USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > City Officers and the Annual Reports to the City Council of Newburyport 1881 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
Jackman, J. V., Ancient Deed of Town of Marlborough .....
Lawson. T. B. Photo of city of Lowell ..
Library, Boston Public, pamphlet 5
Bronson Fund ... 3
Brookline Public 1
Buffalo Young Men's As-
sociation
1
Library, Concord Public.
2
Fall River Public.
2
Georgetown Public 2 Lawrence Public 4 Lowell Public 1
Lynn Public .. 1
Massachusetts State 1
Milwaukee Public. 2 Newton Public. 1
New York Mercantile. 1
Peabody Institute . 1
Providence Public.
1
San Francisco Mercantile 2
Taunton Public.
1
Worcester Public
1
Perkins Inst. for the Blind
1
Poore, B. P. Major 3
U. S. Bureau of Education
5
Department of Interior. 2
Wildes, J. H.
3
Winchester Home
for
Aged
Womem
1
Parton, J .. 2 Providence Public Library . 1
Seymour, H. Jr ... 1 Smithsonian Inst., Secretary of. . 6 Stevens, G. H. 2
Eddy, M. B. G.
Fiske, D. T., Rev., for Merrimac Bible Society . 2
Green, S. A , M. D 2
Hodgkins, J. G 13
Johnson, J. G., M. D., miss. coll. of ..
Loring, G. B., Hon. 13
Massachusetts, Sec. of Com. of .. 4
Massachusetts State Library. 1
Minor, T.
1
51
PUBLIC LIBRARY REPORTS.
DONATIONS TO THE READING ROOM-1881.
Newburyport Herald
William H. Huse & Co.
Boston Advertiser
Edward S. Toppan.
Lists of Prices and Sales-Boston Stock Exchange .. Pickering & Moseley. Unitarian Review American Union Assoc'n. 66
Christian Register
6. 6.
Record of American and Foreign Shipping. James Parker, N. Y.
Congressional Record-Daily Hon. George B. Loring.
Germ, Newburyport. M. C. Teel.
Home Missionary E. S. Moseley, Esq.
Liberal Free Mason Joseph B. Lincoln.
New York Observer
Hon. J. N. Pike.
.
52
PUBLIC LIBRARY REPORTS.
NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS IN THE READING ROOM .- 1881.
DAILIES.
Newburyport Herald, Boston Advertiser,
¥ Herald,
Journal,
66 Traveller,
Transcript,
Post,
Chicago Tribune,
.
SEMI AND TRI-WEEKLIES.
Merrimac Valley Visitor,
Salem Gazette, . The Germ.
WEEKLIES.
Boston Commercial Bulletin,
Christian Register,
Harper's Bazar.
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Paper. The Nation,
Journal of Education,
Springfield Republican,
Baltimore Gazette.
Louisville Courier Journal,
Philadelphia Times,
New York Times,
Observer,
Scientific American,
The Alta Californian,
The Cincinnati Enquirer,
Supplement to Scientific American.
Littell's Living Age,
London Times,
Nature,
Harper's Weekly.
MONTHLY.
Journal of Chemistry,
Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly,
The Gardner's
Popular Science
Godey's Lady Book,
The Agriculturalist,
The Naturalist,
Home Missionary,
Liberal Free Mason,
St. Nicholas, Official Gazette Patent Office.
BI-MONTHLY. New Englander.
QUARTERLIES.
Edinburg Review, London Quarterty Review,
British .6
Westminster Review, International The Cotemporary Review,
The North American Review. BOOKS OF REFERENCE.
Johnson's Atlas, Essex County,
Worcester's Dictionary, Boston Directory, Record of American and Foreign Shipping.
Scribner's
Lippincott's
Peterson's
Ballou's
Blackwood's "
Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine,
Van Nostrand's Engineering " " Atlantic Monthly,
New ork Tribune,
Herald,
Sun,
World,
Graphic,
Journal of Commerce,
Evening Post, Boston Stock Ex. List Prices and Sales
Harper's Magazine,
STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF DEATHS IN NEWBURYPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1881.
SEX.
Total.
January
February
March
April.
May
June
July.
August.
September
October
November
December.
Under 1 year . .
1-2 years.
2-5 years.
5-10 years.
