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June 29, 1908

WAS ALMOST A CLOUDBURST.

Last Night's the Heaviest of a Sea-

son of Heavy Rain.

Last night's heavy rain might be classed as a phenomenon. At 7 o'clock it began to rain in the district south of Twenty-fifth street and west of Euclid avenue. In some localities outside of that particular district there were light showers, but in that district the rain was more on the order of a cloudburst and lasted for an hour.

The heavy, dense clouds which hung over the south part of the city began to travel northward and, still in districts, the rain began to fall in torrents. Gradually the whole city was soaked in such a downpour of rain as had not been seen this year.

Many fresh air seekers and church-goers were caught in the rain without umbrellas or protection of any sort. Cars were crowded with persons who preferred to ride to the end of the line and back again rather than to face the storm.

In the South Side of the city there was nothing but rain, while in the downtown district large hailstones fell. An electrical storm accompanied the rain, but no damage was done by the lightning.

At midnight a second storm came up, this time directly from the north. That of the early part of the evening was from the south. The second storm was scarcely less severe than the first, except that it was not accompanied by hail nor as vivid display of lightning. From midnight until 2 o'clock this morning the rain continued, in incessant pour.

Labels: Euclid avenue, Twenty-fifth street, weather

June 28, 1908

ONE IS DEAD, ANOTHER INSANE.

Result of Heat in Kansas City, Kas.,

Last Week.

One death and a case of insanity were attributed to the heat in Kansas City, Kas., yesterday. M. D. Bowman, a stonemason, was overcome by heat last Thursday at Tenth street and Splitlog avenue. He died at his home, 529 Stewart avenue, early yesterday morning. He was 47 years old and had resided in this city for twenty-eight years. The funeral will be held from the home this afternoon.

Charles Michaels, a laborer living at Twelfth street and Scottt avenue, was adjudged insane in the probate court. He was overcome with heat last week which affected his mind.

Labels: death, Kansas City Kas, mental health, weather

June 15, 1908

SODA TRADE AFFECTED.

Cigar Men, Too, Say No One is Smok-

ing These Days.

Unless this weather clears up, soda fountain men will go into spasms.

"And the cigar man, too," said a druggist yesterday, in despair. "We are not making enough off the fountains, any of us, to pay for the help and the syrups. We are losing money on the investment. Nobody drinks soda in ordinary weather, at least not so that the druggist notices it. Cigar men tell me nobody is smoking."

A cigar dealer, who was asked regarding this, had an explanation. "It is too wet to get out to get cigars," he said. "Nobody is on the street, so nobody drops in for a cigar. We always feel trade drop off when it is too wet or too cold for men to get around. Hot weather lets them drop in for a smoke -- but not too hot. They quit smoking then. This rainy season is about the worst experience we have had. It is new, and the cigar dealers do not like it. Just put that down."

Labels: cigars, druggists, weather

June 14, 1908

WEST BOTTOMS FLOODED.

Wholesale Dealers Moving to Third

Floors -- Are Taking No Chances.

Every man in the West bottoms who had a place to take his goods was moving them yesterday, whether he transported them up town or just to the second floor. No one was taking chances. The Harbison & Modica Implement Co., near the Union depot, carried heavy plows and other farm tools up to the third floor of their building, moving their offices to the second floor.

"We're taking no chances this time," said R. A. Niccolls, a sales manager. "We'll be able to do our office business if the employes have to be carried to the building in boats."

Many implement houses were pumping the water out of their basements in the morning, but most of them gave up at noon and let the water run in. One house had a gasoline engine pumping for eight hours, and still the water didn't seem to go down. Investigation revealed the fact that as fast as the water was pumped out it ran around the corner and through a crack in the pavement back to the cellar. In front of one place was tied a large boat for the transportation of the employes to dry land at the end of the day's work.

At the Union depot all preparations have been made for high water. The baggage can be carried to the second floor in a very short time.

E. J. Sanford, president of the depot company, is not frightened. "I don't see how the water can reach us," he said yesterday. "The weather men tell us that we'll be wet tomorrow, and we're all ready to receive the water when it comes, but I really do not expect any water to reach the floor of the depot."

The water was rising rapidly in the bottoms and at the corner of Ninth and Mulberry streets late yesterday afternoon a close observer could see it creeping slowly up the sidewalks.

