The morning call., 1894-08-19
A QUEER STORM, INDEED.
Clouds, Rain, Midnight Rainbow
Thunder, Lightning, Moonlight.


81 Witnessed thunderstorm once" said an
observant .traveling man, (which was accom-
panied by combination OF meteorological
phenomena that made IL most wonderful eX-
bioltion OF what the elements can DO when
they 6nd the conditions right. The time of
year, in the first place, was enough to have
made the thunde rstOTm notable without any
other unusual happenings. Il was early in
February, 1890. l was In HammondsporI,
y. Y, where there are many wine-eellars.
HammoDdspOrt Is on the west shore of Lake
heuka. This particular day had been cloudy
and unseasOnably warm and close.
The clouds grew denser in the evening" and
faint flashes OF lightning were frequent. About
10 O'Clock the clouds began 10 clear away, and
they disappeared so rapidly that in a few
minutes the stars were shining brightly all over
The sky, not a cloud being visible anywhere.
Between 10 and IL O'clock the western sky
began 10 grow black with heavy clouds that
rolled rapidly I'D from behind the hills. With
them came sharp flashes OF lightning. followed
quickly by terrific thunder-claps. A peculiarly
OF the lightning was the long duration OF its
flashes, the black clouds being illuminate
several seconds at a time.
while the inky clouds were forming In the
west and rolling up toward the zenith, with the
accompaniment OF glazing lightning and crash
Ing thunder, the moon appeared above the sum
mits OF the nigh bills in the east and baIhed
them and the smooth waters of Lake keuka
which stretch away from their feet in flood OF
mellow light The contrast between the fierce
and tumultuous aspect OF the western heavens
duQ luc CALM dUu D6dullIui appearance OF the
moonllt eastern portion male the unwonted
scene awesome in It's grandeur. AS the march
or the storm Vapors brought them near the
zenith furious gale of wind was hurled from
them eastward. This gale brought with it a
torrent of rain in advance of the approaching
clouds, aud swept out upon the lake will q
fury that dashed the mOonlit and quiet waters
into tumult OF angry waves. Thus bowling
tempest, win rain falling IN sheets, in the full
light OF the moon, became another rare and
startling phenomenon attending this night Of
strange meteorological conditions.
The moon shining brightly on the falling rain
had Its natural SeQuehce--the casting upon the
ebony front of the advancing storm clouds of a
| lunar rainbow of singular viYIdness and bril-
liaucy. The bow had grand sweep OF almost
the entire front OF the black background, and
It's frequent disappearance before the more in
tense light OF the electrical flashes, and its sud
, den temperance when the flashes ceased,
| seemingly more vivid than ever against the inky
| blackness, formed Kaleidoscope picture in
the heavens such as the elements seldom COM
bIDe 10 present.
1.-The black clouds rolled on, with fiercer
lightning and louder thunder. b fore they had
advanced far enough TO obscure the moon ana
the eastern sky their western extremity had
swept clear OF the sky IN that direction, and
there the stars shOne out brightly upon The re.
treating clouds. Then appeared the probably
unheard-Of sight of a bright starry sky in the
west; the sky overhead hidden by clouds Of
the blacklist hue ID fierce electrical commotion
and spanned by many colOred midnight rain
bow; 10 the east the moon shining brightly in a
clOudless sky. Illuminating a tempest-tOssed
lake and torrent OF winter rain from summer
clouds.
The sweeping tumult OF clouds soon took
possession of the glowing east, and for a long
time the terrific thunderstorm ragged, dying
away al last in distant rumbIngs behind the
hills, leaving the lake as calm and golden In
the light of the moon as it was before the
strange storm had come down upon IL in its
sudden wintry Wrath."-New York Sun.