10-15 years ...
15-20 years. ...
20-30 years ...
30-40 years ..
40-50 years ...
50-60 years ...
60-70 years. ..
70-80 years ...
80-90 years ...
90-100 & over.
CLASS I .- Zymotic Diseases :
Diphtheria ..
2
2
.
.
1
1
1
Croup, Membranous
1.
2
3
Whooping Cough.
1
1
2
Erysipelas . . . .
1
1
.
·
1
1
2
1
1
Puerperal Peritonitis.
2
2
.
.
Puerperal Septicæmia
3
3
1
3
1
.
1
2
1
Dysentery .
2
2
4
1
2
Cholera Infantum.
2
2
4
1
4
·
. .
1
1
.
. .
. .
Alcoholism
2
2
1
Purpura. . .
1
1
Rheumatism.
1
1
1
CLASS II .- Constitutional Diseases .
1 1
2
4
Dropsy . .
2
9
11
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
·
1 1| 3
1
1
Cancer. .
3
9
12
3
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
Scrofula. .
1
1
23
44
1
5
3
5
2
4
2
3
5
4
3
1
9
13
11
2
1 3
. ·
. .
1
Hydrocephalus .
1
2
3
2
1
1
Gangrene .. .
1
1
2
5
2
7
1
1
2
2
1
2
CLASS III .- Local Diseases :
Apoplexy . .
6
4
10
1
1
4
1
.
·
.
Paralysis .
2
4
6
1
1
1
Epilepsy. . .
Brain Disca
1
.
1
2
·
. .
·
Typhoid Fever.
3
4
1
.
Secondary Syphilis
.
. .
1 1
·
Phthisis
21
1
Tubercular Miningitis.
1
2
·
2
·
41
·
CAUSES OF DEATH.
Males. ..
Females .
....
Croup ...
Malignant Pustule .
1
1
.
4
.
1
Brain Diseases .
1
3
4
1
1
1
.
.
1
1
Cerebro-spinal Meningitis
1
2
3
21
3
3
2
1
3
3
3
1
4
7
6
1
Heart Diseases. .
11
3
3
2
2
1
Pneumonia
3
11
14
1
1
2
2
1
1
Asthma ...
.
2
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
Mania Acute.
1
1
Atropny of the Liver
1
1
1
1
Cirrhosis .
1
1
Bright's Disease
6
1
1
1
1
1
2.
1
Diabetis. .
1
1
Cystitis .
1
1
Jaundice
2
2
2
1
1
1
Niphritis . . .
2
Inflammation of the Bowels.
3
.1
4
1
1
1
. .
. .
·
Marasmus .
4
3
7
1
1
1
CLASS IV .- Developmental Diseases : Still-born .
4
5
9
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
7
Premature Births
7
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
·
.
1
.
1
.
·
1
Congenital Malformation .
1
1
.
2
2
1
5
Old Age ..
11
19
30
1
ـه
CI
4
3
2
3
2
2
CLASS V .- Violent Deaths : Drowning Accident Accidental . . Suicide. .
3
1
4
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
. .
4
4
2
1
1
. .
. .
.
. .
. .
.
.
136 154 290 23 25 24 40 24 20 14
25 30
28 18 19 54
8 8 5 2 13 27 18 26 15|29 42|34| 9
·
.
Infantile Debility
4
5
9
1
1
1
·
Cyanosis Teething .
1
1
1
.
Metritis .
1
1
2
1
..
Abscess-part not stated
.
1
.
Congestion of the Lungs. Gastritis
2
2
. .
1
1
1
.
Bronchitis ...
1
2
1 .
Addison's Disease
1
2
1
.
1
1
Uraemic Poisoning
9
1
.
1
1
.
2
1
1
. .
10
REPORT
OF THE
BOARD OF HEALTH
1881.
6
OFFICERS OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
GEORGE W. SNOW, (City Physician) Chairman. ELISHA P. DODGE, WILLIAM H. MUNROE, GEORGE H. STEVENS, Clerk. D. T. WOODWELL, Agent.
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
To His Honor the Mayor and City Council of the City of Newburyport.
GENTLEMEN :- In accordance with the law we have the honor to present the fourth annual report of the Board of Health, for the year 1881.
