The New York herald., 1851-08-21
N T. WS BY II E M AIL0.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION
FOR THE
ADyAN MEsT OF SCIENCE :
ALBANY MEETING.

ALBANY MEETING
TUESDAY EvEsiNG, August 10 1851
Tie following is the interesting alton Of Pro-
LOOMS Of the University Of the City Of New York
alluded to in my last despatch
THE DIsTRIBuTIos os MONTH or sEPrrAs-
BER, BY PhoFEssoR ELIAS LOOMS.
About twelve years ago, made a somewhat extensive
comparison of meteorological observations for the pur
pose testing various popular oons with regard to The
weather My object particularly to determine whe
ther any connection could be traced between the fall Of
rain and the phases Of the the seasons Of tho
year. The result Of this investigation was, that many
popular proverbs with regard to the fall of rain had
little foundation in truth. As however the materials
from which this conclusion derived quite bulky
did not offer them for publication but having no.
tced that educated have very extensively adopted
many of these popular have concluded to bring
forward some Of the documents which have collected
with reference to question, viz the general belief
Of an unusual fall Of rain about the time Of the autumnl
equinox The belief in equinoctia storm appears to
have prevailed not only in this couatry, but very
tensvely in Europe for long period In Nashs Ma.he
matical Diary published at New York for 1922 the fol-
lowing question is propounded for uired
the why storms generally prevalent about tho
times Of the equinox! !n propose to inquire whether
rain unusually prevalent about the time Of the autumn
nal equinox The register to which first refer for an
to this question is that kept by the Royal Society
Of London. This register commenced in the year
l74 and suspended tAe close of the year 1Sl3
There was interruption of six yea from 1871
1885, leaving "a years of observation have accordngy
arranged the fall rain for each day of September dur
i-g the entire period in appropriate columns and taken
the sums for each day of the month The amounts fer
the several days exhibit consider able inequality II
greatest being 500 inches the 24th, and the leas
being $50 inches the 3dthe greatest amount ben
almost three times II caanot be doubted that
this irreguarty is partly owing to the shortnes Of the
period embraced in the observation, and we shall clint
nate in degree the isuence Of causes which ere
independent Of the day Of the month"; by grouping
the observations. If take the of the daily
amounts for intervals Of nve days, shall obtain
the numbers--ls,403 inches, 20,s35 do, 1924 do,
do, 22.44s do, 1883 do, 23O75 Here the
bers approach much the equality the greatest
number exceeding the least by about one quarter
OF its whole amount II take the sums for tho
two halves of the month, shall find tina. the
amount for the last half is about oneh greater than
for the fret half This result being deduced from
eating law Of the climate Of London In order to de-
termipe whether this result has any particular connec
ton with the equinox let compare the average fall OF
rain at London for successive months According to the
observations of Mr. Howard, the average fall Of rain in
September is e20 inches; in October is inches in
November is 2998 inches that Is the fall Of rain in Oc
tober is third greater than in september This re-
vz-that the rain the last half of september
Is fifth greater than for the rrt half We perceive
then, huctuaton In the amount
the Of the year. but decisive indication that
the rain for any day Of September will be foua uni
formly greater than both the and follow
ing days. We shall arrive at the same result wo
make the comparison by the number Of rainy days in
stead Of the quantity Of rain The greatest number Of
day Of the month was IS being the 9th the least
number Is, on the Sd. II We classify the numbers
10 groups Of five days obtain the following result -;
Here the greatest sum- before, exceeds the least by
quarter Of whole amoaot The total numoer ot
A.va dtvvf fn h. frat
O0 the half 326 being excess OF about
onewslfth Of the whole number We see thus the in
fuence the annual uctuAtion in the Increased num-
Der Of rainy for the last half Of ths month but DO
indication that any day OF september could be selected
expoled to rain than both the preceding and
following days viii not attempt to conceal that the
Of rain for the hve days embracing the equinox
out the month but il any one should b- disposed
tsch any special Importance to this circumstxnce
would remark that the amount Of rain for the i've
days Of falls short Of the preceding i've days
by than three per cent and that this quantity TOO
small afford any satisfactory basis for conclusion in
research Of this kind Certain 1t Is that the derence
In too small 70 be detected without most Careful OBJ
servstion Of the rain and nasmuch rs the ppo
lar kelef this subject certainly never derived
from metereologicl Journals do not hesitate TO
eude that the common opinion Of an unusual fall ot
rain at London about the time Of the equinox,
has b EN- taken up without ressou proceed
quire what foundation there be for similar opiuion
in the United states Ard here ~e encounter mca;ty
arising from the want Of continuous register of the f~
Of rain at single locality for any long period Most
Of the early meteorological observers paid little a.
unable to find any register in this countsy fu;..
nshipg the amount of rain for more than .obut.
for comparison the observations m .ss ,ssay.
under the direction OF the R'g-n of the state entrs-
cling period q twenty four ,..rs The reates sum
pcsod is is ,n ,sa ~ ss the least sum is os7
inehss on tte l,,h The inequalities from day to day
as TO Indicate early that the psra 81
causes inds endent OF the day of the mouth Let u.s.
.nen gre. the erervatons 10 period, of nye d-ys oa
We ehs obtain % 81 inches 81 do l3A 10 ID e 80
IL d do las do The Eve days Of the month fur
nh the greatest amount Of any rain aud me next h'e
days the least "@onns Of ass day Of the nth
upon tho amount VI rgin e'y rcn.a sea ss ~.
son .ns, an unusual ian OF - Js atn. ,9,h
tse ,hird Of sept,nle and that from the otn ;.
VI ue month IL VIII be unusually dry. In point OF A..
Icohider such conclusion prenst Certainly the
ousefvatons afford no countenines the impf.ssion
an uhuf fall of rain IL {, be expected about the
time OF he equinox 1t l. worthy Of notice that for "a
successive years no rain Is corded having fallen on
tne o'h'i The month, so that. yeas ago 1t would
have from these observations
that on the 9Th Of September ras- at Albany
This circumstance plainly Indicate, the necessity e
tending cur oLservstions would entirely elm s.s
the influence Of accl, al causes IL Is also sur ,e.el
that probably citizen of Albany had noticed this
remarkable absence Of rain for 2j years aagh.e-)
and stu doubt not, there IN ussnds who wa tell
that they have always noticed that II IL rains the
hrst Sabbath 81 month IL L. sure to rain on each
cessive Sabbath. (CUntirucd lsughterD In orier to
supply as far possible the ~sut Of ssries Of obssr
vaicns fufcisnty org have bad recourse to the Jour
ISIS In which IL resoried each day whether il
fair cloudy rainy although the Of rain vas
10 registered have taken the Of the rainy days
for zach day of the month and have appended 20 this
the Albany register making thus a continuous record
Tor 60 years The number os rainy days aay
day of the ronth Tor the entire period twenty
Eve, the 5th, the least Der twelve on the
eth In order to eliminate the influence of foreign
causes will group the observations in periods Of eve
dsys, and we obtain the following numbns-os inches,
20 do, so do, IS do. 50 do pl do
30 far then these observations indicate any inai-
Of the day Of the month upon amount OF rain
they lead TO the conclusion that the first I've days cf
September are unusually rainy and the second i've days
ually dry point o fact regard such conclusion
as premature but the observations clearly indicate that
there s to expect rain at the time Of the
autumnal equinox than the week preceding o. the
week following From all these observations l infer
that the popular notion of unusual IA of rain either
In old England In New England about the time OF the
sutumna equinox. IL wholly unfounded and Is akin to
those superstitions which make particular day OF