Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-10-06
DROUGHT IS CAUSED BY
{ SLOW MOVING AIR
Moisture Bearing Winds Can
not Get to Thirsty Areas
Throughout Country.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6.-The weather
elements are not acting right mat
Ia the only explanation the Weather
Bureau can mske for the protracted
drought which grips great part of
the country. Meteorologically speak
irg the winds and the barometric pres
sures are acting contrary to nature.
The air is sluggish and there is little
movement In high or low strata, con-
ssquently the moisture bearing air
cannot Journey over the country.
With the exception of California and
the Northern Pacific Coast, Florida
and the East Gulf Coast there have
been few areas where any rain to
speak of has fallen for four or five
weeks. There is a low extending from
. Washington. ID. c.. to south of Knox
Vile, Tenn. which liz hardly moving
and which forms barrier to moisture
bearing winds. when that moves away.
the Weather Bureau says there will be
some chance of change for the bet
ter
one reason given for the dry and
hot spell is that during September,
the month of storms on the Great
Lakes, only one storm was reported
From this centre disturbances usually
radiate. which result in rain and cool
breezes for the eastern States.
storms have been generally lacking
and from the West Indies the cradle of
Au'umnal hurricanes, only the twister
has come this season, and that vent
TAR from the Atlantic Coast. U0til
changes appear in the Pacific OF the
Northwestern Coast. little relief can be
expected for the northern and western
states, and untils storm clouds appear
In the Gulf of Mexico. the central and
eastern States can expect a continue
ton OF the dry spell. the forecasters
report.
Although the present drought is
making somewhat Of a record for ter
ritory covered and length of time, ag-
riculturists and meteorologists declare
III mas been marked by an exceedingly
small amount of crop damage. The
preceding warm weeks rapidly ma
tured. corn and other crops, cotton
ana truck stun, and the harvest gen
% orally Is practically over. Some nttl,
damage may result TO late corn. it was
SAN by Agriculture Department Of
W. VIII not N,
extensive. The main trouble, from III,
farmers point of view, Is that sowin.
OF winter wheat Is being retarded b,
INABILITY 10 get the ground In con
dit.on
While farmers have not bothere.
greatly over crop damage, great los.
mas been done by forest fires in som,
sections and grave fears have been ex.
pressed in this country and Canada 70,
inhabitants Of forested areas.
The drying OF streams and reservoir,
IN many sections OF the country ha.
been reported. Wells have failed ant
farmers and small town residents ar,
forced TO haul water long distances
At Cumberland. Nd. 1t is reported
that wells have gone dry, which hav,
not been known TO cease running 70,
sixty years. The Potomac River. which
supplies Washingtons water, Is YER,
low.
Weather Bureau officials can see M
relief from the drought or the attend
ing high temperatures IN any section
Of the country, except where loca
throughout the Middle West hav,
come reports of temperatures highe
than any ever before recorded for thi
time OF the year. For at least "a hours
which is about the limit of time III
forecasters will prognosticate fair an