Mr. William H. Munroe having been duly ap- pointed to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Mr. Cross, the Board of Health met and organ- ized Feb. 17. Dr. George W. Snow was continued as chairman and Mr. George H. Stevens clerk.
AGENT.
In accordance with the general practice in other cities, for the purpose of more effectively enforcing the rules and regulations of the Board, it was early in the year determined to appoint an agent. His duties were to look carefully after the details of busi- ness connected with the department, acting in all cases under the direction of the Board. The exper- iment has proved an entire success, and Mr. David T. Woodwell, who was elected to the office, has been a very faithful and efficient servant of the Board. The agent has during the year, made 420 visits, in response to written and verbal complaints. One hun- dred and fifty were written complaints of piggery
56
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
nuisances, the balance for miscellaneous causes. Four suits were brought in the Police court, and one war- rant was executed against the city of Newburyport for keeping swine at the almshouse, contrary to law.
It would be well for those who doubt the necessity of a Health . Department to consider these figures.
STATISTICS.
The new system of classification of disease, adopt- ed last year, has been continued this year, and its figures show that the city has been exempt from the prevalence of any epidemic during 1881.
The total number of deaths reported was 287 in 1880: 138 males, 146 females and 3 still born; and 281 in 1881: 132 males, 159 females and 9 still born, 4 males 5 females.
The nativity of those deceased during the year, in- cluding 9 still-born is as follows :
Newburyport,
159
Massachusetts,
39
Other States,
38
Foreign Countries,
53
Unknown,
1
Classified as follows :
Single,
137
Male, 136
Married,
93
Female, - 154
Widows,
60
290
290
Seventy-three bodies have been brought to this city for interment of persons who have died else- where.
SMALL POX.
May 16, it was reported to the Board by Dr. Snow, City Physician, that he had discovered a case of
57
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
small pox on board one of the Philadelphia and Reading Company's steamers, discharging coal at their wharf, in this city. The patient was at once removed to an isolated building in Ward Six, and put under the care of a competent man. The vessel was fumigated and ordered into quarantine. The usual quarantine regulations were published, and stringent measures adopted to prevent any spread of the disease, or the introduction of any new cases, by vessels entering this port. It gives us great satisfa- tion to be able to report that the much dreaded dis- ease was confined to this one patient, and he, having been faithfully cared for, in due time fully recovered, and went on his way rejoicing. The Board in this connection would suggest, in view of the prevalence of small pox in other parts of the country, that the City Council provide a pest house in a suitable local- ity, so that if the disease should make its appearance here again, it may be promptly isolated.
SWINE.
Rule 7 of the Board of Health provides that with- in certain limits, no hogs shall be kept in such a manner as to render them at all prejudicial to the public health. No individual or corporation has a right to maintain on their premises, swine in a filthy condition, or any other nuisance which in its nature is an offence to the neighborhood, and detrimental to the health of the community.
During the past year the rules of the Board touch- ing this matter have been strictly enforced.
58
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
FROG POND.
During the hot weather the odor from Frog pond has been extremely offensive. The Board did not deem it prudent to attempt to eradicate the evil until settled cold weather. Meantime a petition was pre- sented to the City Council asking them to take steps to abate the nuisance. As any effectual remedy would probably involve a considerable outlay of money, the Board are of the opinion that it may well be dealt with by the City Council. We would how- ever suggest that it should be attended to before the advent of hot weather.
The Frog pond and its surroundings which'are about the only public grounds the city possesses, should be made an agreeable resort by the prompt removal of anything which tends to mar its great natural attractiveness.
CONCLUSION.
In retiring from office the board deems it proper to say that although the requirements of Newburyport are not of the same degree as those of cities more densely populated, yet the necessity of a properly supported health department is growing more and more apparent. Whatever has been heretofore ac- complished has been with very little means and in spite of quite general popular indifference. The need of the future is likely to be more pressing than that of the past. The introduction of aqueduct water will force upon us soon the question of a suitable sys- tem of drainage. Vaults and cesspools are likely to become speedily a greater evil than ever before. Scarlet fever, diphtheria, typhoid fever and small-pox,
59
REPORT OF BOARD OF HEALTH.
those terrible diseases, are greatly aggravated if not created by improper sanitary conditions. The natural increase of our manufacturing industries will undoubt- edly add a larger proportion to our population of that unfortunate class whose education has not been such as to develop in them a proper sense of what good health and good morals require. These matters should be carefully considered and promptly dealt with by an intelligent health department possessing special qual- ifications for the work. Such a department should have a reasonable financial support, as well as the moral support and encouragement of all good citizens.
