The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-06
LOOKSOF THE CLOUDS
MADE MANY PEOPLE THINK STORM
WAS BREWING.
FEARS WERE UNFoUNDED.
NO INDICATION AT WEATHER BU-
REAU OF ANY DISTURBANCE.

Telephone BeI at Weather Office
Kept Ringing by Those who Did
Not Like the Look of the Clouds.
September Not storm Month Ac-
cording to the RecOrdS-Only Ten
Big storms Experienced in 1t in
81 Years.
AS soon as the clouds began to lower
yesterday morning good savannah
ians who think this is the period of
big storms, began to get alarmed and
the telephone bell in the Weather Bu-
reau office began to tinkle. notice that
the people wanted to know what was
to be feared. Not only by phone did
the questions come, but not a few went
TO the office in person and asked that
they be told the worst. Not a storm
signal had been displayed, and there
had been no intimation that anything
out of the ordinary was to be feared,
but the people were scared anyhow.
1t is estimated that when the office
closed for the afternoon no fewer than
fifty calls had been received. How
answer them can only be guessed at.
Some wanted to know how hard the
wind would blow; others whether there
was any danger to be afraid of. While
a third lot simply asked if there was
any indication of a storm in the clouds.
Others finally, asked questions that a
very Solomon could not have found
reply to-
No storms in Sight.
Needless to say, there was no storm
threatening. The clouds were dark,
but not unusually so, and they did not
contain any great amount of rain, and
the wind never became any more than
brisk. Less than 1-100th of an inch of
rain had fallen up to the closing hour,
o'clock.
AS a matter of fact September is
lot a storm month in this part of the
country. A wind less than a 5o-mile
velocity is not considered real storm
and it is stated at the weather bureau
that there have been but ten storms of
so miles or over since it's establish
ment in Savannah. almost thirty-two
years. These are scattered over the
various months as follows: One in
September, on the 10Th. in 1896, eight
days after the equinox. when a maxi
mum velocity of rs miles was record
ed. Or the End of the month in 1898,
60 miles from the northeast was
recorded, 50 miles on Oct. s, 1880, and
50 miles on the 18th in 1888. both from
the northeast.
storms in August.
The most storms occurred in August
the dates. direction of wind and max
imum velocity being:
Am
hour
Aug. 81. 1898. northwest, rs miles per
hour.
Aug. q. 1898, northeast, 70 miles per
hour.
Aug. IS, 1871. north. 70 miles per
hour.
Aug. 25. 1885. northwest, Sc miles per
hour.
Only one storm occurred in any
March, and that was on the first day
OF the month. in 1872, the maximum
being 60 miles.
No Such Things as EquinootiaIs.
The weather observers in Savannah
draw the conclusion that the frequent
storms of this period of the year exist
more in the popular imagination than
in reality. The records show that
there are few storms in the
vicinity of Savannah, and only
tnree OF these have occurred in
the present month. They also say
that the equinoctial gales are fallacies,
that there are no such things. And
they add that there is no occasion
for fear of any heavy blow coming on
the people unawares, the fact being
that the bureau has given from II to
20 hours notice of all the hurricanes of
recent years, ample for all to be pre-
pared.
AS regards yesterday, the day was
not much away from the established
averages. The maximum temperature
was so degrees, reached at II a. m, and
the minimum "A degrees at a. M.
only few degrees cooler than the
normal. The indications are that the
weather will be a little cooler for a
couple of days, and probably fair to-
day. The low temperatures are dis
appearing in the Northwest, but this
effect will not be felt locally for a
few days.