Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-29
,es Moines, July es.-.Now that all

DeS MOlnes, July 29.-tNOW that al
Iowa has commenced to take notice OF
the unusually hot weather. it is worth
been recorded before. There have
been two previous hot periods within
The memory Of the present generation
1894 and 1901. .... ..
If il will be of any assistance in
keeping cool, the record OF these two
abnormal seasons will be given. The
best account is that of John r. Sage,
then head of the state crop bureau.
In regard to 1901 he wrote, telling OF
the warm spring months. but COO
season in early June, tEen of the start
Of the hot spell about the middle Oh
the month. His account, omittins
that which relates solely to crops, fol
lows:
July. 1901. broke all records OF
monthly means and daily maximum
temperatures. The figures recording
sustained high temperatures for the
longest period ever experienced in
this section will stand for comparison
in future years, and 1t may be hoped
the new record will remain unbroken
during the coming century. The mon
thly mean for the state. S2.4 degrees,
was ST above the normal, and the
daily average temperature for the
month was 6 degrees higher than in
July during the great drouth of 1894.
The surprising feature in the crop
situation at the close Of the month
was that so large a percentage of the
corn and other unmatured crops sur
vived the fiery ordeal of the solar
rays intensified by the hot winds and
low humidity
The hot wave was broken on the
eth OF July and for a time cooler
weather followed In a paper read be-
fore the state horticultural society
Mr.. Sage elaborated somewhat on the
record made.
The records Of the state show that
the maximum OF 100 degrees. or over,
was registered on seven days in June
and t'Fenty-fou days IN July The
distinc.ively torrid period in July was
from the 9Th TO the o6th inclusive
or eighteen consecutive days with very
little abatement by day and scarcely
any rel!ef at night During II days
the mercury rose 10 100 or above, at
over 50 different stations in this state.
and the minimum temperature ranged
from about 20 to 50 degrees. For
ali the stations the average OF the
maximum temperature for July was
loss degrees. The monthly mean for
the state was S2i. which IS 81 above
the July normal and above the
highest average in any previous
month on record. And We here note
the startling fact that the daily aver
age Of the extreme northern belt was
only about degrees lower than the
average over the southern section:
which signifies that the hot wave
swept over the state with uniformity.
quite regardless of altitude or latitud.
The maximum record at Spirit lake
was los and the same at Keokuk
The mean maximum on the northern
section was 1865 and of the southern
section 1919. The highest tempera-
ture registered was 113 degrees on the
2ond day Of July. and this is likely to
stand as the maximum for Iowa for
many years to come.
During this torrid period the
superheated air was kept moving al
velocity much above the normal,
thereby intensifying the effects of the
high temperatures. In July for Is
days the velocity Of the wind reached
twenty miles or more per hour. during
the portion Of the day when the
temperature was highest. SO in re-
spect TO the force and persistence of
hot winds, as we'll as extreme tenn
perature, all former records were
broken.
The seasons Of 1901 and 1884 have
some points Of resemblance. sufficient
70 afford a basis for comparison: but
a careful review Of the records viii!
show quite marked differences in the
Two seasons. AS a general statement
it may be said that the summer Of
1901 was the hottest season of which
we have record while the summer of
1894 was much drier. but with less in
tensity Of heat. The drouth of 1894
was the most destructive visitation Of
the kind ever known in This section.