The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-12
Heavy Fall General From Texas as Far
North as Minnesota.
The Drought Just Broken Never
Equaled for Severity and Wide
Area of Country AFected-The
age Estimated at Twenty-Five
Per Cent.

CHICAGO, Oct. 11.-Rain fell gener-
ally to-day throughout the parched belt
of the Western States. and the long
disastrous drought has at last been
broken. Reports from Kansas, Nebras-
ka, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas
and Minnesota show quite general rains
are still falling, with indications of
continuing during the next twenty four
hours.
The rain in Nebraska is the first of
any consequence that has fallen in that
State for six weeks, while Kansas is
receiving her first for two months.
According to the Weather Bureau, an
unusually extensive area of low barom-
eter extends from the Rocky Noun
tains eastward over the Mississippi and
Ohio Valleys and the Lake region.
Within the area since Saturday morn
ing general showers have fallen. The
heaviest rainfall reported is at Wichi-
ia, Kan, where 2.SS inches were regis
tered.
The temperature is above the nor
mai in nearly all sections except the
Southwest
The drought just broken has, for Sc
verify and wide area of country af-
fected. never been equalled in this
country. Crops have been destroyed.
fires have leaped uD as if from spon-
taneous combustion in fields and wood
land. and every moment of the time
since the middle of August has been
crowded with dangers to cities.
Farmers have been hauling water for
their stock-even buying the fluid in
6
small towns throughout the country
have suffered severely from fire.
Conservative estimates place the
damage in acreage of winter wheat at
- per cent Thousands of acres
throughout the affected districts have
not even been pIowed, the ground being
in such condition to render field work
Lext to impossible.
The rain is a godsend. Pastures
which have been dried up for weeks
viii be available once more.
Weather Bureau officials said the in
dications pointed to a continuance of
the rainfall for thirty-six hours more.
RAIN IN TEXAS.
DALLAS CTex.), Oct. 1.-THE drought
of the last eight weeks has been broken
nearly half the State during the past
twenty-four hours. The rain belt ex-
tends from the Brazos Valley to Red
River, and from Abilene, in West Tex
as, and Wichita Falls in the Panhan-
Ole. TO the Louisiana line.
The drought had damaged the corn
crop, 1essened the States cotton crop
by 100000 bales, and greatly retarded
preparations for fall planting. Greeks
and ponds throughout Central, Western
and Northern Northwest Texas have
ben dry for two weeks, and a water
famine was threatened. Preparations
for seeding a big area of wheat will now
begin.
RAIN CAME TOO LATE.
KANSAS CITY, Oct 11-Specials
from Oklahoma and the Indian Terri
tory state that heavy downpour of
rain occurred over that part of the
southwest yesterday. In some part of
the Indian Territory the rains come
too late, it is feared, to save fall crops.
DIAKKA'S WIN A POPULAR ONE.
LONDON, Oct. 1.-THE Star" says
the riding of Tod Sloan, the American
jockey, in the trials at Newmarket
greatly amuses the on-lookers, adding
that his seat is even more grotesque
than Simms''
The win of the Lorillard- Beresford
stable on Saturday, when the American
colt Diakka won the Duke of York
stakes, is very popular. and the news
papers greatly praise the open and
sportsmanlike mannerin which P. Loril-
lardss horses are run The Daily
Mail" says: The Lorillard- Beresford
stables does not go in for heavy gam
bling like the Dryers, when they had
their Yankee horses here, and occa-
sionally ME- Croker whose losses on
Montauk. $4,000 in his first race, and
on Americas, must have put piles
of money into the pockets Of the Brit
ish book-makers'