Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-03
THE TOPICAL TAIKER,

A Remarkable Storm-Some of the Peatures
of Great Disturbance - Tuesdays
Electrical Exhlbit-Newspaper Boxe.
Strangely Used-A Speak Easy Couveu.
tioH.
THE storm, which came from the west last
night, did not strike Pittsburg with the ex.
traordInary violence that characterized it but
a few miles down the Ohio Valley. As it
neared this city the center Of the storm veered
to the northward apparently. For my own
part saw more of the storm than was agree
able At seven o'clock masses OF heavy gray
cloud were banked in the west, and o lower
stratum of ragged smoky clouds began to
spread over the sky. 'The latter came from all
points between w. 8. w. and w. n. ". and at
SO low an elevation and in such furious
fashion that they resembled smoke from q
river steamer more than clouds. The sky in
the west began to assume yellow and grsenish
tints. and gusts of wind followed each other
rapidly. There was not much thunder how
ever before the main storm was actually at
hand. The warning was notably short though
ugly enough.
At 7:15 the storm burst upon Sewickley. the
point at which these observations were made.
A light rain quickly developed into drenching
downpour, accompanied by almost lncessant
lightning. The heavens were covered at once,
except for q slender margin of clear blue sky
upon the eastern horizon, by pale yeliow-gray
vapor. have never seen or felt rain come
down in larger masses. There was no wind to
speak of the rain descended In straight sheets.
At quarter to eight when it is usually
broad daylight. the gas lights on the platform
at Sewickley were distinctly useful. A curious
sight the Chicago Express presented as her
blazing headlight appeared through the fog of
rain and steam. If the train had been travel
ing through the Ohio river for ten miles it
could not have looked wetter.
A the train cautiously made its way to the
city the storm showed no signs of abate-
men. The river could hardly be seen from the
railroad; and a steamboat hugging the northern
bank near Agnew looked more like a phantom
ship than solid stern-wheeler. Such storm
the passengers and crew of that train agreed
they had seldom IL ever seen. Some idea of
the extent of the storm may be CLEANED from
the fact that this particular train fell in with
it at O'Clock in the afternoon and steamed
steadily in It till PIttsburg was reached at S:l5.
The storm as at its worst at Homewood.
What SUI erb nerve and pluck the engineer
of locomotive must have to take train
through such an elemental war!
IMPRESSIVE and terrific as last nights storm
was, in its electrical features it did not equal
the storm which only threatened this region on
Tuesday evening. The heavens on Tuesday
evening wore much the same ominous look they
did last night before the storm broke. The west
was full of dark gray clouds, pulled up with
yellow edges. Against this dark background
the lightning shone with astounding brilliancy.
One flash came out like the column of flame
from lighted gas well, from which branches of
white fire zigzagged to all parts of the sky 1t
blinded everybody who saw it for many Sec
onds. A dozen persons at least living twenty
miles apart in some cases, have told me that
they never saw SO immense and dazzling
stroke OF lightning. This principal effort was
preceded and succeeded by lightning Of less
volume and intensity.
The expectation that storm of terrible pro-
portions was at hand was general, but 1t did not
come within thirty miles Of Pittsburg then.
THE new boxes for newspapers and packages
at the street corners reveal some singular
surprises at times. A cat was taken out OF
Market street box the other day, and Detective
Sol Coulson is not the only person who has mis-
taken the boxes for other things.
At the Union static. few nights ago
young nan of rustic appearance approached
the newspaper mail box and after a brief ex-
animation thereof sat down upon it BE seemed
to be searching TO, something with his right
hand, and he was evidently nervous. Finally
he called to a station employe.
"How does this burned machine work, any
how? can't find the slotr' said he. He took
it for weighing machine.
-
THE Pennsylvania Society for the Advance
ment of the Deaf is holding its conven-
tion in the chapel of the First Presbyterian
Church.
1t does seem little odd, as a reverend critic
of this city suggests, to be running speak
easy" in a church.