The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-23
1T WAS THE HOTTEST
September i'm 40 Years Says
Weather Observer Jennings.
Other PecuIiarities of a Most
Peculiar Month.
Reports From All over the State
About It.

Weather Observer T. B. Jennings mas
just finished his official government re
port of the climate and crops Oh Kan
sas for the month of September. II Is
prepared under the direction of Wills
l. Moore, CHIEF of the weather bureau
at Washington. Mr.. Jennings says Oh
September;
This month has broken the record IN
some respects; it is the warmest Sep
tember for forty years, being even
warmer than September 1865 and is one
of the driest within that time-three
Septembers, 1892, 1888 and 1868 pelng
drier. 1t came in with hot dry peri
Cd which lasted till the lOths IN the
western counties, being broken by rams
on the afternoon and evening OF the Sln,
but the intense heat continued through
the 18th, in the eastern counties TO De
broken on the 14th by good rains gen
orally over the state. Late corn IS
seriously affected by the drought eN-
cept in the western counties Wnere II
needed such weather, after the August
rains, to carry it to maturity; pastures
were Drowned and stock water rapldiy
diminished 50 that the care OF STOCK
became a very serious matter IN many
parts of the state. The three days rain
in the middle of the month proved decIu-
edly beneficial to everything except
stock water, coming slowly the water
all penetrated the dry ground instead
of running off into the creeks ana
ponds, and put the ground in me con-
dition for plOwing and sowing, both OF
which We're pushed.
The last nine DAYS were hot and dry,
the temperature ranging hlghef IN the
eastern than the western counties, ana
averaging 10 degrees above the norman
in the eastern.
The growing season was practically
over by the first of the month and the
maturing and securing of crops ana
preparing the ground for fau SeedlIlS
has been the main work this. month.
At the close of the month much wheat
has been SOWn and some OF II IS up
corn cutting is nearly done, and corn
cribbing has begun, While the new corn
has appeared on the market IN some OF
the western counties. Light 1roSts oc-
Cured on the 18th, in Johnson county,
on the 18th in Johnson and FRANKLIN,
on the goth, in Marshal and johnson,
and on the 21st, in COffey, Greenwood,
Wilson, Neosho and Cherokee. The
mean temperature was above the nor
NAL over the entire state; there were
three centers of great excess, in La
bette Montgomery and NeOShO it was D
degrees and upward above the normal,
but the greatest excess appears
through the more northern counties and
| reached degrees in an area extending
from the central part of jackson
across POttawatomie and Riley to the
northern part of Clay; an excess OF 8
degrees occurs also in the eastern and
northern part of TregO; the area OF
| least excess is found in the valley of the
| Little Arkansas and includes the SOutn-
| western quarter of Mcpherson, the
| southeastern quarter of Reno, the west
| half of Harvey and the northern part
| of Sedgwick, within this area the tenn
| perature is less than degrees above
| the normal; the excess diminishes in
| the four corners of the state.
The rainfall occurred principally in
an area extending diagonally across
| from the northwestern counties to the
| central southern, thence northeast to
! the central eastern; less than an inch
! fell in the northeastern counties, ex-
| tending down through POttaWatOmie,
| Morris and Marion into Butler; less
| than an inch fell in the southwestern
| and extreme southeastern counties
| over two inches fell in Lyon and east
| ward through Johnson and Miami: in
! the southeast part of Greenwood; from
| KiOWa across Pratt into the western
| part of Kingman and Reno, the south
| ern part of Saline and in the north
| western counties, with an area of three
| inches and over in Thomas, Cove and
| the southern part of Sheridan. The
| average number of rainy days for the
| state was three. The rainfall is above
| the normal in the northern half of the
| western division, and in kiOWa and
! Pratt the greatest excess occurring in
Thomas and is 1.94 over the rest OF
| the state it is deficient, the greatest
| 412 occurring in Cherokee:
The summary as given in the report
1.-The mean temperature was 74.0 de-
| grees, which is 40 degrees above the
normal; highest monthly mean, 79'
degrees, at Girard; lowest monthly
mean, 6s4 degrees. at Colby Pratt's
694 is considered too low); maximum
lO5 degrees, at Girard and OswegO OF
the 5th; minimum SO degrees, at Sene-
ca on the 2Oth; greatest monthly range
81 degrees, at Columbus; least monthly
range, 48 degrees, at Dodge, Emporia
and Garden City.
The average precipitation for the
month was l. So, being .73 below the
normal; greatest monthly, 3.42, at Cove
City; least monthly, .05, at Oswego
| Prevailing direction of wind from
south.
DATES.
Thunderstorms: 9, 10. IL, IA, Is. 16
"a
Hot winds: l. 2, 3, 4, s.
| Hazy and smoky: Is, q. %, 29 30"
From the various government wea
! ther observers throughout the state re