Las Vegas optic., 1913-09-10
KANSAS 7OBLAME
FOR The BIG
DROUGHT
NEBRASKA PROFESSORS LOOK
WISE AND ExPoUND ExAs-
PERATlNG THEORY

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theory advanced for evaporation and
the cause Of drought is making GER
tain university professors of Lincoln,
particularly in this sweltering not
weather, sit up and start gossiping
The new theory holds briefly that
lack of moisture in the far south gulf
country causes indirectly droughts
through the middle western country.
The drought then instead Of being
confined to a local area, is extended
with varying intensity through a vast
area.
To the university men the theory
sounds reasonable Several are wait
ing for the return Of Professor Love
land, university meteorologist, from
his vacation to discuss the theory and
to ascertain its soundness and com
pare records in the local weather bu-
reau.
The theory was first advanced
few weeks ago in a scientific maya
zine. Because of the unusually dry
climatic conditions in the middle west
the present summer it Immediately
became quite widely read among sci
entific men. It is quite revolutionary
in its scope and overthrows many Of
the older theories in regard to rains
The theory combines weather con-
ditions with the theory of relay foot
racing. Moisture is rerayed from one
area to another. If there is no rain
fall in one section then there can be
none in another, the next station Of
the relay.
All water comes from the Gulf of
Mexico for the middle western states.
But it does not come directly. Old
Sol picks the water from The gulf and
promptly drops it in the gulf states,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas. After
drenching the ground in this section,
Old Sol once more picks up the mols-
ture, carries it further north and drops
it again, this time perhaps in the sec
ond tier of states. From the moist
fields and forests he once more picks
lup his moisture and carries it the next
step to the northward, landing it per-
haps in Kansas and Nebraska. IN this
way the original supply Of moisture
taken from the gulf is used time and
time again.
| That is the theory Of evaporation
and rainfall, as propounded by the
magazine article. Here is the theory
of drought:
If some unusual atmospheric condi-
tons in the gulf region intervene and
prevent the original supply Of mois-
ture from falling on the territory i'm
mediately surrounding the gulf, then
Old Sol does not have any to carry
to the next relay station. Also having
none to pick up from the second, he
has none to carry to the third. Until
the atmosphere obstacle is removed
in the gulf region, then the entire
central western states are engulfed
in a drought. However, if it once
rains in Louisiana, it is likely to rain
in Arkansas. If it rains in Arkansas
then it is likely to rain in Kansas
and Missouri, if it rains in Kansas and
Missouri it is likely to rain in Ne
braska.
AS side issue Of the theory is the
effect Of forestation and vegetation
upon rainfall Statistics with the ar
ticle show that Of rainfall IN barren
country approximately eight-tenths
runs off IN rivers. In a country thielSly
covered with green vegetation, the fig
ure quoted is two-tenths
Now if the water runs OFF in rivers,
it cannot be SO readily taken up by
ell Sol. However, if only a small part
Of It runs off and the rest lies for a
period Of time upon the surface Of
vegetation. then the sun has chance
to get in his best licks.
Applying this to the original theory
in regard to rainfall scientists figure
out that heavily vegetated country
always gives an abundance Of rainfall
to the territory lying directly to the
north. On the other hand barren
country to the south always gives a
minimum Of moisture to the country
to the north
Hence with all conditions perfect,
with old Sol picking up water from
the gulf and relaying It on through
the different regious Of the central
west, then the country which has a
heavily vegetated region lying direct
ly to the south has maximum Of
rainfall; tho country with barren
district lying to the south has a min
imum Therefore If Kansas vvae INV