The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1901-07-06
THE DEADLY HOT WAVE.
OUR WEATHER BUREAUS STUDY OF
SUMMERS CHIEF TERROR

Three to sir Days Wave Means Crop
Loss Of 90 Per Cent. and an Incalcu'
liable Sacrifice OF Life and Property.
This is the season OF the year when
the weather bureau endeayOrs to CO..
operate with the department OF agri-
culture In the effort to furnish the
farmer with some intimation OF the
kind of weather he may expect from
day to day, writes the Washington
correspondent Of the New York Com
mercial Advertiser. While. this is
matter of dollars and cents with the
farmer it Is oftentimes question OF
life or death with the dweller in cities,
and is of equal interest at least No
damage results in town or country
from average summer weather, even
though it may be considered some
what torrid. 1t is the hot wave
which ruins the farmers prospects for
q bountiful harvest and brings death
and suffering to prisoners within the
city blocks.
Mr.. A. T. Burrows, the weather bu-
reau expert on hot waves, modestly
summarizes the results of many years
Of investigation In this particular d.
rection by saying that the only posi-
tive knowledge which has been &C
quirei is that during hot wave the
eastward circulation of the atmos-
phere, both upper and lower, Is for
the time being almost totally suspend
ed and that radiation is at that time
at a minimum. He takes occasion,
however, to puncture the reputation
Of several we'll known long-distance
weather prophets By declaring that
while it is quite practicable to fore
cast high temperature for q period
O., from four to five days, predictions
for longer time are the merest guess
work, and not entitled to credence.
The hot. wave occupies the most i'm
portant position among all weather
phenomena in the destruction of life
ami property which follows its wake.
A summer hailstorm may destroy con-
siderable property over limited area,
high wind may cause damage OF
more serious nature and tornado is
still more destructive of property, and
usually accompanied by loss Of human
life. but all these are local in their
effect and of short duration. Even
a hurricane sweeping up from the
West Indies carrying death and de"
| vastation in its path affects but a
relatively small portion of the Unite !
States. A general hot wave, however,
with its blighting and death dealing
temperatures, leaves a trail of ruin
so widespread and so great that it
cannot be actually measured. the
loss to the farmers of Iowa in the de-
struction of their crops from a single
hot wave which visited that section
| in 1894, amounted to over S5O,O0O,0Oo'
or nearly twice as much property as
was destroyed in the Galveston flood,
and several Of the adjacent states
suffered nearly as much.
AS for the suffering undergone by
the millions of humanity day after DAY
! in these hot wave periods there Is nc
record nor is one possible. Statistics
may be secured as to the number Of
sunstrokes, but no data are obtainable
regarding the sick whose deaths are
fastened by the abnormally heated at
mosphere. The weather bureau den
milton of a hot wave is a period Of
three or more consecutive days during
which the temperature reaches OF
passes 80 degrees, and with few ex
ceptions they occur during the months
Of June, July, August and September
OF the great crops of the countr!
corn and cotton are most liable II
injury from overheating. In mos
cases the mere lack of rain Is but par
TALLY responsible for the blight, al
the cooking and firing effect OF tn
intensely heated atmosphere Is TIT
source of most of the damage. Crop
can recover from a drought, but tn
destruction of their life-giving proper
ties by a hot wave is fatal. The far
mers Of the west estimate that during
a summer of average heat the occur
renee of hot wave lasting from tire
| to six days will reduce the harVes
Weld of the country fully 20 percent
The most dangerous time for thes
excessive temperatures to occur
during July and August, both IN IN
effect upon the crops and upon tn
health of iwellers in cities.
A careful study of the records
the weather bureau covering a perlo
of 30 years fails to reveal the regula
recurrence of summers Of excessiv
heat or that hot waves occur on tn
same days in succeeding years. In
conclusion is that these visitation
may be expected at irregular int
walls, the numbers and intensity var,
ing greatly each year. The maximum
temperature during hot wave gene
ally comes within 48 hours after tn
first 80 degrees is recorded. The nun
Der of successive days of abnorm
heat varies and may range as high
16 or II. Two or more periods ma
come in close succession, and in tt
popular mind these are associated
, one long spell, as for example, II
month of August and the. first part
September in 1900.
It is a very exceptional SUNNI
when at least one of these hot wav'
does not sweep the country. Few
occur in June than in any other sul
mer month. July furnishes the q
: est number and August and Septel
Der are not far behind. In the la
, two months a hot wave is likely to !
longer than in the earlier part of Il
, L n = a.