FOTTRTERNTir ANNUA 1. YICAIl BOOK— PART XI. 799 



the southwest, there was a timiultuous movement on the part of the 

 swiftly moving facto-stratus clouds that sugsestcd the wave motion of a 

 large body of water. Until 10:4.^) p. m. a remarkably even border was 

 maintained along the southern edge of the field of lower clouds, beyond 

 which oinly occasional fracto-cumulus clouds were seen to go. South of 

 this border, and especially in the vicinity of the moon, the light cirro- 

 stratus clouds had a greenish-yellow color, resembling that of cheese. 

 Shortly after 11:00 p. m., the sky becaime entirely overcast; but there 

 was at no time any formation that indicated the presence of a vortex, 

 though the pitching motion, already mentioned, was particularly marked 

 between 11:30 p. m. and midnight. At 11:25 p. m., the wind suddenly 

 increased in force, reaching an extreme velocity of 60 miles per hour 5 

 minutes later and maintaining an average velocity of 48 miles per hour 

 from 11:26 p. m. to 11:31 p. m., after which time the rate of movement 

 decreased. A second furious squall began at 12:05 a. m. of the 24th and 

 lasted until 12:30 a. m., with an extreme velocity of 42 miles per hour 

 at 12:07 a. m. When the wind was highest it appeared to come in a rapid 

 succession of gusts and to have an unusual upward force, causing in 

 houses of ordinary construction a vibration similar to that imparted to 

 a vessel by the motion of its screw. At the time of the highest velocity, 

 the wind was fairly steady from the southwest and was at all times 

 from some point in the quadrant from south to west. All wreckage, so 

 far as observations exteind, was carried to the eastward of its original 

 position. Light rain began at 11:10 p. m., and ended after midnight of 

 the 23d-24th. A heavy dash of rain occurred from 11:35 p. m. to 11:4^ 

 p. m. and was mixed with hail, ranging in size from about 0.2 inch to 0.4 

 inch in diaaneter, from 11:40 to 11:42. On account of the danger of 

 freezing temperature, the tipping bucket had been removed from the 

 self-registering rain gauge and the exact rate of rainfall could not be 

 determined. The total precipitation between 7 p. m. of the 23d and 7 

 a. m. of the 24th, however, was but 0.12 inch. The first thunder was 

 heard at 11:35 p. m. of the 23d and the last thunder occurred about 

 1:00 a. m. of the 24th. The lightning was most vivid about 11:45 p. m., 

 but not especially close. Aside from the roar of the wind and the hissing 

 of the rain and hail, no unusual noises were noticed. 



On the morning of the 24th it was found that all surfaces upon which 

 the rain had dried contained a light deposit of soil which, appeared to 

 be yellow clay and which was unlike the surface soil in this vicinity. 

 In the depressions of the metal roof of the Masonic Temple, a building 

 5 stories in height, the deposit of mud was so thick that it curled along 

 the edges of the tiny puddles as the w^ater evaporated. Numerous re- 

 ports of the same muddy rain water had been received from Rock Island 

 and Moline, 111. 



In the western portion of the city, three large iron smoke stacks at 

 the plant of the Corn Products Refining Company were blown down, 

 causing a loss of about $5,000. The Davenport Locomotive Works also 

 lost three smoke stacks and it will cost approximately $3,500' to repair 

 the damage at that factory. Two large smoke stacks were blown down 

 at the wheel and wagon works of Messrs. French & Hecht, a few blocks 



