MARCH, 1883. THE MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 17 or a house, would remein untouched, while to the ea.st or west ererything would be swept clean. In some pl,zces an upward and downward curve could be detected in its course ; here a mass of trees mere leveled to the ground, and there a cluater with only their tops broken off. Reports from Bulloch county show t’he torundo to have passed over a portion of that county, sweeping nearly everything in its path. At Smdersville, Ga., on the 97th, n tornado passed over the county about 11 a. m., causing mnch destrnc- tion. A number of persons were seriously iiijured by the blowing dowu of houses. A school house, at Whidden settle- ment, was blowu down, t,he teacher and severd children were injured. With the esception of the destruction of some fencing and sIia,de tre.es, Sandersville escaped. At 1:ayiies- boro, Ga., Nth, a destruct,ive wind swept over the county, four or five miles northeast of t,his place. Within the pat,h of this storm a house was blown to pieces, killing one child. No other personal injury is reported, although houses are snid to have been destroyed on every p1 antation within its course. All the public roads are seriouly obstructed by fiillea t’rees. Ymn, Ga., 97th, a tornado did considerable damage to pro- perty near here, and along the railroad as far as Bandersville, dwellings, lmrns, gin-houses, cabins, and trees were destroyed. No fittal accidents are reported. The tornado wa,s very violent and its track was about a thousand p r d s wide ; it moved from west to oest. VERIFICATIONS. INDICATIONS. The detailed comparison of the tri-daily ifilicatiolis for March, 1585, with the telegraphic reports for the succeeding twenty-four hours, shows the general avemge percentn.ge of verifications to be 86.66 per cent. The percentages for the four elements are : Weather, Sl.91; Direction of the Wind, 53.33; Temperature, 90.46 ; B:wometer, 90.56 per cent. By geogri- phicd districts they a,re : For New Engla,nd, 86.56 ; Middle Atlantic states, 89.89 ; South Atla.ntic stittes, SG.36; East Gulf states, 53.77; West Gulf stateR, 51.93; Lower Lake region, 59.08; Uyper Lake region, 85.59; Tennessee and t h e Ohio valley, 91.36; Upper Mississippi valley, 86.43; Lower Mia- souri valley, 80.45: Northern Pacific coast region, 51.94; Middle Pacific coast region, 93.18 j Southern Pacific coast re- gion, 93.14. There were 85 omissions to predict (31 being due to t,he absence of reports from the Pacific coast) out of 5,813, or 2.30 per cent. Of the 3,725 predictions that have been iiia,de, 143, or 3.84 per cent., itre considered to have entirely failed; 148, or 3.98 per cent., were one-fourth verified; 393, or 1O.GO per cent., were one-half verified ; 207, or 5.56 per cent., were three- fourths verified; 2,832, or 76.02 per cent., were hlly justified, 80 far as can be ascertained by the tri-daily reports. CAUTIONARY STGNALB. One hundred a,nd seventy-four Cautionary fiignals were displayed during tlie month of March, of which 163, or 93. per cent.: were justified by winds of twenty-five miles per hour, at, or within, 100 miles of the station. Sisty-four Off-shore ” signals were displarecl, .of which 55, or 5G per cent., were filly jostified ; 58, or 90 per cent,., were justified as to direction; and 61, or 95 per cent., were justified as to ve- locity. Two hundred and thirty-eight signds of a,ll kinds were displayed, of which 317, or 93 per cent,., were justified. Twei!ty-five Cautionary signals were changed to (6 Or-shore ” signals. The above does not include signa.ls ordered at siuty- nine display stations, where the volocity is estiniated only. Twenty-nine signels were reported late. NAVIGATION. STAGE OF WATER IN RIVERS. In the table on tne right-hand of chart iii., are gireri the high- est and lowest stages of water, as observed at Signal Service statiom, during tho month of March. . At stations on the Mis- sissippi i t will be seen that the water reinaius above tho danger- line at C i i h and Vi,cksburg, and is only four inches below the clanger-line at Memphis. The readings of the highest water during the month at stations on the lower Mississippi, were as follows: Cairo, fifty-one ft., on the lst, or eleven feet above the dan- ger-line. Memphis, thirty-sis ft., on t h e Gth, 7th, 9th. Vicks- burg, forty-eight tt., nine ills.,. on SOth, or eight ft., nine ins., above the danger-line. The