The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-09
SOME QUEER SHOWERS.
MUD SHOWER WHICH sMOTHERED
FLOCKS OF SHEEP.
Peculiar Rains of Insects and Vegc-
tabIes-BIack, Red, Green and Luz
minOus SHOWS and Other Strange
meteorological Phenomena.


tabIes-BIacIS, Red, Green and Luz
minOus SHOWS and Other Strange
meteorological Phenomena.
From the Cincinnati Inquirer.
The black snow, which recently fell over
a wide area in the west central portion of
the country, has been exciting the atten-
ton of the meteorologists of the weather
bureau ever since reported. These scien-
lists are able to account for such phe-
nomenon, having last winter studied a
similar storm falling over a more limited
area in Indiana and Kentucky. The wealth
er bureau also has extensive records, not
only of several of these rare falls of black
snow. but also of red. green and other
coored hail and rain, besides animals,
vegetables and other unusual objects
have fallen from above, both in this and
other countries.
After the black snowstorm Of last year
samples of the fakes were sent to the
weather bureau for explanation. From
here they were referred to Mr.. A. f.
Woods, of the division of vegetable path
ology, department of agriculture. Mr..
Woods says that he found the black color
ing matter to be mostly salt or fine color
ing matter mostly salt. or fine sediment,
such as is found in drained streams This
was probably from the bottom of some
shallow lake, pond or marsh which had
been dried up. Among other things. he
found in this black snow many small
plants, such as grow in Stagnant water,
cells of decayed grasses, bristles of plants,
hairs of animals, small fiber of paper, mi-
croscopic fresh water animals. pollen of
flowers. butterfly scales, particles of white
lead paint, Colored grass, ashes and sand.
The explanation of the black snowstorm
afterward given by the weather bureau
authorities, and which, they say will
doubtless apply to the recent phenomenon,
was that dust in some part of the country
whence the storm had Travelled had been
blown up by the wind into a snowcloud,
According to authentic records, in Feb
ruary, 1858, mide arSa in Ontario. Cana
da, was covered by similar fan of black
snow and hail, accompanied by thunder.
lightning and a strong gale. The territory
covered was about fifty miles long by ten
miles wide and IL was estimated that about
500 tons of black matter fell with the snow
and hail. This matter was examined and
found to be mainly vegetable substances
which had been decayed for some time.
IT was thought to have been carried by the
clouds either from Europe or some dis
tant southern part of the United States.
since the whole of Canada and the north
halt of this country were at the time en-
tireiy covered with deep snow. Due,
doubtless, to similar causes. A mud show
er is also reported to have occurred in
BuenoS Ayres as early as 1892 The whole
province had been suffering from a Sc
we're drought. So dry was the soil that the
wind raised great clouds of dust These
become so dense as to completely shut out
the sun at noon. Finally there came
rainstorm, and the drops of water falling
through these clouds Of dust became so
thoroughly mixed with dust as to form
large and thick drops of black mud.
Houses and other property were disfg-
ured. Flocks of sheep were smothered by
the suffocating storm, as they often are
in severe falls of snow.
Other interesting phenomena from sim
liar causes were the black rains reported
along the coast of Scotland during 1862
and 1858. The first Of these strange show
ers fell from a dense black cloud i'm
mense in size, and resembling the thick
smoke from a steamers funnel From
this fell large drops Of what appeared to
be black ink. 1t took a half hour for the
cloud to pass over one place on the coast,
and 1T was estimated that IL hung over
space twenty-five miles by ten. Immedi-
ately after the shower the coast was COW
cred with pieces of pumice stone, some
of which weighed as much as eight
ounces. Clothes drying on lines were
stained by each drop, and could only be
whitened by long boiling. The water col
lected in rain tubs gave off a peculiar
sulphurous odor, and was afterward
found to contain sulphur. During the
same year and the next three, other show
ers of Ink fell in Scotland. Their cause
was generally attributed to several volca-
noes, especially VesuVius, which was def
nitely known to have been in eruption at
the time. 1t was supposed that cloud
of lava and smoke from this had floated
over Europe, forming a rain-cloud upon
reaching the western coast.
Red snow has been known to fall on a
few occasions. Such an unusual storm
occurred some years ago in Switzerland,
covering a wide extent of territory. When
analysed the red snow was found to con-
tain large proportions of line silica,
aluminium, iron and magnesia. Under
the microscope it was discovered that it
also contained So different forms of ami
NAL and vegetable life.
Red snow is described by Aristotle 3C0
years before Christ. Recent examinations
proved that ii is due to minute insects,
which live in a motionless, dormant state.
On account of their lack of motion these
were for some time thought to be Vege-
tables They lay red eggs, which become
so plentiful as to discolor the snow in this
manner Voyagers in the northern seas
are familiar with the crimson cliffs of
the Arctic regions. These are coo feet
high, and covered with snow of a beauti-
full crimson color. The red extends to the
depth of about foot, beneath which the
natural white snow appears Specimens
Of this snow have been brought home
by several Arctic explorers. A microscope
taken to the crimson cliffs and applied
to the snow in its natural position re-
vealed the fact that its color was due
to insect life, as mentioned. Its snow is
sometimes seen by travellers in the Alps
and Pyrenees.
A rain of blood is reported to have fall
len near Lebanon, Tenn, on August 1891
from a red cloud, very unusual in APP
pearance. The blood fell over space
of only about sixty yards square, the
greater part of 1t in large tobacco field.
Negroes working in the field were caught
in the shower, and intelligent men, who
soon made an examination found the to-
bacco leaves to be spotted with red drops
like blood intermingled with pieces of
fat and flesh, one of the latter being one
and a half inches long. During the shower
the air had a siekening odor like that
arising from decayed meat. Prof Troost
a scientist of Nashville, visited the scene
and found that the red drops contained
animal matter. In his opinion a Whirl-
wind had probably carried into the clouds
some dead animal in a state of decom-
position This, he thought, was after
ward swept into thunder cloud in which
IL was Transformed into a fluid afafe