Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-08-08
coMMUNIcATED.1

COMMUNICATED.
Mr. Snowden:-A paragraph in yoyr paper
If Wednesday last, the Slst ult., relatiy, to the
Heather, arrested my attention, which IL herein
stated to be concluding article on that SUBJECT,
from the "Richmond Wing" of the previous
Friday-as follows" Many bets of spall
amount we're made by gentleman Of this .si,,,
that it would rain upon the 25th inst, and the
event justified his opinion. He says that it has
never failed to do so for the last IL years. A
gentleman in the County Of Goochland has I.
standing bet, which has been continued for twelve
or fifteen years, that it will rain the first Satu-.
day in every .4ugusi, all of which he has ron
except in one instance. These are singular facts,
which deserve the attention Of the wise and
learned"
| believe that these two " singular taets"
are founded upon, and have a connection with,
an old popular tradition having relation to the
..forty days rain after St. Swihn," from which
have originated many popular. quaint and pro.
verbal adages but of these IL is not here intend
ed either to annoy or amuse your readers, BY a
repetition. However, to test the correctness Of
the alleged facts, it would appear to be proper
that they should be subjected to complete and
critical meteorological data: and as we have no
means Of ascertaining, prospectively, the object
in view, nevertheless, ample confidence will no
doubt be established on reference to retrospect.
i've observations of that nature, which have been
carefully executed and recorded.
Towards this design, il has oDportuoely hap
pened, that complete set Of meteorological OBJ.
servauons, for fifteen years past, are available,
that we're observed and recorded by members of
the Medical Staff Of the Army, who were seve-
rally located in this vicinity during the above Pc
Rod From these data the following table has
been, especially, arranged the first and second
columns have exclusive reference to the "sm
gular facts'' Of the Richmond Wing; and the
third and last are added, as they were presumed
TO have necessary connection with the former;
but more particularly as an humble effort in as
.istng Mr.. Howard to bring forward the obser
vations on the latter subject to the present wear.
Che following full examination by that gentle
man, and taken from his "Climate Of London,
Of the popular adage of ct forty days rain after
st. Swithin," may perhaps seem necessary, if
not unexeeptionable, after the preceding re-
marks:
"The opinion Of the people on subjects con-
nected with natural history is commonly found
ed in some degree on fact or experience; though
in this case vague and inconsistent conclusions
are too frequently drawn from real premises
The notion commonly entertained on this sub
ect, If put strictly to the test of experience at
ana one station in this part Of this island, will
be found fallacious. To do justice to popular
observation, | may now state, that in majority
Of our summers, showery period, which with
some latitude as to time and local circumstances
may be admitted to constitute daily rain for forty
DAYS, does not>come about the time indicated BY
this tradition: nor that any long space before is
often so dry as to mark distinctly its commence.
ment.
"The tradition, il seems, took origin from
the following circumstances. Swithn or Swi.
thum, Bishop Of Winchester, who died in 500,
desired that he might be buried in the open
Church.yard, and not in the cbancel of the
minster, as was usual with other bishops,
and his request was complied with; but the
monks, on his being cannonized, considering it
dsgraceful for the saint to lie in public Gene
try, resolved to remove his body into the choir,
which was to have been done with solemn pro.
cession, on the 18th Of July: it rained, however,
so violently for forty days together at this sea
son, that the design was abandoned. Now,
without entering into the case OF the bishop, who
was probably man of sense, and wished to set
the example of a more wholesome, as well as
more humble, mode of resigning the pershabe
clay to the destructive elements; may observe,
mat Tue TACT OF the ninueranCe OF tne ceremony
BY the cause related is sufficiently authenticated
BY traditions and the tradition is SO far valuable,
as it proves that the summers in this southern
part Of our island were subject thousand years
ago to occasional heavy rains, in the same way as
at present Let US see bow, in point Of fact, the
matter now stands.
"In 1897 it rained with US on the day in
question. and dry time followed. In 1908 it
again rained on this day, though but few drops:
there was much Lightning in the west at night,
yet it was nearly dry to the close Of the lunar
period, at the new moon, on the 22d Of this
month, the whole period having yielded only
quarter Of an inch Of rain; but the next moon
vas very wet, and there fell $40 inches Of rain.
sin 1918 and 1919 it was dry on the 18th,
and very dry time in each case followed. The
remainder Of the summers occurring betwixt 1907
and 1919. appear to come under the general pro.
positions already advanced: but it must be observ-
cd, that in 1916, the wettest year Of the series,
the solstitial abundance Of rain belongs to the
lunar period, ending, with the moons approach