highest at New Orleans. occurred on the STth, when i t mas but five inches below the high-water nia.rk of 1874. The Red river was highest at Slireveport on the I.Otli, l i t l ~, E t h , when it was t,hirty-one feet one inch, or one foot above the da,iiger-line; it was lowest on the Slnt. The Ohio river rose duriug the lattmer part of tlie month, but did not reach t.he danger-line ; i t was highest at Cinc.inua,ti 011 the 25Gh, at, Louisville on the 56tl1, an Pittsburgh, on the 3Sd. Tho Cum- berlend was highest at Nashville on t h a l t h and 13th, when it was three feet nine inches above the danger-line. The iipper MinsisHippi rose slowly during the iuont,h, between La Crosse and St. Louie, and \vas highest at Keokulc and Davenport on the 31st. ICE IN RIVERS AND HARBORS. Hudmw Riiier: Albany, lst, ice broke np iu river; 3t1, river free of ice. First steamer of seasou left this city for New Bal- timore, to-flay; Bth, river free of ice from Troy to New York; iiavigstioii practica,lly open f i r this season ; loth, tirst arrival by river froni New York. New York City, 9th, navigation opened ; first stearner from Troy arrived to-day. - Jfoltmtck River: ‘Albany, lst, ice broke up in river and 1,assed this city this evening. Cmnecticwt Riuer: 8pringfield, Mass., 31, floating ice in river. 31, river clear of ice. Getiesce Riacr : Rochester, 3St11, first boat of season arrived to-day. Detroit Ritlcr: Detroit, 9d, ice along shore in river; 13th, stcanier “City of Detroit,” left for Cleveland; first de.parture of season. Lake Erie: Enffalo, SGth, the propeller ‘‘ New York,” arrived froin Cleveltmd ; the ea.rliest arrira,l for ma.ny Fea.rs. At. Laioreirce Riiier: Cape Vincent, N. Y., 3d, ice breaking up iNld going out of’ river and lake at this place. Lake S’uprior: Marquette, 3d, ice moved out of harbor; 4th, ice movixl back into harbor. Dulath, Minu., lst, d l ica went out into the lake during the night; 4th, ice driven back clnring the evening; 5th, lake filled with’ice; loth? ice moved out about one-fourth mile; 15th, ice moved out about one-half mile ; navigation resumed ; tugs with freight and pmsengers left for northern ports ; 30tli, ice driven back again, da.ma.ging the old breakwater. Lake i l f k h i g m : Milwaukee, SW, navigation practically open. Northport, 31st, no ice to be seen in lake; navigation fairly open. &Iadto.tooc R.izier: Manitowoc, \Vis., Pth, ice broke in river; 7th, river frozen; 15th, river open. Lake Hwoa: Alpena, ad, ice broken in bay and river; navi- gation open. Port Huron, 334 steamer Flore,” left city this a. m. for northern ports; the earliest departure for years. Yeltoorcstone R.,iver : Fort Buford, Dak., 20th, ice broke in river at 10 1). m. Fort Keogh, Mont., 2Sth, river open. Terry’s Landing, 3r?th, river open; 36th, ice gorged in ,shallow places. Poky, Monta,na, 28th, ice broke in river during night. Iron Butte, 59th, ice broke in Upper Yellowstoue to day, sweeping oiit about 100 feet of Northeru Pacific Dyke. Miswiesippi River: Burlington, 4th, navigation opened j 6rst boat of senson passed city at 5.45 p. In.; llth, first passenger st,eanier from St. Louis touched this city on her upward trip to La Crosse. Keoknk, Gth, navigation open ; first ritft ofseason pnssecl to-day ; 18th, first northw,ard houiid steamer passed to- dity. La Crosse, 3d, river opened; 4th, navigation resumed; steamer ‘vrivcd from Fountsin City; ferry boats making regu- 0 18 THE MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. BfARCH, 188% 1ar trips. St. Paul, 9th, ice broken in places ;. 23d, ice break ing up in river and moving clown stream ; 34th, ice gorge ii river; 2Gth, ice gorge at 6.30 p. m.; 27th, 2Dth, river full o 0oating ice. M,iasouri River: Ymkton, 4th, ice broke in river; 8th, rirei frozen; 17th, ice broke in river. Leavenworth, 9t.h to 12th slush ice in river; 13th, river clear of ice ; 3Gth, steamer "Rei Cloud " from St. Louis to Fort Benton pessed to-day. l ' o y t i e Riaer: Fort Eeogli, Mout., 25th, ice broke in river Powder River: Foles, Nontaua, %th, ice broke in river ai -I eight ii. m. Cobossee River: Gardiner, Me., 3Sth, a. m., ice Rtnrtecl from mouth of river above the bridge. 