Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-25
cold HURTS CROPS
wORTHsl2,oD,0l0
Helena, Mont, With 6 Above,
Has Record in Unseason-
able Temperatures.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, September 25.-The
North and Middle West shivered to.
day In the swirl of wintry blasts
sweeping in a broad southeasterly fan
from snow-capped wheat fields on
the western Canadian prairies.
To the south the cold wave moved
down the lower Ohio Valley and into
the Texas Panhandle. while the winds
that halted wheat harvesting in
Alberta. Manitoba and Saskatchewan
along the st. Lawrence toward the
seaboard.
The unreasonable temperatures sent
the mercury scurrying downward to
unprecedented September levels and
brought well below freezing weather
to many northwestern points.
Apple Crop Suffers.
In the American Northwest the
wave assumed proportions unparalleled
in the meteorological records and
threatened extensive damage to apple
and other crops in Washington and
Oregon.
From that area a blighting chill
crept over fields Of corn and standing
small grain in the Central West, add
ing to the millions Of dollars damage
from recent heavy rains. In Western
plain fields not reached by snow
fiurries, killing frosts were spread.
Damage to unharvested crops was
estimated at $l2. 0o0, 900.
Farmers in Illinois and Iowa We're
spurred to activity in sodden fields by
warnings to recover seed corn from
their crop. While Kansas corn was
reported generally beyond the danger
point, there was grave fear to the
eastward that the cold and frost wind,
In many instances, complete the dam
age begun by a record September
rainfall.
Winds of tornado velocity carried
the lower temperatures to many re-
gions, and central Illinois, weary from
three weeks unceasing battle with
floods, watched new rain start streams
backing up toward overflow stages.
A record low temperature OF 90
above was reported from Yakima
Wash, and Baker, Greg, while the
eastern end of the wave had sent the
mercury to Al degrees at Chicago
early today. Snow fiurries were re.
ported in northern Illinois, Iowa and
Minnesota.
The coolest reported spot In the
country was Helena, Mont, where
thermometers read 6 degrees above
zero. Ankle-deep snow was reported
in parts of the Dakotas, with tempera
lures dropping as much as 40 degrees
in few hours.
Slowly rising temperatures were
forecast over much of the Middle West
today, with cloudy skies and possible
thunderstorms.
Oil Derricks Felled.
PETROLIA, Ont, September "a
R.-aigh winds and torrential rains
swept this district with hurricane
violence yesterday wrecking houses
topping oil derricks and disrupting
telegraph and telephone communica.
ton.
The storm was the worst the district
has ever experienced. In one of the
oil fields near here, all the derricks
were felled. An automobile truck was
blown from the highway.
The reports from Winnipeg said
the storm, which brought some snow
and rain to the prairie provinces dur
ing the last three days, passed east
ward last night. leaving damage that
will run into millions of dollars to
the unharvested crops in Manitoba,
Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The passage of the storm carried
the first snow of the season into West
ern Ontario. Port Arthur reported d
light snowfall.