Evening star., 1936-07-13
RAINS "FIZZLE OUT"
No Relief in Sight for Stricken
Area.

CHICAGO. July 13 P.-Drought
and record d-shattering heat chung to
the long-suffering Middle West and
East In the Northern half Of the Ma
ton today as life giving rains In por-
tions of the Northwest and the South
over the week end which were ex-
pected to aid other afflicted sections
"f1zzled out"
Death from prostration and drown
ing mounted to at least 1,247, and
crop destruction continued at a dev-
asteting pace with damage in excess OF
$500, 100000 when a relentless sun
scared "the major 1886 natural disas-
ter" in burning words across the
country.
Government Meteorologist J. r.
Lloyd at Chicago made this "blue
Monday" for harassed farmers in the
bread basket of America and their
gasping urban dwellers when he an
nounced no new rains were In sight
for the Northwest or any other heat
baked area.
Heat 70 Continue.
He said generally fair weather with
torrid Temperatures would continue
today and tomorrow for drought areas
in general, but that cooler weather
was likely in the eastern section OF
the Northwest tomorrow.
Purely local showers were forecast
for North Dakota and Northwestern
Minnesota, and for North Dakota,
Northern. Minnesota, Northwestern
Wisconsin and Upper Michigan to-
morrow.
There was hope, Lloyd said, Of re-
lief from the intense heat in Illinois,
where prostration has taken almost
200 lives, and States to the east, pos
sibly by Wednesday, but he could not
sight the urgently needed rain for
the major corn States-Ininois, Iowa,
Nebraska and Indiana.
Some Areas to Be Cooler.
He explained that a new cool wave,
moving down from the Northern
Pacific States, would probably bring
cooler weather tomorrow to the Da-
kotas. Nebraska. Minnesota. North
western Wisconsin, Upper Michigan
and the extreme northern portion Of
Lower Michigan.
When this joins with the cool wave
which halted at the western border
Of middle America yesterday it is
likely the combined forces of the two
will be able to break the mass of heat
possibly Wednesday over the Central
States, he added.
The precipitation over the week
end in the Northwest was of untold
benefit. Besides aiding crops and
pasturage in some sections it also
lifted the fire scourge in Eastern
Wyoming and Southeastern Montana.
Men and women laughed and
shouted in the rain, and their chill
dren played in mud puddles. Farmers
wondered if the cool weather and rain
would rid the area Of the grasshopper
and cricket horde. More than 1000
fighters of the huge Black Hills forest
blaze for more than a week breathed
easier as the moisture quenched al
but few spots.
Relief for South.
Elsewhere, too, in the Nation vel
come rain revived the spirits over a
sorely tried populace the week end
In Connecticut the drought was be-
lieved definitely broken, and tempo
rary relief was given in New York
State. New England, Nebraska, Geor-
gia, Virginia and South Carolina.
But as a general continuation Of
the drought was predicted, prices on
major grain markets, which tumbled
practically the full limits Saturday
upon forecast Of probable relief from
heat and aridity, opened today slightly
lower than Saturdays close, then
steadied to about the closing level.
Initial downturns Of as much as 3
cents in some cases were soon over
come, and trading in all speculative
pits was on large scale, although
decidedly less 20 than on Saturday.