The Armour plant is preparing for more high water by building dikes two feet high around the buildings. The doors in the walls have been cemented and it will take a rise of from four to six feet to put the plant out of business.

Labels: flood, Mulberry street, Ninth street, Union depot, weather, West bottoms

May 29, 1908

RAIN INTERFERES WITH LIGHTS.

Insulation on Electric Wires Is Be-

coming Saturated.

Prevailing rains are interfering with the electric light wires. Insulation is becoming saturated and the result is that electricity is "cutting around" instead of going out on spurs to lamps.

"There is nothing that can be done to prevent these new troubles," said an official of the electric light company yesterday. "Weatherproof insulation does not mean waterproof insulation. Ordinarily it is waterproof, but that is where it gets a chance to dry out after one rain before another falls. The last two weeks there has been rain so often and the sun so seldom that the insulation is becoming saturated. Dim lights are the result in some places. Only sunshine can cure that sort of defect."

Labels: Utilities, weather

May 28, 1908

TEACHERS FEARED A TORNADO.

Dismissed Pupils Yesterday When

Black Clouds Appeared.

Fearing that the black cloud which approached Kansas City from the northwest yesterday morning was bring a tornado, Miss Emma J. Lockett, principal of the Linwood school, Linwood and Woodland avenues, dismissed the 735 children under her care, and sent them scampering to their homes.

But she first called up P. Connor, the weather forecaster. After being assured that the coming storm was not a twister, she remembered how many times she had failed to take an umbrella when he said "Fair today," and had come home dripping, so she was not satisfied, but tried to call the school board. After several ineffectual attempts, the board's telephone being in use at each time, she noticed that the cloud was much nearer. At the rate it was coming, the children could barely have time to get to their own roofs before trees began to be uprooted. She rang the dismissal bell, telling her charges to go home at once.

But Mr. Connor was right, and Miss Lockett very sweetly admitted it after the cloud had passed. School was resumed at the afternoon hour.

The Catholic sisters in charge of St. Vincent's academy, Thirty-first street and Flora avenue, also dismissed their 250 pupils when the threatening clouds appeared.

In 1886 the Lathrop school, Eight and May streets, was partly wrecked by a storm. Several children were killed.

Labels: children, Eighth street, Flora avenue, Linwood avenue, May street, schools, Thirty-first street, weather, Woodland avenue

May 24, 1908

MINISTERS SOAKED

DURING AUTO RIDE.

Not Enough Cars to Carry

All the Presbyterians.

Three hundred ministers and commissioners to the 120th general assembly of the Presbyterian church got a soaking yesterday afternoon that was unorthodox to say the least. In less than an hour after they has started on a two-hour automobile ride over the boulevards and through the parks of Kansas City, the rain suddenly fell in torrents and it continued falling for nearly an hour.

This feature of the ride was not according to schedule and neither was that contingency looked for when the start was made from Convention hall. The ministers and commissioners started out without umbrellas or raincoats and many of the automobiles were without hoods so they got a genuine soaking. When the rain first began falling, many of the automobiles deserted the line and made straightway for Convention hall or for the hotel of the commissioners. Others stayed in the line and completed the ride.

On the whole, the plans and arrangements for the automobile ride did not work out as well as the committee had expected. While more than 100 automobiles had been promised, not more than fifty showed up at Convention hall at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. These were speedily filled by the waiting commissioners. Enough tickets had been distributed to fill the number of automobiles expected and consequently there were many disappointed commissioners. Those who were unable to secure seats returned to their hotels.

THESE KEPT DRY.

The "Seeing Kansas City" cars took care of a great number of the commissioners and their wives. Some preferred this ride to the automobiles because of the fact that they were allowed to take the women with them. The cars were sent over the usual route. The automobiles were sent over the most advantageous route in the city. They were headed by guides on motor cycles.

The start was made from Convention hall promptly at 2:30 o'clock. E. M. Clendening was master of ceremonies.

"Are you all ready?" he called down the line.

Shouts assured him they were. The sharp pop-pop of starting motors and the pungent smell of burning gasoline next greeted the ears and nostrils of the ministers and commissioners. Then slowly the line started down Thirteenth street to Grand avenue. The ministers joked each other and the good natured taunts of those left behind were directed at those in automobiles.