Respectfully submitted; .
GEO. W. SNOW, Board
E. P. DODGE, of ·
W. H. MUNROE. Health.
REPORT ON THE METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1881.
To the Board of Health :
GENTLEMEN-The present annual report is the second since the establishment of a meteorological station in this city. The obser- vations were made with the same instruments as the last year, viz : barometer, thermometer, hygrometer, wind vane, and rain gauge. A self-recording arrangement was connected with the wind vane, which will be mentioned hereafter.
BAROMETER.
The average mean height of the barometer was 29.995 inches ; the monthly means were :
TABLE I.
January
30.065
July
.29.904
February
30.120
August.
.. 30.006
March
29.694
September
.30.103
April
29.799
October
.30.103
May.
30.055
November
.30.120
June
29.881
December
30.092
30.812 inches was the highest pressure, observed on February 7th; 28.994 inches the lowest, on March 31st ; thus we have a range of 1.818 inches. The barometer fell on an average four times each month below the normal height which is about 29.95 for this place. To understand this it is necessary to explain the rela- tion between the barometer and the atmospheric changes. The at- mosphere surrounds the earth to a certain height and by its own weight exerts a pressure on all objects thereon. The barometer, or rather the height of the column of mercury in the barometer tube,
61
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
is a direct means for measuring this pressure, the mercury being balanced in the tube by an equal weight of air. Any change of that weight will equally change the height of the mercury ; the "barometer" will " rise" or "fall," as the common expression is. Now, whenever there is in one district a diminished pressure pro- duced by one cause or another (difference of temperature in the upper and lower strata, sudden condensation of vapors) ; this is termed in meteorology "area of low pressure." At one point or region called the "centra" the pressure will be least (the barometer will stand lowest) encircled by pressures gradually higher towards the outside.
An area of low pressure is nothing but a disturbance of the equilibrium of the atmosphere which the surrounding air tends to restore again ; it will therefore rush from all quarters towards the centre. This would ensue in straight lines ; however, it was found and demonstrated that by the axial rotation of the earth this straight course must suffer a deflection to the right (in our northern hemis- phere), whereby a motion of the whole body of air around the centre is affected, which may resemble somewhat a spiral from right to left. That is. if we were on the south side of the centre we would have the wind from the southwest; on the north side from the northeast. Besides this circular motion around an axis, the whole area of low pressure itself has also a progressive one. An illustration for this double motion are the eddies in the current of a river. An area of low pressure with all its attending phenomena is what we call a " storm." We are all familiar with its general features. The wind, before west or southwest, shifts to the east and northeast, constantly increasing in force ; then comes a lull, af- ter which northwesterly winds follow often still more violent, with clearing weather. In advance of a storm, condensation of moisture is going on, terminating in more or less heavy rains or snows. From the Monthly Weather Review, published by the Signal Office in Washington, it appears that the tracks of 96 stormcenters within the United States and Canada could be located during the past year. Of this number, 42 or nearly 46 per cent. passed either di- rectly over the New England states, or over a neighboring region near enough to take the former within its sweep of low pressure which extends over hundreds of miles beyond its centre. They originated in most cases in the western part of the country, or were observed there at first, from ,whence they generally pur-
7
62
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
sued an easterly course. The storms of the Atlantic coast have another origin. Their path describes a curve, commencing mostly in a region off the West India islands, turning north- west towards the south Atlantic coast, leaving it at the north for a more easterly direction, sometimes crossing the Atlan- tic, or escaping further observations. Now whenever we observe the barometer steadily falling from a high point to below the nor- mal, the indication is that an area of low pressure is approaching, that we are nearest to its centre when the barometer has reached its lowest point, and that as soon as the mercury is rising again the entre has passed and is moving away from us ; and we may also expect a storm the more violent the more rapid the depression of the barometer.
TEMPERATURE.
