STARR IOWA THUNDER-STORMS. 91 



town, 5 : 30 p. M. ; Hopkinton, 6 : oo p. m. ; Dysart, 6 : oo p. m. ; Home- 

 stead, 6:20 P.M.; Amana, 6:25 p. M. ; Oskaloosa, 6 : 20 p. M. ; Albia, 

 6:40 p. m. ; Monticello, 7:30 p. m. ; Brush Creek, 7 : 30 p. m. ; Mt. 

 Vernon, 8 145 p. m. Time from Des Moines to Mt. Vernon, four and 

 one-half hours; distance, one hundred miles; rate of travel, twenty-two 

 miles per hour. Wind was highest at Cedar Rapids, force "5;" 

 Amana, Homestead, Oskaloosa, and Brush Creek report force at "4;" 

 at most localities it was "2." The heaviest rainfall was 0.55 inch, at 

 Hopkinton. A little hail fell at Amana and Homestead. At Amana 

 "one horse and two foals killed by lightning, about one mile southwest 

 of observer; they were found lying partly on barb-wire fence. Light- 

 ning also struck one house and two trees, in different localities around 

 here. It was the most terrific and appalling thunder-storm we have 

 had for years." Albia — "This afternoon at 4:22 the magnetic needle 

 vibrating from 8' east to 3' west; motion kept up for ten minutes." 

 Cedar Rapids — "Two buildings struck, not badly damaged." 



Nineteen reports for the 13th show storms, very local in character, 

 beginning mainly between 2 : 00 and 8 : 00 p. m. Very little rain, and 

 no hail. No damage by lightning reported. 



But one report on the 14th, and none on the 15th. 



July 1 6th. Twenty-two reports received. Fourteen of these report 

 rain, the rest are thunder and lightning at a distance. These storms 

 were mainly in the western and northwestern counties. They came on 

 in the early evening. Eleven of the fourteen rainfalls began between 

 4:00 and 10:00 p. M. At some points two storms occurred, but the 

 thunder kept up between; so at Concord. Cresco reports "distant 

 lightning all along the west, after 7 : 30 p. m., with distant thunder at 

 intervals; the hottest day of the year — 98" at 2 : 00 p. m., 84 at 9 :oo 

 p. m. Ordinary years, such a heat would be followed by a severe 

 storm." (This came before daybreak.) 



July 19th. Twenty-eight reports refer to this storm in southeastern 

 Iowa. Rainfall beginnings were from 2:00 p. m. to midnight, mostly 

 between 6:00 and 10:00, fifteen reports falling within those hours. 

 The rainfall times are: Moravia, 5:50 p. m. ; Cedar Rapids, 6:00 

 p. m. ; Oskaloosa, 6: 10 p. m. ; Albia, 6:45 p. m. ; Amana, 6:45 p. m. ; 

 Des Moines, 6 : 50 p. m. ; Homestead, 6 : 40 p. M. ; Mt. Vernon, 7 : 00 

 p. M. ; Hopkinton, 8 : 00 p. m. ; Dysart, 8 : 00 p. m. ; Brush Creek, 

 8 : 30 p. M. ; Monticello, 9:15 p. m. ; Mt. Pleasant, 9 :3o p. M. ; Cresco, 

 9:30 p. m. ; Monona, 10:00 p. m. ; McCregor, 1 1 : 00 p. M. ■ Garna- 

 villo, 11:00 p. m. ; Denmark, 10: 30 p. m. The heaviest falls are: 