"You needn't hold your head so high just because it is your first ride in an automobile," yelled one as a friend disappeared down the street in one of the six cylinder cars.

"Did you never see an automobile before?" asked one commissioner of another who was examining the steering gear of one of the machines.

"I see plenty of them now, if I have never seen them before," returned the friend.

Altogether, it was a good natured and happy bunch of ministers, elders and commissioners that took that ride. They had had two days of strenuous work in the sessions of the assembly, and the afternoon gave opportunity for a general laxity from those arduous duties. William Henry Roberts, the former moderator and now stated clerk; the Rev. B. P. Fullerton and E. M. Clendening occupied the first automobiles.

PICTURE CARDS AND BOOKS.

Post card souvenirs and souvenir books illustrating the parks and boulevards of Kansas City were handed to the commissioners before they stepped into the automobiles. The booklets were given by the park board and besides the illustrations of the parks and boulevards contained some facts and figures concerning the city. These facts and figures were prepared by the Manufacturer's and Merchants' Association. This is the first opportunity that the park board has had of giving these booklets away. The post cards contained this printed message which the recipients were directed to send to their home folks:

Dear Home Folks: Having an enjoyable visit here. Am an honorary member of the Commercial Club's Prosperity Club. The motto is "Look Pleasant, Be Cheerful, Talk Prosperity. Yours --"

Labels: automobiles, churches, Convention Hall, conventions, Edwin Clendening, Grand avenue, ministers, Thirteenth street, weather

May 11, 1908

THIS RUNNING HORSE WALKS.

Indian Chief Plodding From San

Francisco to New York and Back.

Across the continent on foot and back again in eight months for a purse of $2,000 is the work which has been chosen by Charles Moyer, an Indian of the Sioux nation. Moyer passed through Kanss City yesterday on his return trip to San Francisco. He left there October 29, 1907, and arrived in New York on January 23, 1908. He has until June 29 to complete his trip back to San Francisco.

Moyer's Indian name is Chief Running Horse, being a grandson of Chief Sitting Bull of Custer fame. One of Chief Running Horse's peculiar traits is that he carries no change of apparel, wearing the same suit until it becomes worn out. In case of a heavy rain, like the one in which he was caught four miles east of Independence yesterday morning, the walker keeps on plodding, never stopping to find shelter. He never takes off his garments to wring them out, after they have become water soaked, but allows them to dry on his body.

He carries no cane or weapon of any sort and had use for a weapon but once according to his own story. That was while he was walking through Kentucky and was given frequent trouble by the "night-riders" alleging that he was a spy sent out to report upon them.

Chief Running Horse carries a leather-bound notebook which bears the postmark of every town and city which he visited on his walk, and the signatures of the chiefs of police and the mayors of the towns. He expects to remain in Kansas City for two or three days and then continue his westward march. It is his belief that he will reach San Francisco two or three weeks ahead of his appointed time.

Labels: clothing, Native Americans, visitors, weather

May 11, 1908

BIG CROWD AT FAIRMOUNT.

And It Was Busy Enjoying Itself Un-

til Driven In by the Rain.

There was one of the biggest opening day crowds that Fairmount park ever saw at the amuseent place yesterday -- until about 7 o'clock last night. Then the crowd suddenly dwindled because of a rain that insisted on falling in quantities almost large enough to drown one.

A few minutes before the heavy rain came a slight drizzle began to fall. But the crowd wouldn't go The ticket sellers remained as busy as ever, the merry-go-round music box kept up the same familiar tunes and the man at the boathouse almost wept as he looked at the crowd waiting for boats and then remembered that every boat was out on the lake. Then the big excitement came. It didn't fall gradually, that rain. It insisted on coming down with a sloshing sound that resembled the overturning of thousands of barrels of water And the crowd scattered. Those near the pavilion made a rush for shelter and stayed there while others ran to the roller rink, the hotel, the annex -- anywhere to get out of the rain. Every place with a roof on it had all the person it could hold. For a few minutes the concessions that were enclosed did about as big a business as they'll ever do. At the car loop there was a crowd that reached fro the tracks to the fence of the park, a crowd that jostled and scrambled -- almost fought to get on cars.

But outside of that everything was lovely. The management was pleased, even if the crowd did have to leave about four hours too early -- pleased that the park should be attractive enough to draw the crowd it did after the rain of the morning. During the sunshiny hours of the afternoon the concessions, the walks, everything was crowded.

