The Sudden 'White Squall' Hits Tacoma
A ferocious storm rips through the harbor with wind, rain, and snow, causing ships to drift and confusing local scientists.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
For a few minutes just before sunset, the wind blew a hurricane in Tacoma. A mass of clouds whirled about the sun, appearing like a huge cyclone in the sky. While the blow lasted, it hailed, rained, and snowed simultaneously. Local scientists are curious to know the cause of the sudden change of temperature which preceded the blow, and the circular movement of clouds and the dull grayish mist which filled the air. The storm reminded old seamen of the white squall of the tropics. The ship Dominion was blown across the bay, the force of the wind breaking the buoy fastenings and letting the vessel go adrift.
“The storm reminded old seamen of the white squall of the tropics.”
Unpredictable 'Puget Sound squalls' remain a familiar seasonal hazard for boaters and harbor masters today. This 1894 account captures the confusion of early settlers faced with the extreme microclimates of the region, echoing how residents still marvel at the volatility of Sound weather.
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