Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-27
Precipitation Yesterday and
Today Brings Total for
Year to 21.57.
BURNT MILLS RESERVOIR
FILLED TO OVERLOOKING
No Prospect in Sight, However,
That Maryland Will Have Suf-
fcient Water Supply.

One inch of rain, the first real heavy
downpour since June II last, was re-
corded at the Weather Bureau here
early today. The nearest approach to
this mark was 0.87 of an inch on July l.
Cooler weather is expected tonight and
tomorrow will be partly cloudy, accord
ing to the forecast.
Oficial statistics disclosed the total
rainfall so far this year has been 21.57
inches, approximately half of the nor
NAL quantity. The average over a
period of go years has been 42.16 inches.
The aggregate last year was 39n
inches.
Figures by Months.
A glance at the monthly figures re-
vealed the totals of 0.62 of an inch in
August and 0.28 of an inch in October
represented records for those months.
They were the lowest in so years. The
total in January was 285: February.
1854; March, 2.26; April, 3.12; May, 1871;
June, 319; July, 2.30: September 0.76;
November, 0.79, and so far for Decem-
Der, 1876.
Although the rain Of the last "a
hours filled the Burnt Mills reservoir to
overlooking for the first time in many
months, the quantity of water there is
expected to run of rapidly and there is
no immediate prospect of the Washing
ton Suburban Sanitary Commission dis
continuing the use of water drawn. from
the District of Columbia mains, officials
of the commission said today.
The Burnt Mills Reservoir, which
stores the water normally used in
nearby Maryland, became so low last
Summer the Maryland authorities were
forced to tap the District mains to pre-
vent a water famine in the suburban
area.
Draining Under Ice.
AS a result of the snow and rains of
the past week the reservoir has been
slowly filling, but there is an ice crust
on top and the water is being drained
from beneath to supply the Hyattsville
pumping plant, SO that Deputy Chief
Engineer Harry r. Hall said it is i'm
ment which would reveal how many
inches the reservoir has risen during
the past "a hours.
Aside from feeding the Hyattsville
plant the only use that has been made
of the water in the reservoir is to flush
the sewage from the Northwest Branch.
Mr.. Hall declares the ground along
the upper part of the Northwest Branch,
which feeds into the reservoir, is frozen,
and when it thaws a rush of water may
be expected But this will run of rapidly
thoroughly the lands adjacent to the
stream, and suburban Prince Georges
and Montgomery Counties will have to
depend on Washington for its water
supply at least until that time.
Potomac Rising Rapidly.
A total of PSI inches of rainfall at
Hagerstown during the last "a hours
caused the Potomac River to start riS-
ing rapidly this morning. The river
has been running very low since the
drought, but the heavy rainfall around
its headwaters in Western Maryland
caused officials of the Potomac Edison
Co. at Williamsport to predict that by
tonight the river would return to nor
NAL flow for the first time since June.
The 2.61 inches. of rainfall recorded
up to IL am. brought the December
total to 1922 inches, which is only O3
of an inch less than the average for
the month.