Experimental Rain Gauges, Ulley Reservoir, Rotherham
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EXPERIMENTAL RAIN GAUGES, ULLEY RESERVOIR, ROTHERHAM. BRITISH RAINFALL, 1875. THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN OVER THE BRITISH ISLES, DURING THE YEAR 1875, AS OBSERVED AT ABOUT 1800 STATIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, WITH MAPS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS. COMPILED BT G. J. SYMONS, Secretary of the Meteorological Society ; Membre du Conseil de la Sociiti M6t6orologique de France ; Member of the Scottish Meteorological Society ; Member of Council of the Royal Botanic Society ; Member of the Royal Colonial Institute; Hon. Mem. Watford Nat. Hist. Soc., $c. LONDON: EDWARD STAFFORD, CHARING CROSS, S.W. SIMPKIN, MARSHALL & Co., STATIONER'S HALL COURT. 1876. LONDON: O. SHIELD, PRINTER, 8LOANB 8QUARB, 8.W. 1876. CONTENTS. PREFACE ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 REPORT ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 6 THE RAINFALL OF 1875 IN WENSLEYDALE AND DISTRICT, by the Rev. F. W. Stow, M.A., F.M.S. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 10 ON THE MEASUREMENT OF SNOW, by Col. "Ward, F.M.S., F.R.A.S., &c. ... 21 NOTES ON THE FOREGOING PAPER, by the Editor ... ... ... ... ... ... 23 ON RAIN GAUGES, by E. E. DTMOND, Esa., F.M.S. ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 THE ROTHERHAM EXPERIMENTAL RAIN GAUGES ... ... ... ... ... ... 28 RAIN GAUGE EXPERIMENTS, ULLEY RESERVOIR, ROTHBRHAM, 1875... ... 29 RAINFALL AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH, by Sir G. B. Airy, K.C.B., B.C.L., &c., Astronomer Royal ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 31 CHRONICLE or NEW STATIONS ESTABLISHED, AND CHANGES IN THE PERMANENT STAFF OF OBSERVERS DURING THE PAST YEAR ... ... ... 32 RAIN GAUGES OVERFLOWING t.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45 OBITUARY ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 46 ON THE METEOROLOGY OF 1875, WITH NOTES ON SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL PHENOMENA ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 48 OBSERVERS' NOTES ON THE MONTHS OF 1875 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 OBSERVERS' NOTES ON THE YEAR 1875 : England ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 96 Wales... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 114 Scotland ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 116 Ireland... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 119 HEAVY RAINS OF SHORT DURATION ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 123 THE PRINCIPAL HEAVY RAINS OF 1875... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 125 MAXIMUM FALLS IN 1875 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 135 NEW TABLE OF MONTHLY RAINFALL IN THE BRITISH ISLES DURING 1875 139 TABLES OF MONTHLY FALL ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 142 EXTREMES OF RAINFALL IN 1875 ... - - ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 151 COMPARISON OF THE FALL IN 1875 WITH THE AVERAGE OF PREVIOUS YEARS 152 ON THE RAINFALL OF THE BRITISH ISLES DURING THE YEAR 1876 ... ... 164 NOTES ON THE GENERAL TABLES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 167 SUGGESTIONS FOR SECURING UNIFORMITY OF PRACTICE AMONG RAINFALL OBSERVERS ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 160 ARRANGEMENT OF GENERAL TABLES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 163 COUNTY INDEX TO GENERAL TABLES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 164 GENERAL TABLES OF TOTAL RAINFALL IN 1876 AT ABOUT 1,800 STATIONS IK THE BRITISH ISLES ; England ». <» MI *«» <« <» ». .» «'« »> «> ... ><> «i 166 Wales.,. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 194 Scotland ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 197 Ireland ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 207 FINANCIAL... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 211 SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE of IMPERFECT RETURNS ... ... ... ... ... ... 215 LIST OF STATIONS OF WHICH THE RECORDS WERE QUOTED IN 1874 BUT ARE 50T IV 1875, WITH THE REASONS FOR THEIR OMISSION ... ... ... 216 ERRATA IN BRITISH RAINFALL, 1874. Page 4.—First line, for 1874, read 1873. [This applies only to some copies.] ,, 86.—Division VII., line 5, for Wyndham read Wymondham. „ 113.—Line 2, for " first five," read " first eight." „ 177.—Bodmin, 55'48, should be 5262. „ „ —Lanteglos, 51-06 „ 50-06. „ 188.—Catterick, 19'56 „ 20'56. ,, 191.— ,, (Brookfield), should be JFigtfori (Brookfield). ,, 193.—Bryn Erwyn should be Bryn Euryn, and in Denbighshire. „ 194.—Scilly, Return erroneous. „ 203.