H. O. Wheeler's American band was enjoyed by many yesterday. Mr. Wheeler is one who does not believe in playing only classical music. On all his encores he plays music of a light character that goes well after a classical number.

And every one said that the park was prettier and more capable of furnishing amuseent than ever before -- even when they were coming home, wet and tired, after the rain.

Labels: amusement, fairmount park, streetcar, weather

May 3, 1908

GETTING READY FOR OPENING.

The Finishing Touches Are Being

Made at Fairmount Park.

More men have been employed to prepare the flower beds and other things which will beautify Fairmount park on its opening day, next Sunday. The frosts of the last few days destroyed many of the flowers, but making inroads upon the various greenhouses, new flowers have been procured to take the place of the ones that were killed. The park this year is to be prettier than ever. More care has been taken of the lawns and trees, the buildings have received new coats of paint and many new electrical effects have been added.

Among the unique attractions at the park this year is to be a "goat farm," where a number of goats will be kept. H. O. Wheeler's band will furnish the music for the park, while Albert's orchestra will be in the dancing pavilion. The outdoor skating rink, which is to be one of the features of the park this summer, is nearly finished.

Labels: fairmount park, flowers, weather

April 7, 1908

BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY.

Chairman Taylor Predicts

2,000 for Beardsley, Ross

5,000 for Crittenden.

Election day weather prediction -- Cloudy, and possible showers.

Polls open at 6 a. m. and close at 7 p. m.

Predicted that 44,000 votes will be cast in the 164 voting precints of the city.

REPUBLICAN CLAIMS.

Beardsley and the entire general Republican ticket will be elected by over 2,000 majority. I have a complete poll of the city made by men experienced in such work. The majorities for Beardsley in that portion of the city south of the Belt line and east of Woodland will be surprisingly large. --Clyde Taylor, Chairman Republican City Central Committee.

DEMOCRATIC CLAIMS.

Crittenden will be elected by 5,000 majority and the whole Democratic ticket as well will be elected. We figure we will carry the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Eleventh, Thirteenth and Fourteenth wards. We concede the loss of the Tenth ward, but believe that Morris, Republican nominee for lower house alderman, will be beaten.

The sentiment for the election of Mr. Crittenden is growing hourly, and we predict his election y no less than 5,000 majority. -- Michael Ross, Chairman Democratic City Central Committee.

The foregoing is the forcasts of the chairman of the Republican and Demoratic city central committees on the outcome of today's municipal election. They are given for what they are worth. Laymen say the race between Beardsley and Crittenden for mayor is to be close, and politicians who have made a study of the conditions say likewise.

Betting men have been laying odds on Crittenden, but yesterday the prevailing odds of $100 to $80 on Crittenden were wiped out and the betting was even money. It was said about the pool rooms and places where men speculate on elections that it was the Democrats themselves who wiped out the odds after hearing that Republicans had large sums of money to wager, but the Republicans claimed that it was their oldness and willingness to bet that made the Democratic speculators withdraw the odds.

Nothing new or sensational was infused into the campaign yesterday. There was a delightful absense of the day before election roorbacks, and one of the most spectacular mud-slinging campaigns that Kansas City has seen in years had a rather peaceful close.

Polls will open at 6 o'clock this morning and close at 7 o'clock tonight, just thirteen hours of voting. Prophets on matters political are predicting that if the weather is fine 44,000 ballots will be cast, and that scratched votes will be an observable feature of the day.

Labels: gambling, Kansas City council, Mayor Beardsley, politics, weather

March 26, 1908

WIND BREAKS HEAVY WINDOW.

Plate Glass Is Carried From Long

Building to Ninth Street.

So violent was the wind last night at Tenth street and Grand avenue that one of the large windows in the front of the Great Western Life Insurance Company's offices, on the second floor in the Long building, was blown from its casing at 12:30 o'clock. The glass left the sash as clean as though the window had been cut from the frame.

After the window was blown out and the glass broken, the wind carried the pieces of glass up Grand avenue as far as Ninth street. A red lantern was hung in front of the Long building warning those who might pass by the danger from falling glass. The pane was 9x6 feet long and 3/8 inch thick.

