Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-24
HistOry OF the Recent yIOods.

VKAAa
The Weather Review for the month Of
July, just issued by the Signal Office at
Washington, contains much valuable
meteorological information. The rain.
fall chart for the month is Of peculiar
interest in connection with the recent
disastrous floods in the Ohio valley and
the tributaries of the Ohio river and the
present threatened overflow of the Lower
Mississippi. The chart shows that over
a large area of country, extending FROM
the eastern portion OF Nebraska, Kan.
sas, and Indian Territory eastward to
Kentucky and Southern Ohio, and EN-.
bracing almost the entire basins of the
Ohio, Cumberland, Central Mississippi
aud Lower Missouri rivers, the rainfall
for the month exceeds ten inches. and
amounts in many places to over sixteen
inches, The average rainfall for July
throughout all this section of country is
about three and three-fourth inches,
therefore this vast agricultural area has
received from three to four times its nor.
NAL amount of water, producing the ex-
%cessive foods that have recently been
chronicled.
Going a little further back the reader
learns, however, that this excessive
monthly rainfall, large as it is, is not
wholly at fault for all the damage. The
Signal Service rain chart for June showed
that the aria OF excessive rains for that
month was confined to nearly the same
section Of couRtry, embracing the Ms
souri,, Central Missouri, and Lower Ohio
Valleys, The rainfall in these sections
during June was nearly ten inches, while
the normal amount for June was four
and a half inches. The abundant june
rains, although they somewhat retarded
agricultural operations, we're conducive
to a luxuriant growth of vegetation, and
July was ushered in with favorable pros
poets for the farmers. This rainy period.
extending through June and July, served
to I'LL most OF the water courses to their
srinks; and when the storm, which ad-
vanced eastward from the Lower Missis-
sippi Valley, on the 30th Of July, reached
Indiana and Ohio, it poured its torrents
of water out upon those unfortunate
States for nearly forty-eight hours, dur
ing July 81 and August l, leaving them,
in many sections, completely submerged.
Sach is the meteorological history of
these foods. The waters have now
somewhat subsidized, and many farmers
whose farms we're inundated bone to.
reap a partial crop, but whether such
will be the case or not depends upon the
weather fer the next few weeks. While
heavy and inceSsaRt rains have fallen
over such a large portion Of the wheat
and corn-producing section OF the conn
try, excessively warm and dry weather
has prevailed in most of the cotton dis
;riots. Less than one inch of rain ielh
during the whole month of July in a
large section of the States of Missis-
sippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida,
and the average rainfall for the entire
Gotten States during the month hardly
exceeds two inches, being about one
third of the normal amount for July in
these sections. This large deficiency, in
connection with the deficiency for June
in the same sections, will doubtless prove
unfavorable to the cotton crop. Reports
from many localities already show that
the yield will be light. The area of corn
piauteu thls eeheUn IN tuo coJtOn oLates
is said to be unusually large. This viii
prove a valuable adjunct to the resources
of the South, as this crop suffers less
from drouth than most others. Should
the floods cause a short crop in the more
northerly sections, the value to the cot
ton planter of his home productions will
he greatly augmented. The tempera-
ture table in connection with the review
reveals the fact that July of this year
has been slightly cooler than the average
in the central and northern sections of
the country, and considerably warmer in
the southern. This is maniiestly due to
the excessive precipitation of rain 10
the former and the deficiency Of rain in
the latter.