226 



as large as filberts and hazel-nuts. 31. — This has been the most unpleasant March 

 for many years ; very cold and disagreeable; no spring wheat sowed and no 

 corn ground broken; the spring is very backward. Buds are commencing to 

 swell. Frost has disappeared entirely within the last ten days. 



Dubois, Illinois. — March 28. — Farmers are beginning to plough for oats. 

 31. — The month has been the mostclovidy one for many years ; a less amount of 

 snow fell the past winter than in any winter in southern Illinois which is re- 

 membered. Mean temperature of the 18th, 45°; 19th, 55° ; 20th, 65°. 



Golconda, Illinois. — Mean temperature of the 18th, 55°; 19th, 65° ; 20th, 

 37°. On the 19th (20th?) there was a heavy storm to the west. It did 

 not rain much here, but hailed two or three times between 4 and 10 p. m.; 

 the hail-stones during the first shower were nearly an inch in diameter. There 

 appeared to be three storms. A correspondent at Vienna, twenty-four miles 

 west of Golconda, writes to the Ohscrver that there were three storms in that 

 vicinity nearly simultaneous — one eight miles north of Vienna, one a little 

 south, and one eight miles south. He says: "About 5 o'clock p. m. my 

 attention was called towards a curious shaped cloud, Avhich at its first discovery 

 was apparently drifting with the wind in an easterly direction. The cloud was 

 a perfect inverted cone. As it progressed a spiral column formed at its point, 

 which reached the earth. At first a jet-black hue, it gradually grew lighter, 

 until it finally resembled steam immediately after it had passed a little to the 

 south of me ; eastward a violent storm of rain and wind set in and lasted a 

 short time." In the path of each of the three tornadoes everything was levelled 

 to the ground, houses were entirely destroyed, and trees snapped off like pipe- 

 stems. Thirty-persons Avere killed. 



Andalusia, Illinois. — March 20. — About 3 a. m. there was a very severe hail- 

 storm; the ground was completely covered with hail-stones; quite a number of 

 them AA'ere found by measurement to be an inch and a quarter in diameter. 

 The hail was succeeded by a light fall of rain, that froze as it fell. 



St. Louis, Missouri. — March 19. — Diffuse lightning in the west at 9 p. m.; 

 rain at 11 p. m , continuing only for a few minutes, accompanied by thunder 

 and lightning; the lightning continued till near morning. 20th, temperature at 

 7 a. m. Avas the highest during the month, except at 2 p. m. on several days. 

 At noon it was 83*^, and fell to 26° during the night or early next morning. 

 The lowest barometer of tlie month was at 2 p.m. on the 20th. Diffuse light- 

 ning from about 6 p. m. to 9 p. m. 



Allenton, Missouri. — March 19. — At 8.30 p. m. thunder and lightning at a 

 distance towards the southwest. 20th, at 4 p. m., distant lightning tOAA'ards the 

 west and southAvest ; temperature at 7 a. m. higher than at any other observa- 

 tion, except on several days at 2 p. m. At 2 p. m. the temperatin-e Avas 84°, at 

 7 o'clock next morning 26° — a fall of fifty-eight degrees. The lowest barometer 

 during the month was at 2 p. m. on the 20th. 



Union, Missouri. — March 19. — Thunder and diffuse lightning at 9 p. m. in 

 the west. 20th, thunder shoAA^er at 3 p. m., lasting thirty minutes ; thermome- 

 ter at 2 p. m. 84°, at 7 a. m. next day 30°. 21st, white elm trees in bloom; 

 blue-grass plats bright green : dock, flag, and some other herbs have grown 

 three inches. 31st, no perceptible groAvth of vegetation since the 21st. 



Athens, Missouri. — March 2. — Des Moines river broke up ; ice gorged ; 

 water unusually high and causing great destruction of property. 18th, rain, 

 accompanied by heavy thunder. 19th, misty rain, and hail as large as a quail's 

 egg. 



Harrisonvillc, Missouri. — March 18. — Distant and diffuse lightning in the 

 east at 9 p. m. and later. Rain or snow on only four days during the month — 

 the 12th, 13th, 16th, and 26th. 



FlyinoutJi, Wisconsin, — March 31. — The month has been unusually cold and 



