A GREAT STORM IN UTAH 



harmonious storm-measures. The oldest Saints 

 say they have never witnessed a more violent 

 storm of this kind since the first settlement of 

 Zion, and while the gale from the northwest, 

 with which the storm began, was rocking their 

 adobe walls, uprooting trees and darkening the 

 streets with billows of dust and sand, some of 

 them seemed inclined to guess that the terrible 

 phenomenon was one of the signs of the times 

 of which their preachers are so constantly re- 

 minding them, the beginning of the outpouring 

 of the treasured wrath of the Lord upon the 

 Gentiles for the killing of Joseph Smith. To 

 me it seemed a cordial outpouring of Nature's 

 love; but it is easy to differ with salt Latter- 

 Days in everything storms, wives, politics, 

 and religion. 



About an hour before the storm reached the 

 city I was so fortunate as to be out with a 

 friend on the banks of the Jordan enjoying the 

 scenery. Clouds, with peculiarly restless and 

 self-conscious gestures, were marshaling them- 

 selves along the mountain-tops, and sending 

 out long, overlapping wings across the valley; 

 and even where no cloud was visible, an ob- 

 scuring film absorbed the sunlight, giving rise 

 to a cold, bluish darkness. Nevertheless, dis- 

 tant objects along the boundaries of the land- 

 scape were revealed with wonderful distinct- 



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