Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-16
RA|NF ALL PROVES
WELCOME RELIEF
CONTINUED from First Page.)

drops fell, but only enough to moisten
the ground and give the weather
bureau occasion to record trace
of rain.
i The afternoon drizzle locked more
Important Up to then only about
lone-third of an inch of rain had fallen
the longest dreughts on record
The dry spell is the more remark
able for coming in September, when
| the much-famed Zine storm" is due.
While forecasters ridicule the notion
that rain will fall when the sun
crosses the equator, the fact remains
that heavy rains occur about that
thine. Not since 1884, thirty years
ago, has there been a dry September.
In that year only a little more than
la half-inoh of rain fell between Sep
TENDER l and October 20.
| Twenty years ago there was fifty
! six-day period, from June to August
2, with just a trifle more than an inch
of rain, and in 1886, twenty eight
years ago, there was a thirty-nine-
|. day period, from September IL to Oc-
| tober %, when only one-fifth of an
| inch Of rain fell.
This year takes preeedenees over
all, however, because of the earlier
dry spell between the middle of May
and the middle of June, when less
than one third of an inch of rain fell.
| All told, the rainfall to date this
year is about twenty EIGHT and one
| half inches, or full five inches below
| the normal rainfall for this period.
| 1t Is estimated that the soil in the
southern part of the State is dry for
| twelve inches or more below the sur
| face.
Farmers of Western Essex ad
| Eastern Morris counties are rejoicing
over the change in the weathtr con-
ditions and are hoping that the rain
will continue at least the remainder
of the week. In nearly all cases the
late vegetable crop was on the verge
of being ruined, and several days of
heavy rains must fall before the
ground is brought back to its normal
state.
The damage to crops was not the
only thing the farmers had to con-
tend with, as a majority of the farms
In this section border on what is
known as the big Piece which con-
sists OF over a thousand acres OF
meadow and woodland. If the dry
weather continued until the hunting
season was under way carelessly-
dropped match or cigar would do con-
siderable damage. continued wei
spell, however, will do away with this
danger.
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 16.-Mors
than an inch OF rain fell in Pennsyl.
yania in the last twenty-four hours
breaking drought which continued
! for fty-ve days. Farming was Sc
riously affected by thed ry spell ano
coal mining was carried on under
difficulties because of the lack Of
water to operate machinery. Rail
roads in the interior of the State wer,
also handicapped in some places
water having had to be carried many
miles to locomotives.
BOSTON, Oct. 16.-smoke-shrou
Boston awoke today TO the welcoml
sight of q light rain, which aroused
, hopes that the long drought would bi
broken and that the numerous fores
and peat bog fires In the State would
, be quenched In the past seven week.
less than a quarter of an inch of rail-
has fallen here. Late crops in man,
: parts of the State were serlousl,
damaged and reservoirs, wells ant
springs have been depleted.