The San Francisco call., 1899-01-02
HEAVY DOWNPOUR
IN SAN FRANCISCO
Indications Are That the Precipita-
ton Will Continue To-

lay.
The New Years gift to California was
a bounteous rain storm that came down
from the clouds just in time, like an
answer to prayer. Nor was there only
the liberal shower alone for clustering
wind was prevalent. It whirled itself
around corners coming from other cor
ners, and few down the street between
the high houses, setting everything mov-
able wildly aswing; reversing umbrellas
and driving the rain into their owners
faces; hurting hats aloft among the
meshes of overhead wire or under the
cable cars to be ground to fragments;
catching the belated or be-earlied fish
horn musician yet in the throes Of his
new year salutation and wetting him
down handsomely. 1t was the literal ap-
pearance of the proberbial Lion of
March" rampant, just two months out Of
its place on the calendar.
The going of 1898 in starlight and the
coming of 1899 in rainstorm, causing the
opening day of the year to be period of
climatic disturbance, might be attributed
to the descent of Professor Harmon, the
weather sharp, from his eyrie on the
crest of Tamalpais. The absence of the
forecaster from his post might have given
the weather an opportunity to get up a
little festive new year blow OUT on its
own account. However, that is metero-
logical secret. But as if in answer to
prayer, the storm came most opportunely.
The long continued dryness and slight
showers that have alternated over the
State through November and December
have brought visions of farm failure in
the country and commercial depression in
the town. The fields were growing dryer
and business was growing duller when
January opened with it's rain. The
weather reports up to late last night show
that the storm Is general in the upper
and middle portions of the State and is
moving southwark and eastward in strong
showers. Sacramento has received in this
or Santa
Rosa has been blessed with a copiOuS
downpour, and at Red Bluff the fall has
been over two inches for the last twenty
four hours.
In this city yesterday ty-hundredths
of an inch was recorded. Late last night
the barometer was. falling everywhere,
in the words of the forecaster, indicating
a continuance Of the storm.
The following is the forecast last night:
The storm is still central off the coast OF
Washington. The pressure has fallen rapidly
the entire Pacific Slope during the last
twenty-four hours the lowest reading being
29.2S inches, at Astoria.
Rain has fallen in the western portions of
Oregon and Washington and the northern por-
tion Of California Snow is now falling in the
eastern portions of Washington and Oregon and
The rain will extend into Southern California
The rainfall at Red Bluff during the past
twenty-four hours amounts to inches.
Conditions are favorable for continued rain
in California, though there may be tenn
Forecast made at San Francisco for thirty
hours, ending midnight. January 2, 1899:
Northern California-Rain Monday; brisk to
high southerly wind.
Southern California-Cloudy. with rain, Mon
day; fresh southerly wind.
Nevada-SnoW Monday.
Utah-Snow Monday.
Automatically. with snow in the mountains
Monday
San Francisco and vicin'tv-Rain Monday;
c. H WILSON.
Local Forecast Official.
The heaviest shower of the season in
San Francisco fell for about twenty min
utes yesterday afternoon. The rain began
with a strong wind blowing about forty
miles per hour. The gale drove fiercely
through the streets, bending the towering
backward and forward in an apparent en-
deaYor to scatter the picturesque struct-
ures over the sidewalks. But the wind
was soon beaten down by the shower and
cutters were quickly afloat, and of course
the man-holeS were sealed up with street
trash and the flood spread over the pave
ment. At the corner of Eddy and Market
merged and each car was delayed while
the conductor and gripman fished in the
muddy water with iron pokers for the
hidden switch.
At a number of crossings south of Mar
ket street pedestrians were obliged to go
around the block on account of the deep
water. The gates of Central Park were
closed on account of the rain and the
adjourned. The proposed Havana evacu-
alton celebration at Union Square did not
take place. When o 'clock-the hour cor
responding with noon in Cuba-arrived the
rain was piling down on the speakers
stand and the grounds were without a
visitor, consequently no outdoor meeting
could be held and the hour passed by
without the observance and celebration.