The annual mean temperature was 47.59º, nearly 1 degree less than the mean of 1880 (48.41º), and the difference between the highest and lowest temperature 102 degrees.
The annual mean temperature at 7 a. m. 43.70°
6 .
66 66 2 p. m. . 53.47°
9 p. m .46.46°
This shows a rise of 9.7º during the forenoon, and a fall of 7º during the afternoon. Even the monthly means at those 3 hours show but little variation, although the maximum and minimum are often far apart. The daily difference between the maximum and min- imum varies from 3 to 42 degrees. Spring and fall furnish as usual the extremes. In April and May there were differences of 42º and 43º during one day, and a monthly range of 63º and 61º. Like- wise the monthly range in October was 62º. By the record we see that the temperature fell below zero on three days, viz: January 5th, 5 degrees ; February 2d and 3d (5 and 4 degrees). Taking the mean temperature for a measure, we can add to the list of cold days the following :
January 1st. 7.4° mean January 28th 8.0°
February 2d -1.2° 66
February 24th 4.7º
63
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
The highest temperature on record is 97º on Sept. 7th; next comes August 5th with 95°. These two days were the hottest of the season, having a mean temperature of 81.8º and 80.7º. Ten times the thermometer registered a temperature above 90°.
May 27
.91
August 6
.90°
May 30
.94°
August 30
91°
July 10
94°
August 31.
92°
July 13.
91°
September 1
91°
August 5
95
September 7
.97°
The following table will give a more convenient view of the tem- peratures through the year :
TABLE II.
Month.
Monthly Means.
Maxi- mum.
Min- imum.
Monthly Range.
Mean Daily Range.
January.
21.80
44
-5
49
17.7
February
29.44
54
-5
59
18.0
March.
33.29
54
22
32
12.3
April.
42.70
82
19
63
20.1
May.
53.92
94
33
61
20.9
June
59.75
87
42
45
18.7
July
67.97
91
52
39
18.5
August.
69.55
95
52
43
17.2
September
63.96
97
43
54
10.4
October.
51 50
87
25
62
18.3
November.
40.76
69
14
55
15.6
December
36.51
59
11
48
15.2
HUMIDITY.
Relative. The mean relative humidity deviates but little from month to month. We notice in general an increase during the warm season (May to September). It is also uniformly higher at the morning and evening observations (7 a. m. and 9 p. m. ) than at noon (2 p. m.)
The absolute humidity, contained in the air and consequently the dew point, are in accordance with the temperature-highest in sum- mer and lowest in winter.
64
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
TABLE III.
MEAN RELATIVE HUMIDITY.
Month.
Monthly 7 a. m.
2 p. m.
9 p. m.
Abs'lutel Humidi- ty,grains in cub. ft
Dew Point.
January
62.0
68.60
55.20
61.70
.893
11°
February
63.9
75.00
56.30
64.40
1.264
19°
March
64.6
76.60
60.60
74.50
1.802
28°
April
53.9
62.60
44.90
56.90
1.851
29°
May
78.3
84.30
69 00
82.00
3.881
48°
June
74.2
81.50
63.70
78.30
4.183
50°
July.
78.2
81.60
64.80
84.00
5.993
61°
August.
79.2
88.58
66.58
80 80
6.208
62°
September
84.2
91.47
72.40
90.70
5.748
60°
October.
72.4
78.39
60.40
77.45
3.409
45
November.
68.7
76.43
59.46
·69.93
2.397
35°
December.
70.0
75.50
60.10
69.60
1.925
30°
PRECIPITATION.
The amount of rain and snow last year was 46.46 inches ; that is about the normal quantity for this locality, and is 13.927 inches more than in 1880. The largest per centage to this amount was furnished by the more extensive storms ; thus in March, with not less than eight storms out of nine observed in the United States, we had the remarkable rainfall of 6.83 inches. To the local thun- derstorms we owe but 7.86 inches, that is, one-sixth of the total rainfall.
The total depth of snowfall was about 50 inches. With the be- ginning of the year 17 1.2 inches had already fallen. The last snow storm occurred April 14th, and after that but little was left on the ground. Rain and snow fell on 80 days, during a period of 1033 hours, which is 0.045 inches for every hour.
TABLE IV.
Month.
Rain & Melted Snow, Inches.