39th, river clear of ice tc - ms-e 14 miles below the bridge. FLOODS. The excessive rainkll in the centml Mississippi and Ohic valleys ond in Tennessee, during the month, has cnnserl a con tinuatiou of the damaging floods, cspeuidly in the Mississippi valley south of Cairo. At this station the wa,t.er wiw fifty-one feet on the gauge on March 1st. This is eleven feet above the danger line. The oBxerver et! that station reports that the Mississippi and Ohio remained above the level iu places iintd March 3cl. After that they began to recede from the top ol the city's emhinkments. An overflow w ~s prerent.ecl only by the constriiction 01' a bulk-head on the top of the levee, and extending i t aroun!l the city. This bulk-hea.d was construatetl by driving short stake3 int.0 the earth at intervals of six feet, snd nailing plmks to the uprights. Ageinst this an enibonlr- ment of earth mas thrown on the side from tlie river. The sipe- water referred to in February report cont,inued to rise until the fJSrl, when i t reached its masimum, t.he highest ever known, almost the wdiole city beiug under mater. Ou the 37t.h of March, the water had fi1llen to forty-one feet am1 one inch on the gauge, mil wa.8 low enough to pernii t of t'lie opening of the sewers. The damage doue in the iuundatctrl region is niiicli greater than was at first estimated. All railroads leiidirig from t h e city were under water ;. paaseugers leaving the city were compelled to take passage tu boats in order to reach the trains. About four thonssud siifferers in Alexandria and Pn- laski counties have rgceivetl riidiolis issued by t h e go\-ernment. The observer at Memphis reports, on the fith, tlie river is tliir- ty-six feet above low witter of 1873, which is the higli~st on record; 7th and 9th, river thirty-six feet; loth, river fillling 6I0\dy. Reports indicate that the present flood in the lower Mississippi is more 'extensive and destructive than the floorla of 1863, '(57 and '74. Tlie river mnges from ten to t.meuty miles in width froin Cairo tioutliward to New 0rlea.ns; bot the region of greatest darnage lies betwoen Vickshiirg antl Meiii- phis. The observer at Vicksburg reports : 13th, river rising ; levee on Louisii~ns side of river opposite station :~ntl prcdecting Deb, La., is in imminent tlanger of being broken; 13t11, river risiug ; much distress reported from Yezoo and Sunflower val- ley8 above station ; entire country overflowed ; 14th, river very high ; lower Levee street under water; refugees from overflowed districts arriving in city; 15th. river still rising; levee on op- pqsite side of river gone; bred: one liundreil and fifty yards wide: a few houses were swept aw:iy. The river reachetl it.s maximum heiglit, forty-eight feet, nirie inches on the 30th ; 21st, river falling. Reports from White river, Clarendon, Ark., state that the b,wk water from the Mississilqi cxt.encls to P distimce ofn hundred a.nd thirty-five miles, nnd t h a t the entire country intervening is under water. The river is two feet higher than waR ever known before. The river reached its highest point at New Orleans on the Wkh, when i t was fiv-e inches be- low the high wmer markof 1S74. The overflow in Concordia parish extends from the Black to the Mississippi rivers, a distance of thirty-five miles ; in Tensas parish, from Tensas river and Bayou Mamu to the Mississippi river, a distance of thirty miles; in Franklin par- ish, from Tensas west to the Ovachita river, a distance of ten miles; in Madisoc parish from Bayou Mwon to the Mksissippi river, R distance of thirty-five miles; in East Carroll parish from Rthyou Macon to the Mississippi river, ten niiles. The flood extends to tlie Ovachita river, H distance of fifteen miles. The Tensas river, since Saturday, h:is risen five. feet, and is still rising at the rate of eleven iiiclies in twenty-four hours. Along tlie Tensas and Bayou Iliacon the lvitter is three feet higher than in 1876, nnd the unprecedented flow is accounted for by the breaks in the levers at Millilreu'n Bend and Good- rich Landing. Nat,chez, Miss., 24tl1, reports from the Tensas river and its tributiiries are more 'distressiug every day. The water is two and a half feet higher tliitL1 in 1874, mid is rising ;it the rot.e of five iiiches in twenty-four hours. Reports from Y:i.zoo Ciby, 15th, state that tlie water rose in the river six and a half inches i n the past tweutg-fonrlioi~rs, while the back- water is rising more mpitlly. The ourrent of the Yazoo is running up stream to Satartia., twenty-four miles below here. Gr.eenwood, two hnndrecl miles above here, is covered with weter, a,nd the hst boat broiight the news