A few minutes before the window was broken the large bill-board directly across Grand avenue from the Long building, was blown down and carried several feet from the sidewalk by the wind.

Labels: Grand avenue, Ninth street, R A Long building, Tenth street, weather

March 13, 1908

IT FELT JUST LIKE SPRING.

One Boy Was Barefoot, Many Played

Marbles Yesterday.

With a temperature of 74 at 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon, the day took its place as the first burst of spring in Kansas City. The court house reporter was assigned to write a weather story and his observation included one boy walking barefoot on the court house lawn, many street urchins abandoning shinny clubs for marbles, quite few Italian grannies sitting in south doorsteps and the first game of horseshoes in Shelly park this year.

The forecast is for colder weather tomorrow.

Labels: children, courthouse, immigrants, weather

March 1, 1908

ROSES BEGIN TO BUD.

Leaves on Shade Tree Also Indicate

Approach of Spring.

Occasional frosts are keeping fruit trees back, but flowering bushes are in peril. Most roses are already budding, and along the lines of the stret cars shade trees are throwing out their leaves. One, at Seventeenth and Troost, has leaves measuring an inch across. Horticulturists say that while the flowers are almost certain to be destroyed by frosts sure to come, fruit trees may not be advanced far enough to get where the frost can reach them.

Labels: flowers, Seventeenth street, streetcar, Troost avenue, weather

January 31, 1908

TELEGRAPH GIRL READS SIGNS.

And Says There's Winter Weather

Coming -- How She Knows.

"I predict a long and severe winter," remarked the telegraph girl at the Savoy Hotel yesterday. "How do I know? Oh, by reading the weather signs.

"When I was a wee little girl and lived out on a farm I always could tell what the winter would be like by noting how thick the bark was on the new twigs and observing how large were the supplies of nuts the squirrels stowed away It took me a long while to find out the meaning of the signs in the city where there are no trees or squirrels. But I'm on now. What's the secret?

"Why, there have been three policemen standing in here for two days bundled up in their overcoats and leaning against the radiators."

Labels: police, telegraph, weather, women

January 25, 1908

SNOW STORM HERE TODAY.

Connor Says White Flakes Are Due in

Kansas City.

A snowstorm is promised by P. Connor, the local weather observer, for Kansas City and vicinity for today.

"There ought to be some here before morning," said Mr. Connor yesterday. "All the indications point to a fall of flakes, and if Kansas City gets left out it will be because of some unexpected change. Anyway, you'll be safe in getting out your overshoes."

Labels: weather

December 18, 1907

SNOW CAUSES COLLAPSE.

Front of Fifteenth Street Building

Falls, but No One is Hurt.

The northwest quarter of a two-story brick flat at Fifteenth and Baltimore collapsed yesterday morning at 4:30. The building sits up on a high embankment which has ben made exceedingly dangerous on account of the grading which has been necessary in cutting Fifteenth street through to Baltimore avenue.

The foreman of the grading gang had ordered the building braced with wooden supports. This was done, but the sleet and snow of yesterday morning caused the props to slip. With the statys gone or useless the outer wall of the building fell into the street.

The house was occupied by two families at the time of the accident. Mrs. Lulu Kelley and her family lived on the ground floor and Charles O'Day lived upstairs with his wife and two children. O'Day and his wife had left their two children in charge of Mrs. O'Day's sisters while they themselves spent the night with a relative who was ill.

When the people in the flat were awakened by the shock of the collapse, they ran out into the back yard in their night clothes, and despite the snow and cold, did not dare return into the house until they had been satisfied that there was no further danger of collapse.

When the police arrived and found that no one was injured, they called in the fire deparment to inspect the part of the building which remained standing. The occupants were told that they might stay the rest of the night in the rear rooms of the house in safety. At the break of dawn they had all of their household goods packed and ready to move.

W. H. Hawkins, a building inspector, says that he had notified the tenants of the flat two weeks ago that their home was in a dangerous condition. He said the building would have to be torn down.

Labels: Baltimore avenue, Fifteenth street, public works, weather

October 28, 1907

RETURN OF ALLEN DORMAN.

Rainmaker Is Back and With a

Brand New Scheme.

No wonder there has been a long drought. Allen Dorman has been neglecting his rain-making business.