Depth of snow. Inches
Number of rainy days.
Duration in hours.
January .
4.720
31.00
5
67
February .
4.560
9.00
9
78
March
6.830
7.25
10
147
April.
1.850
3.25
5
58
May.
4.360
10
124
June.
4 080
....
9
83
July .
2.890
3
20
August.
1.815
....
4
41
October,.
2 340
...
6
108
November.
4.080
4.00
8
141
December ..
4.995
1.25
8
143
....
3
20
September.
3.940
....
65
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
WIND.
Direction. A self-recording arrangement, alluded to before, was connected with the wind vane. It consists of a clock work, which · allows a pencil to slide vertically down along a sheet of paper fast- ened around a cylinder. This cylinder turns with the shaft of the wind vane; thus all changes are marked on the paper together with the exact time at which they take place. The pencil moves about one-half inch an hour, and every 24 hours the sheet is taken off and replaced by a blank one. It is evident that the records must come nearer to the truth than those obtained by observations made only three times a day. The instrument has been in opera- tion since August.
Between the parallels of 38° and 45° the total annual movement of the atmosphere is always from a point nearly west. Whatever may be the direction of the local winds during the year, the result- ant of all observations is scarcely affected by it. At this station it was nearly W. by N., exactly W. 9º 28' N. The aver- age monthly direction deduced from three daily observations from January to August. and from the hourly record of the other five months is as follows :
From the northwest quarter for January, February, April, June, August, October and November ; from the southwest quarter for July and December ; from the northeast quarter for September ; almost due north for March ; almost due east for May. A south- west direction for December is rather exceptional, it accounts in part for the high mean temperature of that month. As usual "high" winds are generally from the east and northwest, however southerly winds often develop great energy. The northwest winds which follow in the rear of the storms, (the clearing-up winds) are espec- ially violent and accompanied by a considerable fall of temperature in winter. ("Cold Wave.")-Calms, although lasting but a few hours at the time, had total duration of 105 hours, (from August to December.) Prevailing winds were for January, February, April and June, northwest ; for March northwest and northeast ; for May and September northeast ; for July, August, November and Dec- ember southwest ; and for October southwest and northwest.
The easterly winds are to the westerly in the ratio of 10 to 20 ; and the southerly to the northerly in the ratio of 10 to 11.
STATE OF WEATHER.
If we retain the terms clear, fair, cloudy and rainy, as used in
66
METEOROLOGICAL REPORT.
the last year's report. we note the following numbers for 1881. Clear days, 79 or 21.6 per cent ; Fair, 60 or 16.6 per cent ; Cloudy, 146 or 40 per cent ; Rainy, 80 or 21.9 per cent. January and April had the highest number of clear days, 11; May and June only 2 each. The cloudy days are in excess over the clear and fair days in every month. except February and April as table V will show.
TABLE V.
Months.
Clear.
Fair.
Cloudy.
Rainy.
January
11
5
10
5
February ..
8
5
6
9
March.
4
2
15
10
April
11
8
€
5
May
2
5
14
10
June
2
5
14
9
July
4
9
15
3
August.
13
3
September
7
4
12
6
November
7
4
11
8
December
7
3
13
8
We had 17 thunderstorms ; the first May 10, the last Sept. 23, each with an average rainfall of 0.462 inches, and a total of 7.86 inches.
The auroras observed were few in number. None exhibited any marked brilliancy.
As a phenomenon of another remarkable kind, must be men- tioned the peculiar yellow condition of the atmosphere on the 6th of September. This was produced by the presence of smoke and fog in the atmosphere. Although of no rare occurrance in the fall of the year, it seldom rose to such an intensity as it did on that date. It shut off the sunlight to such a degree as to make artificial light necessary in factories and stores. It was a kind of yellow twilight that prevailed all day, under which natural bright colors of objects appeared of a strange hne and which at length became painful to . the eyes.
The smoke was caused by forest fires in various states, most ex- tensive however in northern Michigan and in Canada. Already on the first a smoky atmosphere was noticed, but cleared off by easterly winds on the 2d. By a low pressure over Canada with its westerly winds in the rear on the fourth, the smoke was again carried east- ward, so that by the morning of the sixth it extended over all the New England States, except Maine. A light haze remained on
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.