Evening star., 1949-07-13

IIoSu IVVuS UCIuI
Capital Bound Trains
Thirsty crops have been revived
by the first substantial rains in
more than a month. bringing re-
lief to farmers from Maryland
northward through New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Southern New
York.
With 1853 inches already meas
ured here. the Weather Bureau
expected further scattered showers
today and tomorrow afternoon,
perhaps totaling another quarter
of an inch.
1t was the first good, soaking
rain recorded over a 24-hour pc
riod since May %, when 192
inches fell.
The benefit to crops more than
offset damage and inconvenience
caused by flash floods in Maryland
and West Virginia, which delayed
several Washington trains and
caused others to be detoured.
Rains Save Maryland Crops.
City dwellers welcomed the rain
as much as agrarians. and most of
them were tolerant of high humid
ity accompanying mid-80 tempera-
lures. Today's high mark was ex-
pected to go slightly above yester-
days top of SO degrees. At am.
today the mercury dipped to 73
degrees.
Maryland observers agreed the
rain came in the nick of time to
save crops parched by droughts
extending from 80 to so days in
various parts Of the State.
DR.. T. B. Symons, dean of the
University Of Maryland College
Of Agriculture. said all the States
crops should be revived, partic-
ularly truck farms and dairy pas
lures.
With this rain our worries are
ended" he said. I'VE managed
to avoid disastrous damage, even
in the worst drought areas"
Tobacco and Corn Hold Up.
Stanley Day. Anne Arundel
County farm agent, also called
the rains life-saver. He reported
tobacco and corn had held up
we'll during the long dry period.
c. c. Keller. Somerset County
agent. said all but snap beans
would be saved.
In the parched Northeastern
States. rain brought relief to some
parts of the drought stricken area,
but agricultural authorities said
it was two days too late to avert
crop losses of from $4,000, 900
to 100000 in New England.
The New York area was re-
lieved by nearly an inch of rain.
enough to save any crops that
were left to be saved" one ex-
pert said.
Rain still fell today in parts of
Eastern Long Island, where the
potato crop has been dwarfed and
other vegetables damaged by a
long dry spell. Parts of Pennsyl-
vania and New Jersy also were
dampened but most of Massachu-
setts and Connecticut, hard hit by
the 50-day drought, still were
looking forward to predictions of
rain today.
Passengers Put on Bus.
Two Baltimore & Ohio trains
from the West were halted by
floods at Altamont. w. Va. The
passengers were transported by
bus to Cumberland. Md, and
placed on a train made up there.
The stalled trains we're the
Cincinnatian, due in Washing
ton at 9:15 pm. yesterday. and
the Metropolitan from St. Louis,
due at 1859 am. today. The
special train made up at Cum
berland did not arrive until am.
today.
With the tracks still under wa
ter, the National Limited from St.
Louis was expected at 1920 pm.
and the Diplomat at pm, both
running about three hours behind
schedule.
The Pennsylvania Railroads
Liberty Limited to Chicago was
held up II minutes between here
and Harrisburg. Pa. The trains
were forced to detour around high
water 20 miles north of Baltimore
last night. but conditions were
reported normal today.
Several West Virginia Areas
Swept by Flash Floods
SUTTON. w. Va, July 13 (P.-I
State police alerted residents
along the headwaters of the Elk
and Gauley Rivers today in the
wake Of heavy rains which caused
flash floods in Braxton, Nicholas
and Webster Counties.
The Elk River was said to have
risen IA feet here, 8 feet of the
rise coming in two hours in the
morning and the stream had not
yet crested.
The Baltimore g. Ohio reported
cloudburst washed out a bridge
on its branch line west of Gen.
tralia at 4:30 am. Heavy move
ments Of coal, the principal traff1c
on the line, will be delayed.
Several low-lying areas were