Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-09
TAKES A BIG TUMBLE
DESCENT OF MERCURY IN THE
THERMOMETERS TUBES.
Many Revel In. the Rain - Signs Of
Cool Weather-Preparing
for Winter.

Praises for Jupiter Pluvius, the rain god.
were heard on all sides today because OF
the cooling downpour with which. he drench-
ed overheated Washington and its environs
and made endurable the heretofore sizzling
atmosphere. The change was welcomed by
the citizens and the average appreciation OF
the cooler conditions was expressed by a
young business man this morning. He was
plodding along Pennsylvania avenue In the
pelting rain storm without either umbrella
or gum shoes. Although as wet as pud-
die duck. a smile overspread his face. and
when q friend hailed him In front OF The
Stap building and aueried:
where's your umbrella. old manF
''Umbrella be hanged. don't need it in
my business
''But you are wet to the skin
Yes, and I'm willing to be wet and cool
after the scorching have endured for the
past four or five days. This rain Is god
send. and to get good and wet is as pleas
ant as dip in the briny deep"
The rain began to fall late yesterday at
ternoon, and after q lapse last night began
again about o'clock this morning when 1t
came down in sheets. Prof. GarHiott said
this afternoon that the amount of rainfall.
as measured at the weather bureau from
80 hundredths Of an inch. OF this amount
80 hundredths fell since O. clock this MORN
ing up to o'clock this afternoon.
Fall Of go Degrees.
AS result Of the rain the downtown
temperature fell about twenty degrees,
similar fall being noted on the official Their
mometers. TIE temperature an registered at
Affleck's during the morning today was 50.
At noon it went down to 81. but soon re-
turned to tho SO mark. During the after
noon 1t was stationary at about 50.
The temperature as given at the weather
bureau at 2 o'clock this afternoon was Is
degrees. Prof. Garriott sad the rain clouds
may clear away by tonight and then 1t VIII
be somewhat warmer. He added however,
that as yet there Is no decidedly hot
weather, like the heat wave Of the last few
days, in sight.
Prof. Garriott remarked that the wide
variance between the so-called downtown
bureau. known as the Official temperature.
Is due to the fact that the thermometers
used by business houses promiscuously are
not tested by any standard thermometer
not conform to the standard instruments
used by Prof. Moore's stan Of meteorol-
ogists. He added that the mercurial Their
mometers employed by the weather bureau
are OF the very best make and are recog-
ni7ed the world over as the standards in
giving the exact temperature Of the air.
He deplores the high therometric readings
as given by the INFESTED downtown instru-
ments being sent broadcast as showing the
actual heat conditions in Washington and
thereby keeping strangers from coming here
to see the capital during the summer
months. The professor says this city will
compare favorably with many Of the sup
posed cooler eastern cities In the matter of
temperature during the heated term.
Delightful Days and Nights.
II NAV no }Dforocffpp 70 fho thouco nd q
who have been made uncomfortable during
the past few days to know that weather
| wise folk. who base their predictions on
signs that have stood the test of years. de-
| clare that the sweltering warm wave will
soon be thing Of the past. A week or
! two more, they say. will end the present
agony. Then will come delightful days.
| with nights just right for sleep.
Park Officer Austin, now stationed in
Stanton Square. lays no claim to dis
t:nction as a weather prophet. During
his long service In several of the prin-
cipal PARKS, of the city. however. he has
been close observer of certain signs
| and has found that in nearly every in
stance they have been abundantly veri-
fed.
One of them is the appearance of the
katydid It Is confidently averred that the
| song Of this insect is an infallble indication
| of the early return Of cool days and nights
Within six weeks after it's first notes have
| Deeu nedrQ IrOSt Will De seen, ana as the
| first one sang in this city more than two
weeks ago 1t may be taken for granted
| that the warm weather will end with the
closing of this month. 1t Is said that the
katydid prophecy is accepted without ques-
ton in every section Of the co0ntry.
Winter May Be Severe.
According to several signs, the coming
winter will be as severe as that of 1903
This prediction rests upon more than half
a dozen well-established facts. one of which
Mr.. Austin points out, Is the unusually
large yield Of berries found on the holly
bushes. There are bushels of these berries
on the pretty little trees growing in STAN
ton and Lincoln Parks. That is said to be
natures way Of providing for the nonmi-
gratory birds. and 1t Is added that a big
crop means not only an early winter, but
a long and severe one Last year. Mr..
Austin states. the holly trees produced but
little fruit.
The sparrows and other birds that re-
main with us the year around found 1t an
easy matter to obtain sufficient food with
out having to depend on the berries. This
prophecy is supported by the statement
of weather sharps from the west that the
| corn husks are considerably thicker this
year than they have been for a long time,
| while news comes from the mountain sec
| lions Of Pennsylvania and West Virginia
| that there will be a prodigious yield OF
| acOrnS, DedCn NUS CHeStuuCS ana Otner
| fruit of the forest upon which birds and
| many beasts depend for food during the
winter months.
Another sign referred to by Officer Aus
| tiE is found in the preparations now going
| forward among the barn mice for a frigid
| winter. These little animals have already
begun the work of building their nests. and
| they are making them good and warm.
| They are looking up coZy places and films
| their winter homes with the softest straw
and bits of cloth. Last year they gave but
| little attention to this work. seeming to
| know that the weather would be mild and
| the trouble of building big warm nests
would not be worth their while.
WILL BE OPEN SUNDAYS.