Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-09
A WATERSPOUT.

Savannah News: Many people along
Bay street yesterday witnessed the novel
and unusual sight of a W~aterspout trav-
cling along the Carolina shore. within
plain view of the entire city front. Such
Phenomena are not altogether unknown
at Tybee, but his is the first time in
many years that one has been witnessed
in such close proximity to the city. Hun
dreds OF persons gazed upon the phe-
nomenon during the brief 10 minutes
which it lasted.
So far as could be judged by the naked
eye the waterspout developed in the rice
fields on the Carolina shore. about half
way betWeen Back river and the woods
further to the northward at a point near
" due north of the City exchange, the
time of it's development being about 11:2O
O'Clock. Many of those who witnessed the
phenomenon We're of the opinion, from
the amount of water thrown up, that
the Watersoout took it's course along
lack river. Weather Observer Boyer,
who had an exceptionally good view Of
the occurrence from the top floor of the
Board of Trade building, said that such
was MOI the case, the spout not reaching
Back river, the water which was very
much in evidence, being drawn up from
the bitches in the rice fields over which
the WaterspOut passed.
Those who happened to be gazing
northWard at the time saw a heavy black
liiilDuS ClOuu ldllSlIlS low UOWn over the
Carolina shore w the river and the
woods. From the center of the cloud a
large ~irregularly shaped funnel dipped
down toward the earth. AS the cloud
moved slowly from east to west this fun
mel was seen to be gyrating rapidly from
right to left. The cloud and it's nipple, as
some described it, hung some distance
above the earth, but it's influence was
very ~perceptible, the water in the rice
fields being whipped up to a height of Is
to 20 feet. To the observers along the
river front the water appeared to leap
upWard to meet the end of the funnel.
Had the Back river been reached a per-
feet waterspout might have been formed.
but the resistance of the earth prevented
the l~ow-hanging portion of the cloud
from assuming the perfect funnel shape,
common to Waterspouts at sea, and little
II any water was taken up by the cloud.
The phenomenon lasted abou 10 minutes,
the funnel or nipple being RAW back up
into the cloud.
Weather Observer Boyer explained the
phenomenon on HI ground that it had
been caused by a sudden shift of wind
from the northwest, while a current i'm
medlateIy above was moving from the
southeast. The principles of the water
spout is the same as that of a tornado.
Mr.. Boyer said, conflicting currents Of
air being the cause of each. Apparently
$500 cl Il "a
% to 100 feet above the earth. 1t was Of
irregular formation and did not make
mple funnel. Those who happened to
be gazing from the rear of the offices and
balconies on River street promptly called
the attention of others within, and in this
way several d people observed the
strange phenomenon. The workmen on
Hutchinson Island also had a good view
of the aerial visitor.
There was another heavy rainfall yes
terday, the amount being 80 inches for
the "a hours ending at 8 o'clock last night.
This makes nearly six inches of rain
during the last three days. The mean
temperature for the day was IS degrees,
being three degrees below normal.
A storm was apparently trying to de-
velop off the Georgia coast during the
morning, the disturbance having moved
up from the Florida coast. The storm
signal was hoisted and warning given tc
shipping. By last night, however, the
storm had apparently moved over to the
gulf coast. No definite information has
been received of the West Indian storm
the last indications reported being in the
n~eighborhood of Martinique.