Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-03
DROUGHT ENDED
BY HEAVY RAIN
Copious Showers Refresh Parched
Fields and Save Crops.
FOREST FIRES CHECKED
IN w. VA. MOUNTAINS

KAN storm EXTENDS All Over the East
Except in New EngIand-Big Slump
In the Mercury Today and a Taste
of Winter Experienec-Martinsburq
Has Rainfall of f.54 Inches.
From The World Of Tuesday.
The breaking of the prolonged
drought throughout the country is an
nounced In reports to the weather
bureau, Rain has fallen generally In
the United States, and, according to
through the eastern states, followed
by clear and decidedly cooler weather.
New England was the only section
in the east where rains We're not
caused yesterday by the general storm
The center of the storm was over
Lake Huron.
Heavy frost came in the wake of
the storm, and the entire northwest Is
shiyering.
st. Paul reports only three degrees
above freezing; Kansas City heavy
frost; Omaha a killing frost at all
points north from there; Muskogee,
OKLA, the heaviest frost ever known
at this season; Paducah a cold wave;
Detroit a decided drop in temperature,
and Waco, Tex, a cold snap, while
in Chicago early yesterday the mer
curry fell to AZ degrees from so de.
gress Sunday afternoon.
In Philadelphia they had had no
rain for three weeks till yesterday
and in some parts of Pennsylvania
no rain had fallen for three months.
In Washington there was a big
slump in the mercury today, follow
ing the heavy rain of yesterday.
The copious showers yesterday
came as a welcome relief to the
drouth that has long prevailed in
Berkeley county. Crops will be
saved, Vegetation revived and streams
raised. Rain fell all over West Vir-
ginia, so far as heard from, one happy
result of which was to extinguish the
destructive forest fires in the noun
tains of this state. The same may be
said of Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The Potomac liver was new
known to be so low as it was before
this rainfall, but which is now nearly
back to normal again.
In Martinsburg the rainfall yester-
day was 1.54 inches, according to the
measurements made by Mr.. Geo. w,
Van Metre, ami was the first rain in
this county for weeks. There was a
decided fan in the mercury here to-
day, the government thermometer
registering 43 degrees at z o'clock
this morning, making wraps and over
coats almost a necessity.
The Potomac river before Mondays
rain was lower than for years, the
lowest in the recollection of the old
est inhabitants and some say lower
than for a century of years. At
Williamsport where it is usually broad
and majestic, was almost a rivulet. A
spot of land at the ferry which has
always been about the center of the
stream is now a few feet from the
Maryland shore line. Rocks ana led
ges protrGde from the water up and
down the river as far as the eye ear
reach. Sand bars cleave the face of
the stream at frequent intervals and
the Potomac has the appearance of a
body OF water that is being rapidly
drained off. 1t would be possible for
a man to WALK from the ferry in the
| river nearly t O the Cumberland Valley
bridge without getting wet to the
waist, and saving a short stretch near
the bridge at the fish-pot he could
walk ON down the river for miles. Its
condition now is almost as Impressive
as when 1T was raging in 1889 forty
odd feet above its level. Streams
everywhere in this section are in the
same condition. 1t looks as though
the water had dried on Of the earth,
that springs were ceasing to flow and
that the bottoms of the streams were
like the desert sands which dried up
the mdghtiest rivers with a ~voracious
and unquenchable thirst. The drought
has so reduced the Potomac that II
has lost its familiar look and those
who are fond of its beautiful appear.
ance, its steady flow and sonorous
murrnur feel as though a staggering
devastation blow had been leveled al
a good kind friend. 1t looks pathetic
helpless, like its mighty strength
had been paralyzed and that unless
relief was soon given it, some rising
sun would find that its golden rays
were no lOngser reflected hack nv the