Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1856-02-07
Springs Rise Before Ram.

In connexion with springs, there are va
rious phenomena which are unexplained
by any theory yet promulgated. Their rise
after long continued droughts, and before
the fall of rain, has long beena subject for
curious speculation. Within our own oh
/ servation, several instances of such a rise
have occurred. The beds Of streams which
had been dry for some time, suddenly re-
sumed their wonted current, although there
had been no rain within hundreds of miles
of the locality. The phenomena was no.
ticed by many persons, and was generally
deemed to indicate the approach Of wet
weather.
We are pleased to see that attention has
been given to the subject by Professor
Brocklesby, who read paper, comprising
the result ofhis inquiries, before the Soci-
ETY. for the advancement Of science, at the
late meeting of that body We find tie fol
lowing synopsis of Prof. BIS paper il one
Of our exchanges.
due. only two instances of the rising of wa
ter in springs before rain, in the paper he
read last year before the same society, but
the publication of the article brought him
numerous letters, and he was then prepar-
ed to present some additional instances.
J. NJ. Pelton, of Warwick, n. Y, writes
it Is a common thing to the gravel i'll
the beds of dry streams grow moist, with
now and then little pool standing between
the stones where all was dry few hours
before. in time of drought; and this is usu-
ally followed by rain. These phenomena
he Las frequently witnessed in two streams
that flow through the farm on which he
lives.
Enoch II. Mccall, of Windsor, Conn,
writes, That in the town of Lebanon, Conn.
is spring that dom fails, but in very
dry times it ceases to flow. Whenever the
fountain, after becoming dry recommenc-
rs running. the neighbors regard it as a
sure sign of rain, a sign that never disap
points their expectations
Watson Newbold, of New Jersey, writes
he has ofen heard old and observing men
say, We shall have rain in day or two to
a certainty, for the small springs have risen
and dry ones started
! Mr.. Dill, of Newark, Ohio, writes that a
: brook flowing through his grounds serves
a, his barometer when the water is
flowing, it dimnishes rapidly some "a t
36 hours before a shower-often the bed o
; the srcam becomes quite dry and some
: 12 to 10 hours before the rain there is al
unusual increase in the quantity of water
flowing. In the last l3 years | have haC
4 or gardeners, who have relied upon the
phenomena of this brook as Indications o
the weather.
e Mr.. Dill says, 1t is well known in tn,
west, that when the elements are preparin.
, for shower, there is rapid diminuioi
of water in our streams. The evaporatin.
powers of the atmosphere is probably II
It's maximum from 36 to 40 hours befor,
y the fall Of rain, and its minimum from Il
to lG hours previously Millers and Others
: Interested in the volume of the streams ar,
familiar with these facts Mr. A. Hayne,
ofPhiladelphia, says his father often tolt
c him that water rose in springs just befor'
, a rain; and prognostcated rain from tina
= event In the summer of 1888, early il
: September, he noticed that rll whose bee
had been dry for long time had recon-
, menced running. This was previous t,
d any rain no rain having fallen since TIL,
1t prrvions June. Within few days their
) WAS great storm Of rain which complete
; iy saturated the earth. On the 22d ofJul
! 1865, riding into the country, he observed
that the side of a bank which descended to
II ward creek that ran by the road, wa
i moist to within two or three feet of the tol
! and that water was oozing out 1t wa
quite dry at the time and vegetation wa
; suffering from drought He inferred tina
~ the bank had peen entirely dry, and tina
y the temperance Of moisture on It's slde
e and the oozing out of water at its foot indi
d Gated approaching rain. The followin:
morning it did rain, slowly, enough to we
the gound to the depth of half an inch.
A writer in Savannah says, 1T is wei
y known to every observant person on South
t ern plantations, especially in the country
f of Georgia, tha- rain after drought Isl pre-
ceded by the rising of water in the beds o
: exhausted streams Nay-Shakespeare
three hundred years ago noticed it; ano
c says in the Cd act ofRichard 3D.:
"By divine instinct mems minds mistrust
Ensuing danger; as by proof we
The water swes before bosterous Storm"
A writer in California says: Immediate