Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-21
COTTON
CROP SAVED BY
DAM At ASSUAN
Nile Flood Later Than Ever Re-
corded, and Reservoir Alone
Prevents Fields Parching.

ZEITOUN, EGYPT. Sept 2O.-The
Assuan reservoir is now nearly empty.
but il has done service this year Be
tween April l and August / the water
contributed by the reservoir was equal
TO 40 per cent Of the whole discharge
Of the Nile above Assuan during the
same period.
Put IN round figures, during this
period 500 tons Of water arrived at
Assuan every second and 200 tons
went down the river every second.
thanks to the contribution Of the res
ervoir. These are average figures for
the whole period. but during May
when the Nile above Assuan was at
its lowest, the percentage added by
the reservoir was much higher.
The meteorological service Of the
Egyptian survey department, which
concerns itself with the levels and
discharge of the Nile. has been quite
at sea this year In its prophecies Of
the flood, As late as June s II was
expected that the food would be rather
early than otherwise vet II is later
than it has been for so years, and has
not yet fairly arrived at Roseires, 42O
miles above Khartoum on the Blue
Nile. this being the first point where
the height of the river is taken daily
and telegraphed to Cairo.
Water Used Sparingly.
Fortunately the extra water which
the heightened dam allows to be stOr-
ed this year has been used very spar
ingly with the result that scarcely
any Inconvenience has been expert
enced in the fields The last report
OF the cotton crop is very favorab BILE
The plants almost everywhere look
healthy and well grown and the num-
Der Of blossoms and pods developed
up to date is above the average.
The quantities Of water stored by
the enlarged reservoir this winter was
two and half times the quantity
stored in previous years Last year
the river was exceptionally low from
January to June, and the flood was
late. The reservoir water was used
as spaTingly as possible, yet II was
finished by July IS, by which date the
flood water had arrived. This year
the river was considerably lower than
last year up to the middle of May,
when a rise in both the Blue and
White Niles took place.
Rise Was Deceptive.
The rise, which looked like the
commencement Of an early food was
not continued ana Inc quantity OF va
ter now arriving at Assuan is only
40 per cent OF the normal quantity
and only go per cent OF that arriving
In 1905, when the flood was excep-
tionally low and late.
What would have happened n there
had not been the extra store OF wa
ter to draw upon, one can only CON
lecture, but the general opinion is
that the cotton crop. on which Egypt
depends so largely, would have been
ruined The heightening Of the dam
has thus already been abundantly
Justified.
information Inaccurate.
One great difficulty in predicting
the date and height Of the Nile food
is the pauCity OF accurate Information
regarding the rainfall In Abyssinia,
which provides all the food water
The points in the Sudan nearest to
the Abyssinian highlands are Rose
Tres and Gallabat and from these
daily reports are received, but they
are on the western side and the heav-
lest rainfall Is on the sutheastern
slopes which catch the southeast
monsoon first.