Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-01-12
GREATEST DROUGHT IN
THE NATIONS RECORD.
Not in sS Years So Little Rain Al
in 1910.

cd AT tne DcBihhihb VI snO ~" -,
a critical stage in the most unusual
and prolonged drought this country
has ever known. Records OF rain
fall have been kept in the city OF
New York for something like eighty
five years. The past season shows
LESS precipitation than at any time
during that long period. There was
a lower amount of rain recorded In
LIST. Paul, from January to November
than during the same time In seven
ty-five years. The dry spell was
countryside in its scope and most
everywhere crops suffered as o con-
sequence. The condition Of winter
wheat on December LIST was the low
est ever recorded on a similar date,
except in that month five years ago.
| It was materially below the average
in every section except the Pacific
Northwest. The condition was such
at the time of writing that the out
come OF the crop was regarded with
much concern. 1t was reported to
be much more dependent than ordi-
narily upon future influences.
Spring wheat was hit hard, es-
pecially in North Dakota where the
average yield was but five bushels
per acre, as compared with an aver
age there in the past ten years OF
almost three times that much. Re-
ports of the Agricultural department
Just issued, show that 1908 cotton
suffered severely from lack OF rain
fall. There was a total loss OF al
most 5000, 900 bales as the direct
result of this. Oklahoma, Arkansas
and Texas, which were the most arid
states of that territory then, forgot
for the time being the much-fought
boil weevil. Every energy was bent
upon securing water.
The dryness was also prevalent
throughout the eastern part OF the
Atlantic coast states, nearly all Of
the middle Atlantic states and the
Pacific Northwest. 1t was a fore
runner to the present drought fol
the 1910 cotton crop showed the
shortest estimated yield per acre
Except 1909, for ten years. The out
mt is thought to be about 100000
bales behind the crop average O
tie rast five years.
Along with the recent drough
came an alarming number of typhoid
fever cases. Surgeon-General wy
man, of the bureau of public health
and marine hospital service, received
: reports Of an epidemic in Oklah omi
and other places. From the formel
state 551 cases were reported In Sep
TENDER, A month later the dreaded
disease had jumped to upward Of
600. Oregon started with thirty-five
in July, There was steady increase
ninety being reported at the end o.
three months following. Indiana re
ported 500 typhoid cases from eighty
three counties in the month of Sep
TENDER. Chicago, from August tt
October, inclusive, developed 1,OSi
cases as against 5S4 for the like per
iod the year before.
These localities are all in the dry
belt. 1t lea to discussion as t.
how much a drought affected tins
spread of typhoid. A high medica
authority gave 1t as his opinion tina
the present dry spell in many O
the localities wfere the fever is pre-
valent is responsible for apparen
progress of the disease. He argued
that a city getting its water supply
! from a river with other towns up
stream is bound to suffer at sucl
time, because, while the amour
J of sewerage remains constant, TIM
} stage of the river is lower, causinl
J concentration of the pollution
Likewise, during time of drougn
, along the watersheds of rivers sup
! plying city water, there is bound Il
be an accumulation Of excrement
, A subsequent rainfall washes thi
J into the municipal water supply ant
J il is thus carried almost directly U
J the unsuspecting consumers.
A prominent New York editor, Il
) seeking a cause for the drought, ad
J yanced the interesting theory tina
J the great modern application of cleo
! tricity had so drawn upon the reserv'
electrical supply in the earth as t.
affect the rainfall. He thought tina
possibly there had been an exhaus
, ton of the thunder-shower energ'
reserve.
A reading scientist at the capita
! replied that there never could be
material consumption Of the world
supply Of electricity by Commercial
5 use, because any process by whicl
electricity is obtained produces a
: much positive electricity as negative
, Therefore tie two continually bal
a.