"I never had a minute till last Wednesday," said Mr. Dorman yesterday, "and you notice it rained right away. 'Most had a mind to make it snow, but then I thought of the poor people. I have not got my own coal in yet."

Allen Dorman is the most notable of all rainmakers. He controls the "electric orbit that moves in eccentric curves across the zones of the polarial system." At least that is what he says he does and nobody has ever been able to find anybody wh could or would dispute it. Dorman takes himself seriously. He is a mild-spoken man. For a month or six weeks he has not been seen in his accustomed haunts, but he turned up safely yesterday with a brand new scheme. He makes rain in summer and sells automobiles, he says, "whenever he can."

Labels: weather

September 2, 1907

LIGHTNING BOTHERED POLICE.

Several Shocks Registered by

Gamewell Signals.

During the thunderstorms yesterday afternoon the officers of No. 6 police station were kept stepping sideways. The lightning seemed to be especially attracted to the wires of the Gamewell police signal service. Three times electricity followed the wires into the operator's office and played about his desk. Fuses were burned out, but no other damage was done.

Labels: No 6 police station, weather

August 10, 1907

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS HOT.

Bunch of Eastern Tourists Complain

of This Lovely Weather.

One hundred and ten tourists spent yesterday in Kansas City and displayed 110 different kinds of advertising fans from fifteen different cities.

"This must be the hottest place in the world," panted a matron from Syracuse, N. Y. , as she sat in front of the Midland hotel propelling a fan which advertised a dry goods store in Salt Lake City.

"It's simply a smother, after coming here direct from the mountains where we threw snowballs yesterday," gasped a lady with glasses and a drug store advertising fan from Seattle.

"We left New York a month ago and are now going home, after a tour of Canada, the Great Lakes, the Rockies and the Pacific coast," said James Kintort of Philadelphia, the manager, as he worked a Kansas City hat store fan.
"We had a fine time in your city, but the party is wilted. My collar looks like a celery three days old."

"It strikes me," sizzled a Boston youth between gusts from his paper fan from Albuquerque, N. M., "it strikes me that if I owned this hotel, I would have the palms placed on rapidly revolving pedestals. Natural palm leaf fans. Do you catch the point, eh?"

"Your car to the depot is ready!" called out Kintort, and the whole party ran for it with flans flying.

"No wonder that bunch is hot," chortled a bell hop. "They've been running like that all day."

Labels: Midland, visitors, weather

August 8, 1907

"JACK FROST" ARRIVES.

Guest With Wintry Name Registers

at Coates House.

"Well, wouldn't that give you the shivers," exclaimed George Mong, clerk at the Coates house, last night, as he looked at the register just after a guest had writteen his name. Not even the electric fans could make the heat bearable, and Mr. Mong was standing behind the big desk trying to look as though he were comfortable in the light summer coat he was wearing.

"Think of the nerve of a man registering a name like that, on a night like this," he continued. Those who heard his complaint stole the first opportunity to take a look at the book. The man's name was, "John W. Frost, Bloomington, Ill."

Labels: hotels, visitors, weather

July 28, 1907

KANSAS CITY, THE ICE BOX.

This Place Led Country in

Coolness Yesterday.

Kansas City yesterday was cooler than any summer resort in the United States. The maximum temperature here was 70, the lowest in the country excepting Huron, S. D. Only two places had a lower minimum -- Dodge City, Kas., and Denver, Col., in both of which it rained. When it cleared up in both places it got hotter trhan it was in this city. On the Northern lakes and at other summer resorts, excepting Colorado, it was decidedly hot.

Labels: Denver, weather

July 22, 1907

CIRCUS COOK OVERCOME

ON FIFTEENTH STREET.

Frank Brown, 22 years old, of Burwell, Neb., had constitution enough to hold the hard job of cook for Ringling Bros.' circus, but he went down before the excessive heat of yesterday. At 2 o'clock he was prostrated at Fifteenth and Campbell streets. Dr. G. R. Dagg, ambulance surgeon from the Walnut street police station, sent him to the general hospital.

Labels: doctors, Fifteenth street, general hospital, Walnut street police station, weather

July 22, 1907

HEAT HARD ON POOR.

Suffering in Crowded North

End Tenements.

