100 years ago: After a dry three weeks, generous showers fall on Lawrence

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for June 25, 1913:

  • “The drought in Douglas county is broken, at least temporarily. And the vast horde of chinch bugs which has invaded the county and is creating havoc in the corn fields has suffered severe losses. It is estimated that the fighting strength of the little pests has been reduced several millions. A soaking rain began to fall yesterday afternoon shortly after 3 o’clock and it was past 8 o’clock before the forces of J. Pluvius were called off and it was safe to be abroad without raincoats, gum boots and umbrellas. The amount of rain which fell during this period is a subject of much controversy today. The weatherman who holds forth on Mount Oread announced that by his measurements the moisture was limited to 1.75 inches. His figures stand as official. However, downtown measurements are all the way from three inches to six inches…. The rain broke a drouth of nearly three weeks. The rain was threatened all day but it was not until late in the afternoon that it began to make good. Water fell in great sheets and drove citizens to cover. White shoes and straw hats were poor weapons with which to brave the storm but many persons found themselves with no other protection. but no one seemed to care, the rain was what was wanted, and private citizens were glad to make the sacrifice of a wetting and the possible loss of the panama and a bit of canvas footwear.”
  • “Because much water is allowed to run into sanitary sewers many cellars are flooded this morning. The rain came so quickly that the sewers were flooded and as a result many people find their cellars filled with sanitary sewer refuse. The city ordinance against this is one that is so plainly in the interest of the public health that it should be strictly enforced. One cellar this morning reported that it had four feet of water in it.”