St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-16
S23,170
n WISCONSIN STORM

In Minnesota and Its Effect Upon
the Farming Operations.
Special to the Globe.
FOUNTAIN, Mimi, Aug. 13.-There
were many hot days that dried up the
pastures and left many acres brown and
bare the past week Or two in which very
little rain fell, and the high pasture
lands felt it most severely. There was
plenty of hay left of last year. early cut
clover which was a great satisfaction to
the farmers whose acres lie mostly or
all on high ground, and stock ate it
with great relish.
The light showers seemed to have no
effect, as there was not sufficient rain
fall the past two weeks to reach the
roots of any plants to start a growth.
The harvest progressed finely until
Wednesday last, when we were treated
to a hard, heavy rain, with vivid cleo
trical display. accompanied with deep
toned thunder. Another such storm
came from the West Thursday morning
and at intervals during the day. Farm
ers take the dose very easy, as the cat
tie need the pastures and the clover
fields showed no growth, and the great
fields of clover were watched with many
anxious eyes and fearful hearts, as that
crop is of vast help to the farmers in
this section. In fact, that crop is often
their salvation.
Corn is not up to it's usual standard in
showing its ears, but it has needed more
rain to reach down into the soil, and if
the farmers dislike the heavy rain just
now on their fields of unstacked grain
which was in most cases ready to
securely put up-they rejoice for the
corn in having the soil thoroughly wet
down to Its roots and think no damage
has been done as yet. But we were
destined to have yet more rain, and late
Thursday afternoon there came to US
the worst storm that | have experienced
in this state, which lasted about two
hours.
For sometime before it reached this
place we could hear the roaring of the
coming storm in the southwest, but
more west than south the storm came
on the wings of the wind, and the cleo
tricity flashed with fierce and binding
glare, and the thunder'S crash was
startling in its first effect, and almost
deafening as it rolled away with crash
on g rash, and ere it died away another
flash of lightning and another crash of
thunder succeeded it, while the wind
and rain. with sprinkling of bail made
the hour one of fear and trembling to
those of nervous temperament.
For an hour and more the storm ragged
fierce and furious, while one could not
see the street, for the rain came in fine
drops, or rather, the wind seemed to
break up the raindrops into the finest
particles. For a while forgot that l
was in Minnesota, as the storm was like
many Wisconsin storms that just en-
joyed the time, and it seemed SO differ
ent from anything l had ever expert
enced in this state during the three
years that have lived here, 4hat had
began to think we were exempt from
such storms in this section of the state.
We hear the country roads were
flooded, which would not be surprising,
as they all lead down from the bluff or
are in rent in the bluff that runs
north just out of town, and the same ap-
pears just out of the town in the road
leading south to Preston, so that it
would not be surprising if the roads
were full of water last night.
The damage consists in the leveling of
the grain shocks and the beating of the
seed from the dry heads of timothy in
the shock. So far as can be learned no
buildings were injured, nor any person
suffered. The hailstorm passed to the
south, and seemed to follow WatsOn's
creek without doing the farms along the
any creek harm.
After all,,I think there are very many
glad hearts over the great fall of water
yesterday, as the corn really needed
much rain and the pastures were in
very sorry looking condition, although
it will delay, for week or more. the
stacking of the grain, the farmers will
find compensation for the labor re-
quired in getting the grain into good
condition again for stacking.
I'VE hope the hot, dry and depressing
weather of the past two weeks or more
is gone away to stay, as we had all
grown weary of Its presence in our at
mosphere.
Mrs. MARTHA CRANDALL.