Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-06-30

June report of the wheat cr0p-De-
partment of Agriculture West Vir-
ginia. Peasants Much injured by
frosts and many fields have been
plowed up and seeded to oats. In
consequence of the drought last fall,
the acreage in wheat was less than the
year previous. Summers: Looking
remarkably we'll. Marion: Doing
we'll; excellent crop expected. Roane:
Thin and short. 1t froze badly dur.
ing the winter. Monongalia: 1t is
doing well and looks favorable for a
good yield. Cabell: The poorest pros
pect for many years. jackson Some
fields are looking worse than usual !;
while it seems to be thick enough on
the ground, still it does not look heal
thy. 1t is only on good land where
it was sown early that it looks at all
promising. Preston: On the 18th of
May a severe hailstorm injured the
wheat badly, but it is impossible to
say at this time to what extent.
Hardy: 1t was doing finely until the
hail on the 18th Of May which dam
aged it to some extent. Wood In
jured by fly and joint-worm in some
gelds. Wetzel: Owing to frequent
rains the wheat crop has improved
materially. Tyler: It has improved
wonderfully since last report. FIRE.
quent rains have been beneficial.
Great Britain.-The present season
is said, with one exception, 1885, to
he the most backward known in a
generation. The month has been
characterized by great deal of SUM-
shine of little warmth, as the cold
northeast winds neutralized the effect.
The wind has not only evaporated
the little available moisture from the
ground, but it has apparently injuri-
ousiy affected the vitality of plant
life. Mr.. Kains Jackson, trained
observer, who has just returned from
a long trip through the principal
wheat counties, speaks pessimistical.
ly OF the situation of cereals, while
admitting that mere backwardness is
not necessarily fatal to the prospects
of a fair crop. All Europe appears to
be in about the same situation with
the exception of southern Russia),
there having been too much cold, ac-
companied by too little rain.
BLOWN HIGH IN THE AIR.-CUM.
BERLAND, June PA terrible boiler
explosion occurred at quarter after
six O'Clock this morning at Keyser,
W. Va. Engine No. 122 is an eight
wheel camel.back, and is used on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Kew.
ser as a yard engine. The engineer
was Joseph Bell, an old and skilled
employee, and William Bohmes was
fireman. The crew went out at their
usual hour to do the shifting in the
yard. The engine exploded tearing
the engine and boiler into fragments,
and instantly killing the engineer and
scalding the fireman horribly. AL
though he is not dead he cannot live,
being scalded from head to foot SO
badly that touching the flesh it would
drop from his legs. Conductor John
McNabb was on the front of the en-
CINE and was badly hurt, but will re-
cover. He was blown fully sixty feet
from the track, the engineer and fire.
man were also blown great distances.
Bohmes, the fireman, is forty six
children, and formerly lived at Mar
tinsburg, but has been at Keyser for
about seven years. Joseph Bell was
forty-two years old; he had been a
railroad man all his life. He leaves
wife and seven children, and was
formerly from Grafton. He had been
in many wrecks, and was blown up
at the Rowlesburg explosion. He
was buried at Westernport on Sun
day. Bell was a good fellow and very
popular. and was we'll known in Cum
berland.
An eye witness says he was on top
of car.