that the citizens, white and black, were t.:i,lring refuge on tho second floor of the court-house. Greenwood wa.s not covered by the overflow of 150'7. Reports from Port Adams, Miss., 15th, sta.te that there has been for severul weeks i t cout.iuued rise of the river at this point, of from three to rour inches every t,weuty-foiir hours, up t.0 Smicla,y, the 12th inst:mt, when i t reached t h e higIi.wa,ter ma.rk of 1Y7L Since then the rise has been pa.rtiiimlly checked, being only oue iuch in the last twenty-fonr hours. The river is now dmit four inches above the high-water marl< of 1874. The prospects for crops in the hills are iiot as promising as they might be. . .Work is very backw:t,rd, owing to the continued reins. Fanners have had but very little gnoil weather to pre- pare for plantiiig, and tlie general out.look is rather gloomy. A despatch from Yazoo City on the 18t,li makes the start- ling auiioiincemeUt that tlie mater a t tlrnt poiut is higher now tlinii in 1867. Following the coiirse oftlie river the distance from Viclrsbnrg to Coldm:i,ter, is :Ibont four huntlred aut1 fifty miles. The entire country coutigiioun is swamp .la.iids. In width i t is probably sisty miles, aiitl this is knomii as the Yazoo Delta, whioli is bounded on tlie east by the hills a.nd 011 the west by tho Mississippi river. The low-laiida are emtirely sub- merged, with the exception of a few lrnolls or Indian mounds a t long iutervds, 011 which the stock ~i i d people are gatliered where they are a.coessible. Tlie pitius, together with the unusual volume of water tkom the Nississippi river flowing t.lirough the bredis iu- to the tribufa,ry st.reanis, t h e principal of which are t,he Coldwa.ter, Tallahatchie, Pa.zoo, Bnnflower, Big and Little Deer creek, antl many others of less uote have citllsed Hiem to be swollen beyoutl precedent. In the meantime the people me tocally uuprepnretl to protect themselves or property, heuce the losses :ire &imply beyond estimate. Loss of life has not been large, but the loss of cattle a,nd stock in11 provisions, agricultural impleinents pertaining to ctilture )f cotton has been grea.t beyond cornpnrison. Beports from Helena., Ark., on the lSth, state thn.t the dest.itntion now pre- railing iu the siiiiken lands of the upper St.. Francis wm never qiiiilled. The Tyrouga., a sniall river riinriing out of the St. Francis, with Litt.le river and other points are thickly settled ivith whites, who are on rafts, scalTolds .and logs. Families we huddled together like mimals, pra.xing for food. For a listance of threc hunrlred miles, no land iH to be Been. rlie river continues Falling at Helena, but the overtlows II the city remains about the sa.nie. C;t,pta,in Gordon Web. ;her, of Indian B:v, Ark., one hundred niiles up Whiteriver, irrii-erl at Memplh on the 7th, and reports as follows: The water there is thirby-five inches higher t,lian ever before; this .'i attributed to the backwater from Helena, a large volume of vhich rushes across the low country ant1 assists in filling the rhole intervening swamps. 1ndia.n Bay is deserted by all w e p t one family, who are encamped on Inrliaa mounds, Ithers having sought quarters on the bluffs of St. Charles or idjacent hills. More than half of tho stock belonging to the leople of Monroe county has been lost, and from five to six THE MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 19 hundred residents are destitute and need immediate msist- mce. Several fields of recently planted corn am covered with from nine to twelve feet of water. Reports received from Lake Providence, La., 25th, state tha,t the break in the levee 3t Alsalia, below Lske Providence, widens ; there ase thee breaks between Alsalia and Goodrich's Landing, a.nd four be- tween Goodrich's and the Raleigh Pla,ce. Tlie breaks are from one hundred to eight himilred yiwcle wide, and increasing. The country froin Melbourne down is all under water to depths from sixto eight feet; i t extends back for miles. There has been ;in immense loss of stock and houselioltl goods. No attention was paid to saving property when the break occurred, as i t mss B matter of life amd death. It required every effort to sa,w human life. The whole clay is being spent in resciiing people. Many arc in danger for want of boats t.o rescue tliein. Sev- eral childreii and inen were drowned. The loss of life and property cannot be ascertainecl. Helena, Ark., %th, river