The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-05
HAIL in THE PYRENEEs.

London Times: "Hailstones the size
Of robins eggs must hide their di-
minished heads when they learn of
the dimensions their brethren reach in
the valleys of the Spanish Pyrenees.
Here is the well-attested account of
a most extraordinary storm, wit
messed by a correspondent in the VAL
ley of Arazas, at the foot of the
Cisque de Gayarnie.
AS the storm approached we stood
outside under a great blue peasants
umbrella. Presently marble sized hail
fell and lightning blazed, driving my
wife from the dangerous shelter Of the
umbrella. We then decided to watch
from the door of the tent, which open
ed upon the river.
Suddenly the whole land was bonn
barded by great hailstones as large
as lawn tennis balls. They fell with
a deafening oar on the canvas Of the
tent, leaped about round the floor and
bounced in at the entrance. We were,
too, in the very heart of the thunder
storm, for lightning and crashing
thunder came at one and the same in
slant.
Outside, past the open tent door, the
river roared in a terrific brown tor
rent, spIashed far over it's banks and
torn by the volleying hailstones. We
covered in the tent under the big
umbrella and wrapped round with the
thickest clothes we could lay hands
upon, sat and listened in mute a
ment. The India-rubber bath in front
of us, with its sides beaten down in
places, was half full of things like
white cricket balls.
A stream of water began to run
through the center Of the tent, show
ing that the surrounding trench had
overfiowed. 1t seemed all the time past
reason to hope that our tent could
Withstand the onslaught a moment
longer. AS a last resource, we blew up
the ~aircushions to put them or our
heads when the canvas should be
shattered. 1t was said afterward by
others that this part of the storm con-
tinued for a quarter of an hour, but
we ourselves had no idea of It's dura-
ton. However, at last the great stones
ceased and then came dense smaller
hail as at first, followed by torrents
OF rain.
That afternoon we o a walk and
noted the strange effects Of the storm.
Everywhere under the trees the
smaller branches had fallen as IL they
had been clipped by hedgers. Many
under the beech trees were from three
to four feet in length. Then open
grassland was pitted with holes, some
OF them a couple Of inches in depth
and Of about the same diameter.
AS for the hail itself, it was put In
the scales at once in the two cases,
Ordesa and Olivian. In one, six stones
went to the kilogram; in the other.
FIVE. From this it may be safely said
that the weight was not less than that
Of a cricket ball, or five and two
thirds ounces.
Ia Tormenta," as the storm was
called, visited many Pyrenees valleys
and wrought much destruction. Sew
enty sheep, owned in Toria, were killed
on the nights Immediately above us.
Many more died afterward, and it was
said that the sight of their battered
r and of the broken -limbed SUR
vivors was piteous to behold. Above
the village of Ell Plain, thirty-five
cows and some mules were killed and
were washed down in the river Gin
ca; and here, too, was the only case
I heard Of human loss of life, the body
OF a child who had been wandering
about in the mountains being brought
down by the same stream.