Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-27
AN EQUATORIAL STORM.
A Vivid Description of Its Approach-The
Breaking of the Tempest-Terror
of the Animal World.

gradually darkening the sky approach
the sun, which still rules the landscape
beneath with his perpendicular rays.
Under his scorching favor the plants
fairly culver. Self-lost, they yield
themselves to his mighty attraction.
Gold-winged beetles and hummingbirds
buzz or hum joyfully nearer. In tho
iveliest display of colors gay and bril-
liant butterflies and dragonflies near
the river bank engage in wanton sport.
The pathway swarms with ants, which,
in long extended lines, are dragging
leaves to the structures they are so in
dustriously erecting, Noxious animals.
too, feel the fierce glow and unwonted
attraction of the midday sun. The
crocodile mounts upward from out of
his hiding-place in the deep ooze of the
river-bed and stretches at full length
upon the burning sands. Tortoises
and lizards creep out of their damp
and shady retreats. Handsomely va
riegated as we'll as dusky-colored SER
penis crawl along the warm and bril-
liantly lighted pathways.
And now at length the clouds begin
to lower, forming themselves vertical
~ in huge, separate strata, while ever
heavier, thicker, gloomier, they sur
round the horizon, while just in the
zenith they tower upwardi in enormous
widespread masses, clear, shining. in
marked contrast to the clouds of deep
leaden hue on the horizon. A beauti-
full image of gigantic mountains is seen
in the air. Suddenly the whole heavens
become overcast, and only here and
there appears patch of deep blue sky
between contiguous clouds. The sun
conceals himself. Fiercer than ever,
however, glows the furnace heat of the
atmosphere over the landscape.
Midday is past. In awful, gloomy.
melancholy suspense, hangs the dismal
hour, big with terrible consequences,
over all nature. Deeper and deeper
grows the gloom. More and more aw-
full the suspense, as woe to be brought
forth, which the air of the day has
gendered.
Driven by hunger and thirst, the
wild beasts roam hither and thither in
anxiety, as looking for the coming of
some terrible calamity; only the quiet,
sluggish animals concealed in the deep
shades of the forest have no PRESENT.
ment that mighty crisis is at hand
even at their very doors. The crisis can
not be avoided. With rapid strides
approaches the storm, so soon to break
forth in irresistible violence upon the
expectant earth beneath. The tenn
perature of the air rapidly descends.
The winds arise from every quarter of
the heavens and engage in fierce con-
tention. They root up the forest.
They lash the sea into foam-a sea that
ever blacker and more awful grows
beneath the dark and angry clouds
overhead, while the loud, rushing tor
rents that plunge in it's bosom (whose
very roar is drowned in the fierce,
whistling windy, grows dark and black
as night, while they seem to empty
therein without the slightest noise
each like very Phlegethom-a river
of hell!
the storm breaks! Twice, thrice,
tears streak of fawn-cOlored light
ming through the dark background of
clouds. Twice, thrice, rolls the thun-
der, with a long-continued 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. 1t is 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
sighs while the lisping, rustling sound
of the leaves has increased to a roar,
,t,.;l ho bot tho I,1
rolling of distant drum. Flowers
shake. Leaves fall. Torn-off branches
and steams are precipitated to the
ground, or are driven through the air
by the violence of the wind. The hur-
ricane snatches away the last charm of
virginity from the PROSTATE plant
forms. And why notp Have they not
bloomed and lovedp Does the Inga
curl together alone it's emptied siigmasP
Does the Banistery alone allow its
golden sepals to fall from its already
fortified calyx? Does the stock of the
Arum plant heavy with fruit, give
alone its withered husks as prize to
the tempestp
The animal world, too. feels the eff
feet Of the awful hour-an hour of
fright and terror to the stoutest and
widest of beasts. Dumb, terrified, the
feathered tribes futter on the ground.
Filled with fear, seek the myriads of
insects safely beneath the leaves or
fallen trunks of trees. Dissuaded from
combat and dealing of death, ravenous
beasts cease from following their prey.
The cold-blooded amphibians alone re-
joice in the descending floods, for at
intervals in the storm can be heard the
large chorus of frogs and toads croak
forth their hoarse but not unpleasant
music from the watery meadows.
In deep brooks and streams runs
the muddy waters through the narrow
forest paths to the river, or pour them
selves into fathomless abysses in the
ground. Lower and still lower sinks
the temperature of the air. The storm
is gradually growing less in violence.
The clouds are emptying their liquid
contents slowly-a time and the storm
will be over. The winds cease. In
rejuvenated splendor suddenly the sun
steps forth from behind the long
stretched layers of clouds, which grad
ually separate themselves more and
more from each other, disposing them
selves toward the north and south, I'M
til at last, as in the morning, there are
left only light and gauzy cloud forms
skirting the deep azure field at the
horizon. Again heaven smiles out of
its deep blue eyes upon the earth be-
meath, which soon forgets the terrible
ordeal through which it has so recently
passed. An hour later and not trace
of the storm exists. Dried by the warm
cJ- Io 4