The Portland daily press., 1900-03-02
Electric Lights Were Out and
Trolley Cars Bothered.
Ii Was Found Necessary to Suspend Work
ON Californian for Day.

were lined with people WIN were waiting
In the various doo-ways for o oar. When
the car would heavs In sight the people
would wads through the slush and rivu-
let's which would he sure to cover their
feet. Then after getting thoroughly
soaked the car would ut last be reached.
Unb rellas were supeffiuous In this storm
for the wind was blowing SO nard that
thess articles were wholly useless to with
stand the forcs Of elements.
During the day and MP to within few
minutes after six O'clock the wind was
from the direction OF the northeast. It
6hen shifted around to the southeast and
from that time on continued to blow
from that direction.
The STERN which had struck the city
and vicinity with such empha tic forcs
first appeared Wednesday morning over
the gulf states and by yesterday morning
had moved up to the Districs Of Colum-
bia, the barometer at its lowest poin be-
ing 90 g. During all Of the day 10 was
either showing or raining on all sides of
this section, according to the tempera-
turs. The wind was at Its highss. point In
the morning ut Norfolk, Va. where IL
was blowing from the southeast at the
rate Of forty miles an hour. Norfolk,
however, was not to Guido Portland and
at seven o'clock last evening observations
were taksn ut the weather bureau and
they showed that the wind here was blow
ing &c ths same high rate. The hsrcme-
49, attn fatliu., nd fh. nj nd Tn
creesing 60 that Portland's record with
out doabt will have bean found to have
beaten that Of the hishest, 40 Norfolk.
the barometer at this hour had fallen
down to the low point Of 29.4. Before six
O'Clock thsrs had been but little wind.
The Stow b,ssn falling in Portland on
wednesday evening and continued up to
yesterday noon, when 10 changed into a
sleet. Slset continued it's effects for the
next two hours and ttsn aame the rain.
The rate OF precipitation in Portland
turing this storm was very great. In
fact the records show that 10 was some
thing remarkable. The amount Of pre-
cipitstion OF the snow and slest up to the
time that the rain had commenced was
60 Of an inch, and the amount OF rain
that had fallen from the time that 1t be-
gan until q lew MINUTES past ssvsn
O'Clock was lie inches. by far the heaviest
during any corresponding period this
winter. The precipitation Of rain by the
way in Portland this winter Is O great
record breaker, for it exceeds By nearly
three times the average amount since the
time that the weather bureau was estsb-
lished and observations first taken In this
city. The weather bureau Was ssts blished
in this city in the year 1871, and since
that time observations have bsea taken
every day.
Assistant Roche was Of the opinion
while the storm was raging during the
afternoon Of yesterday that 10 WIS about
the toughest that had bean expsrienced
In this city for a long tina. By examin-
ing the records his opinions were con-
frmsd beyond douba. Ths average pre-
cipitation Of rain for the months Of Feb
ruary during the last twenty nine years
in Portland Ia 500 inches. This year the
precipitation reached ths phenomsnal
figure of 0 25 inches, which exceeds By Q
great deal the amou nj that has fallen In
any month of February since observations
have bssn taken In Portland. This great
amount that fell last month, 10 will be
seen, was almost three times as great as