—Inverness H.R.S. 28'67 should be 27'67. BRITISH RAINFALL, 1875. I NOW come to the end of my work—the preface j and my readers may envy me the pleasurable relief of feeling that this stage is reached. With no desire to indulge in self-glorification, or to magnify my self- imposed task, I feel that if, by so expressing the results that anyone can comprehend them, the notion is supported, that rainfall work is " pure routine ; no brains wanted," and if, moreover, attention is never called to the masses of material which have to be examined, then, the further mistake may spread,—that this work might as well appear in March as in May. If rain gauges were always in perfect order, if no verification were necessary, because observers never made mistakes, either of observa tion or computation, if they always wrote legibly, and sent their returns immediately that they were asked for them, many hundred hours' work would be saved.* But even under these impossible cir cumstances, there would still remain the classification of the data, a work of great labour, and requiring extreme care, the computations including that of about 1,400 separate per-centages, and, finally, the preparation of the whole for the printer, and the revision of the proofs. I do not, therefore, think that I need apologise for the late date of this preface, much as I regret it, both for my own sake, and for that of my readers. G. J. SYMONS. 62, Camden Square, N,W.t May 22nd, 1876. * Irrespective of the time occupied in verifying records which proved to be accurate, I may, as an illustration of rigorous scrutiny, mention that upwards of 300 separate enquiries have been sent to individual observers, respecting doubtful entries. REPORT. IT may be regarded as indicative of the steady maintenance of the rainfall system of the British Isles, that the most important feature in the events of the past year has been a financial one. I believe that there were never so many stations in operation as there are now ; that the observations were never more carefully made, nor more rigorously checked. Of course there is much yet to be done; the rainfall along the Caledonian Canal, and in many parts of Scot land, is unknown, but these terrce incognitce are yearly decreasing, and ere long we may have to imitate Alexander, and lament the absence of other realms to conquer. However, the subsequent " Chronicle of new stations established," shows that there is ample scope for more energy, more computing strength, and more money than is at present at our command. It will be noticed that an entirely different mode of printing has been adopted for the monthly details given in this volume, the number of records being largely increased, in accordance with a discussion upon the subject in Nature. This subject is fully explained on a sub sequent page. There is no material change to report either in instruments or in modes of observation, and it is clearly very undesirable that any change, except as regards additions to existing arrangements, should be made, for the primary essential in rainfall work is continuity—per fect, and without variation. The importance of this point is not sufficiently remembered, even by old observers. They notice, perhaps, that a tree is growing too high to be consistent with the perfect accuracy of the indications of the rain gauge : another part of their grounds is more unobjectionable, and therefore they move the gauge there, This is an easy mode of solving the difficulty, but it is not the fight one, which i? to obtain a second gauge, put it in the better place, observe both for a sufficient time to ascertain the relation existing between the old and the new gauge, and therefrom the error of th$ old one. Nothing could be more plainly worded than Eule II, and it is much to be regretted that all observers do not obey it. " II.—OLD GAUGES.—Old established gauges should not be moved, nor their registration discontinued until, at least, two years after a new one has been in operation, otherwise the continuity of the register will be irreparably destroyed. Both the old and the new ones must be registered at the same time and the results recorded for comparison." It is obvious that it is equally objectionable suddenly to abandon an old gauge, and take to observing a new one. One or two records a-year are usually spoiled in this way, and the year 1875 was no exception, this great mistake having been made at three stations. As regards new instruments, there is little of importance to mention. No good self-recording rain gauge, at a price suitable for ordinary observers, has yet been brought to my notice. I believe in the possibility of fulfilling these conditions, and am much surprised that no one has yet done so. A considerable increase has taken place in the number of gauges with deep funnels (Snowdon pattern), but in all the cases known to me, these have been used either in addition to the maintenance of the old gauges, or at entirely new stations. The verification of the records contained in this volume is extremely important, and rigorous in the extreme; it occupies two persons con stantly during nearly two months ; and this is in addition to much work done out of the office, and to voluntary assistance, in which con nection I desire here to express my special obligation