The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-02-25
A VERY CURIOUS STORM.
Showing What the Elements Can DO VIII.
Conditions Favor Them.

Showing What the Elements Can do When
Conditions Favor Them.
~ witnessed "a thunderstorm once, 2"
said an obscrvaut travelling man, (which
was accompanied by combination of me-
genealogical phenomena that made 1t IL
most wonderful exhibition of what the el
ements can do when they find the condi-
tions right. The time of year. in the first
place, was enough to have made the thun
derstorm notable without any other unu-
sual happenings. 1t was early in Febru
nry, 1890. | was in Hammondsport, N
Y, where there are many wine collars
Hammondsport is on the west shore of
Lake keuka. This particular day had
been cloudy and unseasonably warm and
close.
THE clouds grew denser in the evening,
and faint flashes of lightning were FIRE
qrent. About 10 o'clock the clouds began
to clear away, and they disappeared SO
rapidly that in IA few minutes the stars
were shining brightly all over the sky, not
q cloud being visible anywhere Between
10 and II O'Clock the western sky began
to grow black with heavy clouds that roll
ed rapidly up from behind the hills. With
them came sharp flashes Of lightning fol
lowed quickly by terrific thunderclaps. A
popularity of the lightning was the long
duration of its flashes, the black clouds
being illumined several seconds at "a time.
"Whilo the inky clouds were forming IN
the west and rolling up toward the zenith,
with the accompaniment of glaring light
ming and crashing thunder, the moon ap-
pearcd above the SUBMITS of the high hills
in the east and bathed them and Tho
smooth waters of Lake Kcuka, whicl
cts, nt.,l = f,.s L..
mellow light. The contrast between the
fierce and tumultuous aspect of the west
ern heavens and the calm and beautiful
appearance of the nloonlit eastern portion
made the unwonted scene awcsomc in 1t.
grandeur. As the march of the storm
vapors brought them near the zenith Il
furious gale OF wind was hurled from them
eastward. This gale brought with it a
torrent of rain in advance of the approach
ing clouds and swept out upon the lax,
with fury that lashed the moonlit ant
quiet waters into tumult of angry waves
Thus bowling tempest, with rain fullin,
in sheets in the full light of the moon
became another rare and startling phe
Bomenon attending this night of strang,
meteorological conditions.
The moon shining brightly on the fall
ing rain had its natural sequence-tht
casting upon the ebony front of the ad
vancing stormclouds of lunar rainbow
Of singular vividness and brilliancy. Tn,
bow had grand sweep of almost the en-
tire front of the black background, and it,
frequent disappearance before the NOR,
intense light of the elsctriRal flashes, and
its sudden temperance @ien the fashe,
ceased, seemingly more vivid than even
against the inky blackness, formed ka
leidoscopic picture In the heavens such a.
the elements seldom combine to present.
The black clouds rolled on with fierceI
lightning and louder thunder Befor,
they had advanced far enough to obscur,
the moon and the eastern sky their west
ern extremity had swept clear of the SIX,
in that direction, and then the stars shon,
out brightly upon the retreating clouds
Then appeared the probably unhcard ol
sight Of n bright starrySky in the west;
the sky overhead hidden by clouds of til,
BLACKLIST hue, in fierce electrical commo
ton, and spanned by many colored mid
night rainbow; in the cast the moon shin
ing brightly in cloudless sky, illuminat
ing tempest tossed lake, and torrent OF
winter rain from summer clouds.
The sweeping tumult of clouds soon
took possession II the glowing east, and
for long time the terrific thunderstorm
ragged, dying away mt last in distant rum.
blinCs behind the hills, leaving the LAX,
ms calm and golden in the light of the
moon us it was before the strange storm
had come down upon 1t Ia its sudden win
try wrath New York sun