638 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



the 7th to the 11th, the first 20 days were below the normal. Frost was 

 general throughout the State on the 14th, with the temperature freezing 

 or below. over a large area but owing to the backward season very little 

 damage resulted. After the 20th a warm period set in and all vegetation 

 made rapid growth. 



The precipitation was below normal over each division, the deficiency 

 being slightly more than an inch in the northern division and nearly 

 one and one-half inches in the central division. Most of the rainfall 

 occurred as heavy downpours in three principal periods, 10th,-12th, 16th,- 

 19th, and 22d and 23d. This condition greatly interfered with field work 

 and at the close of the month much corn was stiH to be planted in the 

 southern division. The rainfall of the 22d-23d was particularly heavy 

 and damaging in the northern portion of Benton, Linn and Jones Coun- 

 ties and in the southern portions of Blackhawk, Buchanan and Delaware 

 Counties. All railroads in the affected area suffered from washouts, the 

 Rock Island being the chief sufferer. A serious freight wreck occurred 

 near Vinton, resulting from a train attempting to go through a sub- 

 merged area. The engine and a number of cars crossed safely but 10 

 cars in the middle of the train were wrecked when the track gave way. 

 Tragic was held up on this line until the 26th. Much damage also re- 

 sulted from corn fields being washed out, basements flooded as well as 

 considerable loss to stock. The loss to transportation is estimated to 

 exceed $100,000, and the loss to agricultural interests was much more. 

 Many bridges and culverts were washed out. In Grant township, Linn 

 county, every township bridge was washed out and to repair the dam- 

 age will cost more than $100,000. 



On the afternoon of the 8th a small tornado occurred in Washington 

 township, Chickasaw county. Several barns and small buildings were 

 wrecked. On the afternoon of the 22d severe local storms having marked 

 tornadic characteristics occurred at places in Allamakee, Crawford, Har- 

 rison, Howard, Polk and Story counties and caused considerable loss to 

 farm property. An unmistakable tornado moved from southwest to north- 

 east across the northwest corner of New Oregon township, Howard 

 county, some distance southwest of the town of Cresco. Three or four 

 barns and small buildings and several trees were destroyed. No persons 

 were killed or injured. A small tornado moved from northwest to south- 

 east near Dunlap, Crawford county. Its path of destruction was 8 or 10 

 rods wide and between 5 and 6 miles long. Large trees were uprooted 

 and corn cribs and outbuildings blown down. There was no loss of life 

 but Karl Benedict was blown down and slightly injured. 



Pressure. The mean pressure (reduced to sea level) for the State was 

 30.04 inches. The highest recorded was 30.50 inches, at Dubuque, on the 

 14th, and the lowest was 29.56 inches, at Sioux City, on the 18th. The 

 monthly range was 0.94 inch. 



Temperature. The mean temperature for the State, as shown by the 

 records of 104 stations, was 59.4°, or 1.1° lower than the normal. By di- 

 visions, three tiers of counties to the divisions, the means were as fol- 

 lows: Northern, 58.3°, or 0.7° lower than the normal; Central, 59.6°, or 1.1° 

 lower than the normal; Southern, 60.3°, or 1.4° lower than the normal. 



