New-York tribune., 1921-10-03
Heat
Of ear Breaks
5O-Year Mark
Since August, 1920, There
Has Been Average Month
1y Excess Above Normal of
3.4 Deg, Reports Show
Deficiency of Moisture
Present High Temperatures
May Be Linked With Dis
asters Affecting World

lhe United States has been suffering
from an excess of high temperature
during the last year and a deficiency
OF moisture, a condition shown by
eather Bureau reports to be unprece-
dented IN the fifty years history of that
institution.
From January to September % last
the temperature of New York City,
winch is typical Of the country, has
snoWn an aggregate excess of warmth
OF 9oo degrees above normal, while
here has been a shortage of 6.71 inches
IN rainfall. The greatest September
Precipitation was that of 1882, when
more than 1412 inches of rain fell.
The least for that month occurred two
years later, when fifteen hundredths Of
an inch fell.
The persistent high temperatures, for
which many speculative explanations
have been given, according to an Asso-
clated Press compilation. began in
august, 1920, and for the succeeding
cweive months there was an average
monthly excess above normal of "a de-
grees. March, 1921, an exceptionallv
warm spring month. had an excess
average of 10.8 degrees. The fxgt
slight break in the record occurred
last August, which was slightly above
normal.
Warmest April in Fifty Years
Some time before the present phe-
nomenon, the nine months period. be-
ginning in October, 1918. and endino
III July, 1919, the average month";
temperature was 2.71 degrees above
normal and this was record until
sun spots, sea bottom upheavals or
other hypothetical causes sent the
mercury still higher. The highest
monthly temperature ever recorded in
TINS country for the month Of March
weather officials say, was 4S.3 in March
1921. -'''l ~
The average temperature for April
1921, 50 degrees, was the warmest in
that month for half century. Nav
ana June were not unusual, but JULY
broke all records for the preceding
eleven years. A curious freak of the
weather in America for the week end
ing September % was that, while everv
sectlQn OF the country from Bismarck
n. d., to Halifax, and from Phoenix
Arlz., TO Miami, Fla, was sufferino
from abnormally high temperatures
large areas in Wyoming, Montana. Ore
gon and Nevada were having freezinp
nights.
Linked With Disasters
Gather Bureau officials here de-
clined to discuss the possible connection
between the present high temperatures
and disasters of nature in manv narts
of the world.
1t was recalled, however, that when
the volcanic eruption OF Krakat. y
small island in the Malay Archipelapo.
between Sumatra and Java, occurred in
n ciJJ
OF the island was blown away. 10000
persons perished and tidal wave was
propelled rs far as the English Chan
mel. dust from volcanic ashes was car
RED around the world, and for days. in
many parts, cool temperatures pre-
vailed, owing to the obstruction Of the
suns rays.
Whether the worldwide heat wave 8
due to some paroXysm of nature. such
as volcanic action in some remote re-
glon. or seismic upheaval beneath the
depths of the sea, remains problemati-
cal. Last December scientists were busy
trying to solve the mystery of an earth
quake estimated to have been "2 800
miles from Washington" A few DAYS
later news came of an earthouake in
the far-off Kansu province of China,
TOUR times the estimated distance from
&shlngton, in which two thousand
persons persisted. The explanation
given was that there probably had been
two distinct shocks widely separated,
but to this day scientists refer to this
disturbance as the lost earthquako.v
1t is fact, however, that Whatever
the cause this old earth has been sub-
lected of late to some rouoh damape
A glance over recent disasters due to
natural phenomena shows that hardly
any part of the world escaped. from
Corea, whore millions are said to be
starving from drought to Paris and
London, where heat killed fish in the
Seine and the Thames.