British Rainfall, 1888
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BRITISH RAINFALL, 1888. LONDON : O. SHIELD, PRINTER, SLOANE SQUAKE, CHKLSEA, S W. 1889. INTENSE RAINS 1879 TO 1888. DURATION m. fn. m. tn. m. hr. m. m. m . jn.m. _ jn.m. hr,hra DEPTH 10 20 30 40 60 I 10 20 30 40 50 2 .fa. 0 JL "/ BRITISH RAINFALL, 1888. THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAIN OVER THE BRITISH ISLES, DURING THE YEAR 1888, AS OBSERVED AT MORE THAN 2500 STATIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, WITH ARTICLES UPON VARIOUS BRANCHES OF RAINFALL WORK. COMPILED BY G. J. SYMONS, F.R.S., Secretary Royal Meteorological Society; Membredu Conseil Societe MeUorologique de France; Member Scottish Meteorological Society; Korrespondirendes Mitghid Deutsche Meteorologische Gesellschaft; Member of Council Epyal Botanic Society; Registrar and Member of Council Sanitary Institute; Fellow Royal Colonial Institute; Mtmbre correspondent etranger Soc. Royale de Medecine Publique de Sefgigue; Hon. Mem. Hertfordshire Nat. Hist. Soc., Essex Field Club; Northamptonshire Nat. Hist. Soc., Croydon Microscopic Soc., $c. <fc. $c. LO NDON: EDWARD STANFORD, COCKS PUR STREET, S.W. 1889. CONTENTS OF BRITISH RAINFALL 1888. PAGE PREFACE ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... 7 REPORT A NEW DECADE NORTH WALES GAUGES THE NUNES GAUGES THE ROYAL SOCIETY LAKE DISTRICT GAUGES MANCHES TER, SHEFFIELD, AND LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY COMPANY INSPECTION OF RAINFALL STATIONS OVERFLOWING OF RAIN GAUGES OLD OBSERVATIONS OFFICE WORK FINANCE ... ... ... ... ... 8 THE MEASUREMENT OF SNOW .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 16 SNOW MEASUREMENTS MADE IN BAVARIA, BY COL. WARD ... ... ... 29 ON SOME INTENSE RAINS, 1879 TO 1888 ... ... ... ... ... .. ... 32 EAST ANGLIAN RAINFALL, 1801 TO 1888, BY F. Dix ... ... ... ... 36 ROTHERHAM EXPERIMENTAL GAUGES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 38 THE CAMDEN SQUARE EVAPORATION EXPERIMENTS ... ... ... ... ... 43 RAINFALL AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH ... .. ... ... 44 THE STAFF OFOBSEKATERS... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 45 OBITUARY ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 57 RAINFALL AND METEOROLOGY OF 1888. ON THE METEOROLOGY OF 1888, WITH NOTES ON SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL PHENOMENA ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... [ 3 J OBSERVERS' NOTES ON THE MONTHS OF 1888 ... ... ... ... ... ... [ 26] OBSERVERS' NOTES ON THE YEAR 1888 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [ 64] HEAVY RAINS IN SHORT PERIODS IN 1888... ... ... ... .. ... ... [ 93] Two HEAVY RAINS AT THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH... ... [ 97] HEAVY FALLS IN 24 HOURS DURING 1888... ... ... ... ... ... ... [ 98] DROUGHTS IN 1888 ... ... ... ... .. .. ... ... ... ... ... ... [no] MONTHLY RAINFALL OF 1888 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [114] MONTHLY RAINFALL AT 233 STATIONS IN 1888... ... .. ... ... ... [119] RELATION OF THE TOTAL RAINFALL IN 1888 TO THE AVERAGE ... ... [126] COMPARISON OF THE RAINFALL OF THE YEAR 1888 WITH THE AVERAGE 1870-79... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [128] EXTREMES OF RAINFALL IN 1888 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [132] GENERAL TABLES OF TOTAL RAINFALL. EXPLANATION OF THE ARRANGEMENT OF GENERAL TABLES ... ... .. [134] COUNTY INDEX TO GENERAL TABLES ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... [135] ILLUSTRATIONS. INTENSE RAINS, 1879 TO 1888 .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Frontispiece SIDEBOTTOM'S SNOW GAUGE ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... p. 28 DECREASE OF RAIN DUE TO UNDUE EXPOSURE OF RAIN GAUGES ON A RESERVOIR BANK ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... face p. 38 DIAGRAM ILLUSTRATIVE OF HEAVY RAINS IN SHORT PERIODS... ... p. [ 94] MAPS OF MONTHLY RAINFALL IN 1888 ... ... ... betweenpp. [114] [115] MAP of ANNUAL RAINFALL IN 1888 ... ... ... ... ... ... .. face p. [126] ERRATA IN BRITISH RAINFALL, 1887. Page 19. First line after " and " insert " previous to 1887." ,, 36. Table, Monthly Gauges, 1885, Difference No. 3, for + -80 read - -80. [ 65]. Last line, for 206 in. read 2'06 in. » t 93]- Tenth line, for 2'13 in. read 21 -13 in. »> [132]. Line ten, for "eihgt " read " eight." »» [HS]- Table I., second line, Ben Nevis total, for 128'59 read 129'01, » [I S°]- Second table, head line, for 35 read 41. ,, ,, 1854 lasted for 35 read.65. ,, ,, Second line below table, after "been" insert "at Greenwich." The last line but three refers not to Greenwich, but to Exeter the writer had mixed up the two records. ,, [188]. Northampton (Coton Mill). This was wrongly placed ; there are two Coton Mills. It is correct in the present volume. » tI93]- Ninth entry, Cranmer Hall, gauge found to have allowed water to leak in ; amount too large. ,, [210]. Last station but seven, Broughton. Measuring glass wrong; for 37'43 read 39-05. ,, ,, Last station. Error in return ; for 51'95 read 53'35. » [23°]- Peterhead (Buchanness), for 22'65 read 17'65. BRITISH RAINFALL, 1888. As explained in