The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1908-05-07
STORIES FROM RECORDS
Some Pages Of Weather Bureau Rec
ord that are Out Of the Usual

COfu DTtHkInk HVutns Law
amount Of rainfall ever measured here
| In any month was 70 50 inches which oc'
CURED in May of 1881, about two inches
more thar the yearly precipitation OF
1875 and 1898, over an inch greater than
the annual of 1890 and about quarter Of
an inch more than the total for 1874.
The freeze of NAV 9th ia doubtless still
fresh In the minds of all Ford county
farmers This was the latest date upon
which a killing frost ever occurred mere
In the spring and Its fleets viii long De
remembered, one OF the finest Wheal
crops ever grown In the county being
in iured. There has also been some re-
markable thunder storms during TINS
mon III, sometimes accompanied by severe
hail, high winds and heavy rainfall. In
some respectsthe most noted thunder
storm that appears in the records was
that of May IA, 1881 Of which the
Observer writes: "Fair until 400 p. IN.
when heavy black clouds began forming
in the north. AT 5 100 p. m. rain began
falling very heavily accompanied by
blindiDg flashes OF lightning and terrihc
peals of thunder, thirty eight vivid
flashes OF lip htDng and heavy peals Of
thunder occurred In the space Of one
hour, shaking the houses from foundation
10 roof. By 500 p. M, ESQ inches OF
rain " it'll some small hail had fallen,
After 600 p. m. The rain fell in ligh'
showers, ending at G:35 p. M, but the
weather continued threatening until after
midnight. The Arkansas river ran
over It's bsnks,for the first time In the
me mory of the Oldest resident. A number
OF telegraph poles were demolished"
Another violent thunder storm which
was accompanied by unusually heavy
rainfall was that Of June 10Th, 1888 Of
which we find the following description
"Cloudy weather In the fore part Of thu
day. A violent thunder storm formed
west of the station during the day moving
east. At ~ a. m. the appearance OF th'
western sky indicated that thunde
storm was 10 progress slowly moving
toward the east. At 800 p. m. the Ok.
began to look very threatening, lightning
being frs, observed and thunder heard a
8 80 p. M. At4p. N. the wind suddenl.
veered from southeast to north and tn
temperature falling from 81 to b In
half an hour. The approaching storm
was awful and terrifying to behold. Th
sky was dense mass Of stratus ant
cumulo. stratus clouds, except for abou
1870 degrees azimuth and Is degree
altitude, which was nothing but a soli'
sheet of water, so dense as to give 1t
green appearance, sometimes seen In
solid block OF ice. The rain began q
l4:l6 D. M. and IN the incredibly shor
time of 45 minutes 1924 inches had fallen
The rain tell in sheets and 1t was i'm
possible at times TO see building acros
the street. 1t was not many minutes be
fore the streets were rivers OF rushing
seething water, tearing up sidewalk
and bridges. filling the cellars TO over
flowing. The sewers were unable I
carry off the vast amount Of water an
they discharged their contents In tn
cellars and bastm ents in the lower pal
l. of the town. On Third avenue tn
water was from 3 to 5 feet deep. Sewers
persons narrowly escaped drowning b
stepping into holes washed on! by th
strong current. The damage done b
the rain is very great. In some OF tn
stores, the water having flied the CELLAR
the water was running foot deep. Th
. maximum velocity Of the wind durin
this storm was forty-eight miles per houl
About two miles northwest Of the tow
barn was blown down and some wind
mills turned over. The storm 10 reporte
as having been equally severe both ca
and west and must have covered
large extent of territory"
On September 20, 1883 we had an III
usual fall Of hail accompanying thnnd
storm Of which the following mention
made: "Clear weather during the d.
| About sunset clouds began gathering
the west and on occasional dash
lightning was seen. AtS.0S p. m. d
wind suddenly backed from northea
to northwest and for u minutes blew
! 1.-THE rate OF 40 miles per hour. LAR
hail began ct 8:l6 p. m. and ended
: $40 p. N. when II changed to rain Will
Tended at e.l0 p. m. This was one Of q
heaviest hail storms ever witnessed
> the Obsesver and very uncommon In d
lpart Of the country as this season Of I
Iyear. After the storm the hall lay over
foot In depth 10 many OF the strests. I
hail was very uniform In size, nearly
the stones being aboat as large IS chez
mats and composed Of almost pure Il
the spongy layers Of snow common
hail stones being absent. Great dana
was done in different parts OF the to,