The worst sufferers from the Sunday heat yesterday were probably the people living in crowded North end tenements. In that part of town, where there are few or no shade trees, and the only shelter from the sun's rays are lose little rooms inside or the baked shadow of a brick wall, people lay and swelter in the heat, most of them too much oppressed by the excessive temperature to care whether they got through the day or not.

In one crowded flat children lay about in stairways and on porches, fighting flies and trying to get a few minutes of sleep. Down there the breeze which made things tolerable in other parts of town was hardly at all in evidence. While no cases of actual prostrations were reported, a great many minor sick cases were developed in which the heat was a factor.

Labels: children, North end, weather

July 21, 1907

THE HOTTEST PLACE

ELEVENTH AND WALNUT SET

THE RECORD YESTERDAY.

THERMOMETER 106 THERE

Petticoat Lane a Sizzling
Pathway for Shoppers

Petticoat Lane is the hottest place in town. Petticoat Lane is one block in length, running east and west, between Main and Walnut streets -- or, more plainly put it is the main thoroughfare between several of the large department stores of the retail downtown Kansas City.

At 4:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon the mercury registered 106 at the northeast corner of Eleventh and Walnut streets. This intense heat was general in Petticoat Lane. Just around the corner in Walnut street at Eleventh, on the west side of the street, it was a trifle over 3 degrees cooler.

The regular afternoon crush of women shoppers was on yesterday afternoon in Petticoat Lane, to and from the various department stores in that district. P. Connor, the United States weather forecaster at the Scarritt building at Ninth street and Grand avenue, remarked:

"The sun's rays beat down on Petticoat lane all day long. The pavement is smooth and reflects the heat. Then the summer southwest breeze picks up the heat and hurls it against the buildings on the east side of the street. That accounts for the cooler temperature on the west side of Walnut street, just off Eleventh street."

And while the sun's rays beat down upon the pavement in Eleventh street, better known as Petticoat Lane, thousands of shoppers walked and rewalked through the block all the long, hot afternoon. The women carried fans and liberally patronized the soda fountains which are located alluringly near the open doors of the drug stores -- and all thought yesterday was the hottest day ever.

Labels: Eleventh street, Grand avenue, Main street, Ninth street, Petticoat Lane, retailers, Scarritt building, Walnut Street, weather

July 15, 1907

HORSE BLANKET ON ENGINE.

Rain at Park Gives Engineer

a Busy Time.

When the rain began to fall at Fairmount park last night various people ran sundry ways to find whelter, but the engineer of the miniature railroad, remembering his duty, dashed through the downpour to the train shed, seized a horse blanket and covered the engine. He paid no attention to the fact that he himself was getting wet, but spent five minutes putting the blanket about the "choo-choo," taking care that the smokestack came through where the horse's head should have been that the tender, filled with coal, was in the dry, and that the blanket was firmly fastened around.

"I'm afraid the iron horse will rust," he said, as he came back into a shelter.

Labels: fairmount park, weather

June 10, 1907

A SHOWER OF FISH

MOUNTAIN TROUT MINNOWS

FELL FROM THE SKY.

SURPRISE FOR INDEPENDENCE.

OLDEST INHABITANT NEVER

WITNESSED LIKE BEFORE.

One Fish Expert Estimated That a

Ton of Fish Fell -- Public Square

Carpeted With Minnows --

Catch Basins Were

Clogged.

At 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, when the rain was heaviest, a large quantity of small silver colored fish, which closely resembled mountain trout, fell from the sky at Independence. Although a few of the fish fell in all parts of the town, the fall was heaviest over the square in the center of the town. So many of the fish fell there that the catch basins, built to carry the water to the sewers, were clogged and the water backed up and covered the sidewalks.

There were few people on the square when they fell, not over twenty, but the report of the remarkable occurrence spread throught the town and hundreds came out through the pouring rain to see the fish. Those who were incredulous and refused to come at first came later when fish by the pocketful were brought to them.

Nearly everybody in Independence who wished it had fish last evening. Men and women came to the square and picked them up off the pavement. Each man put a few in his pockets, and each woman picked up two or three, wrapped them in her handkerchief or a piece of paper and carried them home for souvenirs. The fall of fish brought an exciting finish to what had promised to be a very dull Sunday in the town. The people were still sitting up and talking about it at midnight.

It was all new to the young people, but there were old-timers who told of having seen frogs and butterflies fall down from the sky. There wasn't anyone, however, who had ever seen fish come down in a rainstorm before.

