The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-10-11
OLD MOTHER EARTH
HAD A SICK SPELL
RECOVERING FROM ATTACK
DIAGNOSED AS METEORO-
LOGICAL MUMPS.

NEW YORK-The old spheroid
known as the earth is emerging from
what some human diagnosticians might
call a severe attack OF meteorological
mumps. 1t has been accompanied by
an intermittent fever manifested III a
worldwide heat wave OF unusual
length and intensity. In spite OF crises
and relapses-e earthquakes, tidal waves,
cloudbursts typhoons, waterspouts,
hailstorms, floods and hurricanes IN
many widely separated parts from
Kamchatka to Cape Horn and from
Guam to Guadalupe-the doctors are
confident the patient will recover.
Unprecedented Condition.
Meanwhile the United States for the
last wear has been suffering chiefly
from an excess of high temperature
and deficiency OF moisture, a cond1-
ton unprecedented in the SO years
history of the weather bureau. From
Ian. / to Sept p last the temperature
of New York city, which is typical OF
the country, has shown an aggregate
excess of warmth of 900 degrees above
normal, while there has been a short
age of OH inches OF rainfall The
greatest amount of September precipl-
tation was in 1882, when more than
1415 inches fell, and the least for that
month occurred two years later with
only l5-100 of an inch.
Abnormal High Temperatures.
The persistent higher temperatures,
for which number of speculative ex-
plantations have been given, began IN
August, 1920, and for the succeeding
II months there was an average
monthly excess above normal OF "a
degrees. March, 1921, an unusually
warm spring month, had an excess
average of 1917 degrees. The slight
break in the record occurred last Aug
ust, which was slightly below normal
Some time before the present phe-
nomenon the nine months period be-
ginning in October, 1918, and ending
in July, 1919 the average monthly
temperature was 2.71 degrees above
normal and this was record until
sun spots, sea bottom upheavals or 9TH
er hypothetical causes sent the mer-
curry still higher. The highest average
temperature ever recorded in the coun-
try for the month of March, weather
officials say, was 1873 in March, 1921.
Curious Freak of Weather.
The average temperature for April
IS degrees-was the warmest for that
month in half a century. May and
June were not unusual, but July broke
all records for the preceding II years.
A curious freak of the weather in
America for the week ending Septem-
Der p was that while every section
of the country from Bismarck, N. D.,
to Halifax, and from Phoenix, Ariz.,
to Miami, Fla, was suffering from alb
normally high temperatures large
areas in Wyoming, Montana, Oregon
and Nevada were having freezing
nights.
Recall Volcanic Eruption.
Weather bureau officials here declin-
ed to discuss the possible connection
between the present high temperatures
and disasters of nature in many parts
of the world. 1t is recalled, however,
that when the volcanic eruption of
Krakatoa, a small island in the Malay
archipelago in the Sunda Strait be-
tween Sumatra and Java, occurred in
the summer of 1888, the most violent
of its kind in modern times: two-thirds
of the island was blown away, 10000
persons persisted and a tidal wave pro-
PEELED itself as far as the English Chan
mel On this occasion dust from the
volcanic ashes was carried around the
world and for days in many parts
cool temperatures prevailed owing to
the obstruction of the suns rays. Some
of the dust from Krakatoa was sus-
pended in layers in the upper atmos-
phere for years.
Speak of Lost" Earthquake.
Now whether the worldwide heat
wave is due to some paroxysm OF ma
ture, such as volcanic action in some
remote region OF the earth or seismic
upheaval in the depths of some I'M
known sea, or whether it is due to sun
spots or some other cause; is problem
p atical 1t is only as recently as last
December 10 that scientists were seek
ing to solve the mystery OF an earth