Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-30
Late Corn in Iowa is Saved by a
Downpour.
FALL is GENERAL OVER THE STATE
centervile Moistened for Three Hours
Fairfield Gets Share-Copious
Showers in Kansas Nebraska's
Corn Greatly Helpsd.
From Mondays Daily.

| ing the night before another hot day
began, when some couldn't sleep and
others wouldn't, when every one was
On the verge of being driven to drink
or making friends with his mother-in-
law or some other equally foolish
thing, a good. old fashioned rain, the
equal of which has not been known in
this city before during the present
year, finally started yesterday morn.
ing. Although not much fell then
showers occurred during the day and
in the evening there was heavy one.
A Thunder Storm.
But that isn't all. Throughout the
night, when one awakened, he could
hear the soft and cheerful patter of
the rain drops on the roof and now
and again would see flash of light
ming and hear peal of thunder that
made him remember Paine's Battle of
Manila.
Big Rain Saturday Night.
On Saturday night there was one Of
the heaviest rains on record extending
J all the way from Creston to Dudley.
/ At that point for some reason, all
trace is lost. and no better account of
the storm can be given than that it
spent the night near Dudley, then NOV
ed on to this city early in the morning.
However, that may be, Ottumwa and
the surrounding county got good,
heavy rain and the people are happy.
Even though considerable lightning
and thunder accompanied the storm,
there is but little damage reported as
resulting, and the community can
stand little damage to property if
the crops are given the benefit of a
good. soaking rain.
| From the time the rain commenced
Saturday night until daylight this
| morning the amount of precipitation
was Ia inches. This is the heaviest
rainfall recorded this year in the same
| length of time, and brings the rainfall
for July within LA inches of that for
June, when 3.12 inches of rain fell on
ten rainy days. There have been but
two rainy days in the present month,
.28 of an inch having fallen on July 18.
This amount with yesterdays and last
nights RAINFALL makes the July figures
1.68 inches for only two rainy days.
Storm Was General.
Reports sent to the Burlington divi-
sion offices in this city are to the eff
| feet that the rain was general, extend
mig all over Iowa. Farmers are happy
over the prospects TO late corn, which
they say will be bettered by % per
cent on account of the rain. The lack
of sunshine today is an added feature
which makes the advantage greater,
for had the weather become hot i'm
mediately after the rain the corn
would have been "scalded" and would
have been in worse condition than be-
| fore the rain.
Implement Men Happy.
Local farm implement men find
cause to rejoice over the rain, also.
| One Ottumwa man engaged in this
! line of business said to Courier re-
| porter today that the recent rain,
while it would not Immediately sell
goods for him, would cause second
crops Of clover, help the millet and
corn and make the general condition
of the farmer better so that the nipple
ment mems collections and chance
sales of mowers and shredders will
be better in the fall.
Des Moines, July 29.-General rains
have fallen within the past forty-eight
hours in nearly all parts of the state,
being heaviest in northern and west
ern Iowa. Incalculable benefit has
been done to crops. In Des Moines
yesterday the fall was sixty-fve hun.
dredths of an inch. This is the larg.
est fall so far reported to the weather
station. From all along the lines of
the Rock Island and the Burlington
come reports Of refreshing showers.
Pastures are certain to revive and late
corn everywhere is reported out of
danger. The hot spell is broken, the
maximum in Les Moines today being
So.
Rain in Iowa Is General.
Dubuque, July 29.-The drouth has
been. broken by rainfall of 1876 in
ches. Reports from points in Iowa
west and north show the storm was
general, rain being especially heavy at
Fort Dodge, Manson and Ackley.
At MarshalItown.
Marshalltown, July ga welcome
rain began here at midnight Saturday
and continued at frequent intervals all
day. A total Of II inches falling up
to o'clock. The precipitation was
not a downpour, but was taken into
the ground as fast as it fell. 1t has
done great good.
| Heavy Rains at Knoxville.
Knoxville, July 29.-The drouth is
broken, heavy rains yesterday having
been general. This will save the corn
crop.
Three Inches at Bedford.
Bedford, July 29.-The drouth in
this section was broken yesterday.
Nearly three inches Of rain fell yester,
day. This means 80 per cent of the
corn crop in this locality.
Rain at Fairfield.
Fairfield, July 29.--(Special.) 1.-THE
long continued drought was broken
last night, when about ten o'clock q
good rain began to fall. which contin
ued more or less through the night
perhaps rainfall Of nearly two inches
The prospect for today Is that We shall
still have rain. The corn crop is in
bad condition at the present time and
it will be several days before it is
known whether this rain will revive it
Moisture Falls for Three Hours,