It is estimated by an Independence fish expert that the total quantity of fish which fell was about a ton.

Labels: animals, Independence, weather

April 9. 1907

NEAR FROST AT MIDNIGHT.

Yesterday a Time of Furnaces and

Winter Clothes.

The old-timer who claimed, during that hot March weather, that Dame Nature always equalized thing, and that we should have to pay for our premature summer, has been vindicated. Yesterday was one of the coldest April days in years, and certainly one of the most disagreeable. There was a high wind all day, and it was a bit like a December gale. The grays and lavenders and novelties in men's clothing were temporarily superseded by the old winter garments, and overcoats were everywhere in evidence.

At midnight last night the thermometer stood at 40 deg. above, only 3 deg. above the freezing point and 12 below the lowest mean average ever recorded for the month. The day was partly cloudy, but there was no rainfall in Kansas City. Furnaces were fired up all over the city, and the unfortunate housekeeper, who had failed to keep a supply of coal on hands had to make heavy inroads on the kindling supplies to keep his house warm.

The mean average for the month of April is a temperature of 54 degrees. The lowest average, 52 degrees, was in 1892. April 4, 1899, was the coldest April day ever recorded. On that day the mercury went down to 22, and there was a general freeze.

Warmer weather for the rest of the week has been promised by the local observatory.

Labels: weather

March 22, 1907

90 AT 3 O'CLOCK.

ALL RECORDS FOR HEAT IN KANSAS CITY BROKEN

MIDSUMMER TEMPERATURE.

EIGHT INCHES OF SNOW ON GROUND
ONE YEAR AGO

In March, 1902, Sixteen Inches of Snow

Fell -- Total Snowfall of March Last Year Was

Thirteen Inches -- This March Only a Trace.

"I wish the Gillian had put off his speech before the Knife and Fork Club until tonight," remarked a man on a Troost avenue car yesterday. "I should like to hear him descant upon the perversity of human nature in general and of people in hot weather in particular. Now look at that woman there near the front on the right hand side. She has a big ermine boa around her neck and I'll wager she has a muff in her lap. And here it is the hottest day in March in 20 years, as the weather bureau told me."

The man glowered at the woman, who looked actually chilly, while the fetching little boa looked just too sweet for anything.

"Now I don't like to rush the season," continued the man apologetically, "but when it is 90 on March 24 it is me to the camphor chest and last summer's straw hat."

And as he took of the wheat stalk "lid" to mop his melting countenance he observed: "Man is a queer animal--especially a woman."

The point of the whole matter was that the woman really wore a fur boa with the cutest little black stripes running down half way to the reticle and the man really wore a straw hat and the thermometer really registered 90 degrees at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon and that that was the maximum March temperature in Kansas City since the weather bureau was established a score of years ago.

Incidentally, it was the first day of spring. Last year at this time the eight inches of snow which fell on March 18 and 9 had not yet melted and the minimum temperature was 8 degrees above zero March 20, while March 21 it ranged from 6 to 47. Yesterday the minimum was 66 degrees. In March, 1902, a storm culminated which caused sixteen inches of snow to be on the ground March 28. The total snowfall for March of last year was thirteen inches, while this March there has been so far only a trace, on March 13.

The maximum temperature yesterday was two degrees higher than the previous maximums were 84, 88, and 86.

Labels: Troost avenue, weather

January 31, 1907

FEBRUARY FOR 18 YEARS.

Average Temperature 29 Degrees and

Precipitation of 1.72 Inches

The Kansas City weather offices has issued a summary of the weather conditions here for the month of February for the last eighteen years. It is not a forecast. The mean or normal temperature for the last eighteen Februarys here was 29 deg. above; the warmest February in that time was in 1892, when the average was 37 deg., and the coldest that of 1899, with the average 19. Teh highest February temperature in that time was 76, on the 26th, in 1896, and the lowest 22, on the 12th, in 1899.

The average precipitation for the eighteen Februarys was 1.72 inches, and the average number of days of the month on which it was more than .01 of an inch was eight. The greatest precipitation was in the month of 1892, which was 4.27 inches, and the least was in 1890, when it was only .58 of an inch.

The greatest precipitation in any twenty-four hours was on the 11th and 12th in 1894, and it was 1.49.

Labels: weather