Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-27

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BETTER WEATHER FOR SOME DAYS PREDICTED
QUEER MErEoRoLoGIC CONDITIONS IN MAY
STORM COMING FROM MONTANA
Experienced river men have no fear Of 9 very
great rise in the Potomac river at this point
unless the rainfall of the past week should be
continued the water at noon today was st
least three feet above the ordinary high-water
mark at Georgetown and was rising, but not
rapidly. The current was quite swift. bearing
on Its course quantities OF drift The freshet
VIII necessarily put stop to rowing parties for
at least two or three days.
THE sIGSAL OFFICE Not ALARMED.
The signal Office does not place much Gre
dence IN the rumors OF coming food There
have been no reports received indicating any
unusually heavy rainfall in the upper valleys
that furnish the Potomac with water
but this Is not significant. the observer at
harper Ferry If the only official TO send such
reports and thus a large part Of the area Ia lefs
uncovered. Last night the word that came
down the river rather alarming but the
observer WAS silent
WHAT TIE HAMPERS FERRY OBSERVER SAYS
This morning, however. he sent the follow
ing telegram at about 1890: Water IL feet
above zero; falling" Zero presumably means
the level of the bed of the river. and as there
is ordinarily three or four feet Of water in the
river at the low stage. TINS report
would indicate rise of about
ten feet above the low-water mark A rise that
is not considered dangerous at the signal Office
The addition Of the word falling" is reassur-
ing, showing. as IL does, that the food which
gave cause for the alarm yesterday had prob
ably spent itself and was receding
a private dispatch from Harpers Ferry was
received here this morning as follows: This
morning the water fourteen feet above
low-water mark, or about half way between
the lowest ana highest that ever occurred.
lhe river at 10 O'Clock was falling and no
danger was apprehended at points below. IL
was thought that the river would not rise
much at Washington"
The rains that have fallen during the mast
few days have not been of u character to war
rant any serious alarm. They have been heavy
spurts, but not steadily so. The heaviest
rains have occurred on the coast
QUEER WEATHER IN MAY
The month of May has been meteorologically
odd. There has been constant succession OF
storms. none of them severe in themselves but
all wet and rapid. They have come in lunches
at times, one of the maps showing the presence
of hve storms scattered over the country
The result has been a continued state of moisture
in this vicinity mostly in the form of low threat
enlng clouds, that have been nearly ss
dlsagreeabie the rain itself The
records at the Office show that for the
month OF May there has been an eX-
cess of precipitation or rainfall Of l65 inches
over the average while there is a deficiency of
elght-tenths of an inch as compared
with the average from the LIST of January. This
has been accompanied by cool temperature
for the month of May. there being a deficiency
OF temperature OF degrees. But the records
since January / show AN excess of 57y degrees
an extraordinary amount OF heat for the winter
and spring.
FAIR WEATHER FoR FEW DAYS.
The present indications are that there will
be let up in the rain for few hours. There
lis large area of high barometer spread
rather evenly over the entire central portion OF
the country that will cause comparatively fair
weather to prevail in this region.
MONTANA STORM.
But storm Of some severity has developed
just north of Montana and is moving eastward.
1t remains TO be whether it will lend its aid
TO close the month of May in a characteristics
manner or Will edge of sufficiently to the
northWard to let us escape