fell two inches to-day and the o\-erliow in the city is aboiit the same. Lieutenants Satterlee and Richards, detailed by the Secretary of War to examine into the condition of Mitirs here, report mmh clestriictioii below and in the interior. The Ohio river reached its liighwt point at Cincinnati on 25th, when it was three feet below the c2anger.line or forty-sevcu feet on the gange. Tlie observer at Ciucinimti, on the 30th, re- ports very heavy rains, causing rivers and stremis to rise sncl- denlg. Several coal barges broke froin their niooriiigs aud :i8 number of sniall bridges mere carried away. The Cumberl;i.nil river, at Nashville, was forty-five feet nine inches on the guage from the 11th to 13th, or three feet nine inches above the (Iilliger- line. The observer nt that stabion reports on the Gtli, river rose fourteen feet four inches in twenty-four hours ; 9th, river rose six fed four inches in twenty-four hours, and is seveii inches above the danger-line ; no clamage report,ed ; loth, river three feet five inches above the da,nger-line. The river continued at this point above the danger-line until after the 15th. The heavy reins in nortlieru Alabama, between thc G t l i and loth, caused tho Tennessee to ovedow its banks uem Chattanooga, result- ing in considerii.blc danmge to railrosd embankments. The Red river, at Shreveport, was highest on the loth, 11th m c l 12th, where i t was thirtg-oue feet one inch on the gauge, or one foot four inches above the danger-line HIGH TIDES. Boston, 19th; New Shorebain, R. I., 18th; Delaware Break- water, 19th; Little Egg Harbor, N. J., l?th, 18th; Flushing, N. Y., 16th. TEMPERATUBE OF WATER. The temperature of water as observed in rivers and harbors at Signal Service stations, with tlie a\-erage depth at which the observations were ta,ken, is given in the table on thc right hand of chart ii. Observations on temperature of water were not taken on t h e following clates and at the following &ations on account of ice in harbors: Milwiiukee, 1st to Gtli; Detroit, 2d; Duluth, 5th to 31st; Alpena, 1st; Marqnette, lst, 2~1, 4th to 31st ; Escauitba, frozen throiighoiit the month ; Bnrling- ton, Vt., la,ke frozen throughout the month. It will be seen that the mean of the maximnni and iniiiinium temperatnres of water, correspond very neilrlv with the temperature of the air at the Ktations, as indicated by the isothermal lines on chart ii. ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY. AURORAS. The most widely observed display occnrred on the l9t.h. This remarkable disl>li%x was observed by stations along the north- ern boiiiidasy of t,he United St9ates, fiwN Eil,stl>ort to Oregon, and was rcported-by the v:i,rions stations a.s follows : Eastport, Me., 10.30 p. LU. to midnight, faint light in norbhern sky, es- tending from northwest to northeast, and to an dtitiide of 30°; Gihliner, Me., 10.30 p. m. to 3.45 a. m. of 20tli, very bright, with bpms inoviug rapidly from e& to west; Durliugton, Vt., 10 to 11.43 p. m., Yery brilliant with clarlr segment low down upon the horizon, bright arch, streamers shooting np to :E height of froin W0 to 45O, and of greenish color; Bouton, 9.30 p. in. to 4 ti. in., of 30th, faint ituroral bniid a.long tlie hor- izon, extending GOo a,zimuth. At 3. a. m. it became very brilliant, with streamers sliooting up to an a.lt.itude of 3 0 O a,nd moving slowly along the horizon fiwm west to earnst ; Spring- field, 11.18 p. ni., very faint, consisting of a slight glow sad a fern faint rays attaining an altitude of loo. At 2 a. 111. it \vas somewhat brighter, with an occqsioual faint ray ; Albany, 20th, 12.10 a. in., pale yellow a.urora.1 light in northern sky; stream- ers observed at 12.25 a,nd 2.10 a, m. ; the sky, borderiug the upper limit, was intensely dark ; no dark segment benea,th ; still visible at 3.45 n.. in. Harvard College, Cambridge, Mass., first noticed a.t 9.15 p. ni. as a low, faint ~r c h , strea,niers appear- ed sooii a,fter a.nd were still risible at 11 p. m. Point Judith, R. I., 8 a.. m. to midnight, faiut auroral light in northern sky. Fall Uiwr, Mass., 10 p. in., amora mainly in tlie northwest with a few st.reaiiiera aboiit 30O in length. Rowc, Mass., 10.30 p. m., North Volney, N. Y., 9-15 1). in., hint il1lroriIl liglit in northern sky. Itheca., N.Y., first obserb-ed at 9 p. in. RS a broad srch of light on norther11 horizon ; at 10 p. in., beams estended upwa