The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-14
KANSAS THE WORST SUFFERER
FROM THE PROLONGED SOUTH
WESTERN TORRID WAVE
DROUGHT PROBLEM SERIOUS
Farmers Are Practically Giving
Away Their stock Because of
the Growing Scarcity
of Water.
SUFFERING IS WIDESPREAD


IN Kansas from the prolonged drought is
| now more intense than ever 1t is hard
| ly expected that here will be any last
ing relief before fall. The fire Depart
| ments in Topeka, AtchisOn, Emporfa
Lawrence and other of the larger cities
have addressed appeals to the people
asking them to shut off all their
| hydrants whenever the fire whistle Is
| blown, so as to give the proper amount
of pressure on the water mains leading
to the fires. There is not city in the
state which is tonight able to cope with
a fire. Buildings have reached such an
intense dryness that a fire will start on
the slightest provocation, and once start
ed in some parts of the cities, enormous
losses would be sure to ensue
reports from the country districts tell
that all the streams are running low
Mills and electric light plants that were
run by water power have been forced
to close Most of the ponds have been
! dry for two weeks, and the question of
| Where to obtain water for stock IS one
of the most important propositions chat
! has confronted the Kansas farmer for
years.
As result stock is being placed on
sale at rtdiculously low prices Some
nave said they would even give their
stock away if relief did not come soon
| as to purchase feed for the animals
would be investing more money than
| they are worth.
Reports from twenty-four Kansas
counties toHight, mostly in the eastern
| and central parts of the state Indicate
that the corn crop is not so badly off as
has hitherto been published. The late
product has not yet begun TO tassel and
| II IS the general verdict that it is stand
ing the heat remarkably well, and II
| favorable weather conditions would come
| at once, half crop of corn would be
| obtained in these counties. But the con-
ditlons now are anything but propitious
for better weather. Dairymen have been
) opllged to double the price Of milk, so
| high have the prices of feed become
LIVE STOCK DIRT CHEAP.
KANSAS CITY, Mo, July 1S.-Despite
local thunder storms accompanied by
light rain fail in Western Missouri last
! night the drought that is burning up
| vegetation in Missouri, Kansas, Okla
homa and Indian Territory Is stu uu-
! broken. The Kansas City weather OBJ
server says:
The atmosphere IS so uniformly heat
ed to such a great altitude that it makes
/ precipitation almost impossible Clouds
may gather and a few drops Of rain may
! fail, but the lower stratum of air rs SO
hot that the rain drops would be trans
formed to vapor in passing through it,"
Ihere Is no relief in sight and the
situation becomes worse each hour. sev-
7 eral days ago one-fourth of a corn crop
IN Kansas was hoped for. The estimates
now must be still further reduced
Prayers for rain will be offered in
scores OF churches in Missouri and KAN
sas tomorrow.
The Kansas City live stock market Is
an index TO the situation. The cattle
market mas gone through one of the
most trying weeks in many year. AZ
many feeders as possible are holding
back their cattle in the hope that "a "a
will succor them. Each day, however.
| brings them nearer to the Inevitable and
commission men are flooded with letters
indicating that next week is the longest
| they can hold out. Ruling prices are
the lowest In many years and during the
last few days the commoner grades of
stock cattle could not be sold at any
price.
Receipts during the week aggregated
over $1,000, the heaviest ever known at
this season Of the year. AS compared
with the previous week there was an
| Increase of 10000 and 26,00O more than the
corresponding week a year ago.
Some of the dressed beef buyers sa q
as early as Thursday that their coolers
were full and that they could not buy
more until there was an outlet for tae
dressed beef which had accumulated in
their hands.
The stockers and feeders situation, old
timers say, is the worst they have known
in twenty-five years
The weeks movement Of hogs to the
local markets was the heaviest ever
known. The total receipts were above
122,O0) against 10000 In one week of
/ August. 1880, the best previous record.
Unless rain comes the supply may be
! still greater next week. Most packers
believe if 1t rains, there viii be scarce
! ly 50.C00, and If it does not 10000 may
come. Buyers limits this week are
! 10000, or 10000 more than Chicago e1-
| poets.
RAIN IN IOWA.
BURLINGTON, Iowa. July l3.-Re-
! ports from counties north of Burling-
/ ton tell Of heavy wind, rain and ha
storms last night. Hailstones as large
as hens eggs fell, doing much damage
to standing corn and knocking fruit from
trees. Many acres Of corn were ruined
! in Louisa and Washington counties
! Lightning did much Damage, burning
! several barns a number Of grain stacks
and killing live stock. Two men were
reported seriously injured by hail in
Louisa county. A barn was burned ana
| the owner badly injured by lightning
near West Point Several small buiil-
ings were blown down in other localI-
! ties.
DES MONIES, Iowa, July 13.-The
maximum temperature here today was
102 degrees and the thermometer stood
above 100 for five hours this afternoon.
Reports to grain firms show 81 ght dam
age to Iowa corn, except to very ear
| and very late fields.
COOLER AT ST. LOUIS.
ST. LOUIS, Mo. July BAT a. m.
the weather bureau recorded 81 degrees
A cool breeze tempered the heat The
| highest record in Missouri yesterday was
! ia at De Soto.
The record of 81 degrees at noon indi-
Gated that the intense heat Of the past
! few days is abating. Showers are prom
ised for tonight or tomorrow morning
MEXICO, No, July 1S.-Ran. the first
IN weeks fell over this section Of Mis-
souri, today, the temperature dropping
/ thirty-fve degree. 1t will result I'm Inc
calculable good to the crops.
! NEBRASKA sWELTERs
OMAHA, Neb., July 1s.-Today was
another intense hot one. the mercury
! reaching 10 at 4 p m. It started at
a. m. at and stood at 81 at noon. AT
that hour a slight breeze came up, tho
FIRST for twenty-four hours. which par
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