later pages of this book, it is scarcely possible to compare the work involved in the compilation of the recent and of the early volumes of this series. Progress is supposed to be a general law, and it would be a disgrace were these volumes allowed to recede; but progress involves more work, more cost, more time, and this, coupled with a steady growth in the staff of observers, renders it year by year a harder struggle to verify, classify, and print accurately all the records by an early date. One richly endowed establishment has just issued its report for 1885. I have, at any rate, the conso lation of not being so far behind as that. I hope that everyone will, at least, read the first section of the following report, and do what is possible towards effecting the object for which I there plead. G. J. SYMONS. 62, CAMDEN SQUARE, N.W. June 25th, 1889. REPORT. A New Decade. With the 1st of January, 1890, will begin the fourth decade of rainfall work in this country since I undertook the collection and organization of the records. I need hardly say that I am very desirous that we should secure a strong and well distributed staff of observers in readiness for the commencement of the new decade. For though none can tell who will fall out of the ranks, we do know that ere the decade is over nearly 500 of those who begin will have passed away. A staff that has such a loss to face must be a strong one, and I think that we should strain every nerve to ensure that, by November, 1889, the number of stations has been raised from what it now is (about 2,700) to at least 3,000. And there is something else to be considered. Every observer should examine the rain gauge he is now using, and see that it is not only perfectly sound, water-tight, and strong now, but also that it is in such good order that it may be reasonably expected to be efficient on January 1st, 1900, should he, or his successors, ve able to observe it up to that date. Surely, if it be worth while to keep a record of rainfall at all, it is worth while to have a durable and accurate gauge. Before purchasing and using a new gauge, I hope that every observer will read through the rules which (partly for that very purpose) I have reprinted at the end of this volume. There is yet one more point for consideration. Trees usually grow considerably in ten years. Observers who desire to provide thoroughly good observations should look at every tree and shrub near their gauge, not as it is now, but as it will be ten years hence, and having done so, they should act according to Bule I. North Wales Gauges. It is a long while since British Rainfall, 1864, was written, and yet I must go back to it with reference to the above subject. It is stated in that pamphlet (for one cannot call it a volume) that Captain Mathew of Wern had, at his own cost; 9 and entirely through his own exertions, established 25 stations in North Wales, and entirely surrounded Snowdon with a girdle of them. A quarter of a century has removed many of the observers, and although some of the gauges have been renewed during the period, some had not, and were verging on dilapidation. Captain (long since become Major) Mathew removed in 1879 from the old Wern, near Port Madoc, to a new Wern, near Guildford, but he has never forgotten or neglected his Welsh gauges, and quite lately he sent a circular to each station enquiring as to the condition of the gauge, and has since renewed everything which was at all defective. The Nunes Gauges. Part of the £100 left by Miss Nunes was devoted to supplying some rain gauges, which were erected in 1883. A summary of their history was given in British Rainfall, 1886, and it will suffice to say that of those there reported as at work, two have been returned, as the observers were unable to continue to observe them, and these have been re-erected, one at Boston Spa, Yorkshire, and the other at Eskdale, Cumberland. Four returns for 1888 have failed to arrive, and of these one gauge is totally lost; the others I shall try to recover and to set to work elsewhere. All the others are in regular use, and being well cared for. Tiie Royal Society Lake District Gauges.— Almost all these have continued in good order throughout 1888. The exceptions are that one of the Stye gauges burst with the frost, the Eev. E. Arm strong neglected to read the one at Newlands, and I can get no tidings o. the one sent to Kirkstone Pass. Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway Company. This Company has, for thirty-four years, maintained a system of rainfall registration throughout its extensive district. Beginning in 1855 with the publication of a sheet giving records from 23 stations, until for 1888 they published the returns from 43 stations. Early in 1889 I heard from the Superintendent that they intended to start several more, and I then suggested to him that it would be well to send a copy of the rules to all the men in charge of the gauges, with a letter from himself pointing out the importance of accuracy and uniformity. This has been done, and although not so good as if I could go round and see all the men, it will, I have no doubt, tend considerably to the improvement of the quality of the records.