou,est and
wlldesss of beasts. Dumb. terrified
The fsathered tribes of the forest Hut
ter ON the ground. Filled with fear.
seek she inyriads OF insects safety he
meath the leaves or fallen trunks OF
trees, pisssisdesl from combat and
dealing of death. ravcnous beasts cease
from following their prey. The cold
hleoded amphihsans alone rsioice In
the descending foods. for at intervals
In the storm can he heard the large
chorus OF frogs aud toads croak forth
their hoarse but not unpleasant music
from the wateyy meadows.
In deep brooks and streams run the
muddy waters through the narrow
forest paths tn the river. ar pour
themselves into fathomiesx ahssses
in the ground Lover AMI
ssili lower sinks the Temporarily
uf the air. The storm Is graslu.
ally growing less in violence. The
clouds are emptying saeir liquid con.
tents slowly q tlnae and the storm,
vii he over, The winds cease. In n.
iuveastest srseaaos saiaenls The sur
steps forth FROM .ehiad the long
stretched layers IF cloasls. which
gradually separate themselves more
and more frons each other. sissfssSias
themselves toward the north and
south. until at last, a. in the morning
there are left only light and ganEy
cloud fasmss skGfting the deep azure
Held 81 the horssnn. Again heaven
ssnsies cat Of It's deep bin eve assosl
the earth beneath. which sooa forpess
the terrible osvteaI shroash which Il
has ~ rwcsnsiy passed. An hoa,
later and stcs trarc al tie storm
exists. Dried by The warm smashing
The plants stand erees In fresh heaafs
and stgor, while the various kexSts al
the forest, driven memorable Nv their
inmate inssiaets. rgtuyn 10 taeis
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