Weather rambling — August 1894

Rain was longed for in August 1894.

“If we do not have rain before long, the town will be a regular Sahara Desert,” the South Hartford correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on Aug 2.

It did not take long for the rain to come.

“A little of the much-needed rain has come at last. Gardens are getting very dry,” the Stony Creek correspondent reported in The Morning Star on Aug 4.

The dry weather had already hindered crops.

“Farmers are nearly through haying. They report a light crop,” the Hague correspondent reported.

They would have preferred rain without thunder and lightning.

“During the thunderstorm Thursday evening lightning struck three barns belonging to David Mead of Adamsville, and they were burned to the ground,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 4. “The contents, consisting of farm implements, wagons and sleighs, fifty tons of hay and 300 bushels of oats, were consumed.”

“A barn of Jerry Connor’s was struck by lightning last week and burned. It was full of hay and grain,” the North Hebron correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on Aug. 17

They would have preferred rain without wind.

“During the heavy thunder shower last Thursday, a cyclone struck a barn on William Parks’ place and tore the roof off, scattering the boards in all directions,” the Stony Creek correspondent reported in The Morning Star on Aug. 11.

“It is remarkable that Friday’s cyclone at Conklingville caused no loss of life. It carried everything before it, uprooted trees, blowing the roofs off houses and factories and leveling standing crops,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 6.

Drought conditions threatened.

“Superintendent Potter gives notice that the supply of water in the reservoirs is getting low,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 7

Rain did come.

“The very severe drought was broken last Thursday by both wind and rain. Two showers moistened the top of the ground quite fairly,” the Fort Ann correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on Aug. 10.

“We had a glorious shower here Friday. About three inches of rain fell,” the South Hartford correspondent reported.

A cold front passed through.

“A light frost occurred in several parts of Saratoga County Thursday night,” The Granville Sentinel reported on Aug. 17.

The weather was looking up in late August.

“We had a fine shower Sunday night which benefited growing crops very much as we were sadly in need of rain,” the South Hartford correspondent reported in The Granville Sentinel on Aug. 24.

“Potatoes are coming in more plentifully and are lowering in price. Farmers sold them yesterday at fifty cents a bushel, a reduction in the past few days of twenty cents. A good crop is assured,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 15.

The potato crop is some locations was not so good.

“The potato crop at Charlton is affected by blight. … “The recent rains at Long Island did not arrive in time to save the potato crop. Hay, on the contrary, is of excellent quality,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 16.

The outlook for other crops was generally favorable.

“At Gansevoort, farmers are improving the fine weather and are finishing their oat harvest. … In Washington County the weather of late has been excellent for all growing crops. Haying and harvesting are closing up, and some farmers are plowing. Corn and buckwheat are making rapid growth. Apples, plums, and pears are sufficient for home consumption and thimble and whortleberries are in abundance.”

Fields were still dry.

“The rain last evening laid the dust but did not last long enough to do much good from an agricultural standpoint,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 20.

There was another lightning storm.

“During the thunderstorm Sunday evening a pig owned by Bartholomew Holleran, Spring Street, was killed by lightning,” the South Glens Falls correspondent reported in The Morning Star on Aug. 21.

“The continued dry weather is affecting late crops and injuring pastures very much,” the Luzerne correspondent reported in The Morning Star on Aug. 25.

Dry weather was affecting production at the sawmills.

“Due to low water, but two gates are run a portion of the day at a time at the Finch & Pruyn mills. At the Morgan and Company’s mills on the other side of the river, only the little gates are run a part of each day,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 25. “The sawyers at Freeman’s Mill, Feeder Dam, worked until nine o’clock yesterday morning, when they were informed by the lock tender that they were cutting off the water supply from the canal and operations were suspended for the day.”

Dry weather was considered better than frosty weather.

“Although dog days are a thing of the past for this year, yesterday was what may be called an ideal one. One year ago at this time we were having light frosts,” the Fort Edward correspondent reported in The Morning Star on Aug 25.

“During the past few days, no water has flowed over the dam at Mechanicville. This has not happened before since the completion of the dam in 1883,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 30, 1894.

Water conservation measures were ordered, but not universally obeyed.

“How many citizens have violated the order of the water commissioner by sprinkling their lawns and the streets in front of their houses within the past few days?” The Morning Star scolded on Aug. 31. “It is well to lay the dust, but when the water is low it is better to save it for domestic and fire purposes.”

The month closed with thunderstorms in some locations and cold nights in others.

“Residents of East Lake George report that the thunderstorm there yesterday morning was very severe, but no damage was done by lightning. The rainfall was not so heavy at Glens Falls,” The Morning Star reported on Aug. 31.

“Jack Frost made his appearance in some places Sunday night for the first time this season,” the Stony Creek correspondent wrote Aug. 30 for publication Sept. 1 in The Morning Star.

In other August weather news collected from historic newspapers of the region:

1879

The drought was ended.

“After a lingering illness and protracted silence, I am rejoiced to write that the tedious. pertinacious drouth hath died of old age, literally dried up. Farmers stand out in in the refreshing rain, and ducks waddle in the delicious mud,” the Crown Point Centre correspondent reported in the Elizabethtown Post & Gazette on Aug. 21.

“The Great God has seen fit in his generous providence to cause rain to descend upon the earth that it may bring forth fruit, and the joyful rain has refreshed the earth when it was drouth, to the great comfort of all,” the Lewis correspondent reported.

Yet the damage left after the drought’s demise was evident.

“All vegetation, including the trees on the mountainside, show the sear and yellow look from drouth,” the Crown Point Centre correspondent reported.

“Some pieces of corn and buckwheat and potatoes are mostly destroyed. The rain will not have much effect on them,” the Lewis correspondent reported.

1876

“The extremely dry, torrid weather since the advent of dog days had a most discouraging effect upon vegetation and parched the earth until it more resembles an immense ash heap than fruitful ground,” The Glen’s Falls Republican reported on Aug. 15. “The leaves of trees have become withered and even crisped under the hot rays of the sun. Growing corn has assumed the hue of saffron, vines of most descriptions have drooped and died, as if touched by poison, and portions of lawns are burned beyond recognition.”

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