The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-21
THE RAIN FELL.
A Natural Reservoir of
PiIing Waters
BURSTS FROM THE HEIGHTS.
Thousands of Sandy Tons Fall
From Park Hill.
A POTRERO HOUSE IN DANGER.
Train DitcIIed, Cable Lines Under
mined and Other Disasters.
Storms of the Past.
A POTRERO HOUSE IN DANGER.

When Ceres instructed Triptolemus in
all the secrets of agriculture she sent him
forth from the plains of Attica to impart
his knowledge TO the world. Whether the
wanderer followed the western STAR in
its onward progress is not recorded, but 1t
may perhaps be taken for granted. in
the Golden State the beneficial efforts OF
the goddess to-day, as in classic times, are
yearly apparent. The Pluvian Jupiter,
however. while ever seconding the efforts
of Vesta's daughter, not unfrequently
now, as then, in spirit of impish irascl-
bility, has mingled her blessings of abun-
dant haryests with drawbacks of a varied
kind. Grlm-visaged Boreas also lends his
aid for mischief and Indignantly rejoices
in disaster.
And 50 while in San Francisco gentle
dOwnDour of rain may be viewed with
calm eQuanimity, knowing that it means
bOunteUus harvest of golden grain, Of
wine, OF fruit and of flowers, yet when
their Pluvian and B0Tean majestles get in
the tantTums and knock things around
patience ceases to be virtue.
From all quarters of the city the story
of disaster is told. The storm has been
quite impartial, and has knocked things
about with grIevous Ilberality that has
been fully noted if not appreciated. Some
consolation may be CLEANED, however, from
the fact that the present storm does not
approach In severity others that have
visited the city. The prophet VINO sits
peTched In his eyre on the top of Mills
building pTognOstlcates a continuance to-
day and Tomorrow of the rainfall The
following tabulated statement of the
heaviest transforms that have deuged
this city will, lii that case, be an interest
ing freside accompaniment. The rainfall
f.,-
secutiVe hours:
Inches
1ss1-January 9...............................
1S74-Noveuber %. ,....,... z OK
4Sol-r ebruary ...-..................... 90
1S91-FebI uary So
1S79-March D.. observation-disclosures. 81
1S7l-December 10 .....,...... g ~
1SS9-hlarch OS
1S7J-December Observation-Disclosures. 2 ~
1SS5-December 2l...................,,.. 10
1S85-Novemoer "a. Observation-Disclosures. SO
The storm of December is aud 10, 1871.
began on the 18th and continued until Jan
uary l when the year uShered IN fine
weather During the entire period IA 26
inches fell. On Decem Der % OF the same
year. and during the same storm, 24S
inches fell in twenty-fOur hours, and that
is exactly the amount that fell in this city
during the present storm, which COM
menced on Friday afternoon. From .
O'Clock In the afternoon OF that day until
2:30 yesterday afternoon 2 48 inches of
rain fell This, Ii may briefly be ex-
planned, means that if San Francisco was
on perfectly level plain. there would be
a uniform depth OF 2.4S inches covering
the entire area.
ssTo the lay mind unacquainted with the
intricacleS Of weather DEMONSTRATIONS the
present storm would seem to be part of
the one that has ragged with more or less
severity since Sunday last. 1t is not So
however, for the little old man sitting up
zloft has been keeping tab and says the
present storm began Friday afternoon
1t reached its height about midnight, and
as the rain descended in a torrent the wind
developed into stiff gale, but moderated
considerably shortly after daybrsak.
Along the water front and among the
shipping the damage was trifling and in
significant. From other quarters of the
city, however, different tale is told.
Gigantic laDdslides, chasms large enough
TO swallow I'D half dozen wagons. wash
outs and flooded sewers are some of the re-
suits. The Park and Ocean Railroad takes