Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-01-12

state Report. 3rd Decade, Dec. 1879.

/ During the third decade Of Decen-
Der, The Wedther scds ertyaoydinaril,,
/ ,rdsm, scith high ercesS of RAN, fire.
qaent fog, and re,,y ami form, loar sci1,ds.
AT our Central Station the mean tenn
perature was 1871 degrees above the
normal value and the rain 2.S6 inches
in excess of its normal, The wind
travelled l4S8 miles during the decade
never deyiating very much from the
mean rate Of az miles an hour.
| The first days of the decade were
as mild as fair days in October of this
year. In the evening of the 23rd the
barometer descended rapidly, storm
center traversed the Southern tier OF
counties, with abundant rains through
out lowa-thus most emphatically dis
proving the Washington Probabilities
published in the evening papers of the
23, throughout the State
The first DAYS of the second half OF
the decade were cold in comparison
with the preceding DAYS but even
the coidest day did not reach down to
| the normal mean of the decade VI
| The secondary depression of the
barometer on the 25th brought small
amount of snow, which covered all
Iowa on the morning of the 2eth.
A second principal low barometer
began on the 9th; till the afternoon
of the 29th, the barometer had fallen
fully an inch. A dense fog was spread
over east and central Iowa, and du-
ring the subsequent rapid rise of the
barometer. on the 30th thunderstorm
in Southern and Eastern Iowa, had
we for this season very unusual
phenomenon. Very heavy rains ae-
companied this electrical display: /:
ltlley continued into the new year and
Were peculiarly heavy in Southeast
ern Iowa on the 3lst. In Northeast
lern Iowa ON January lst.
The total rainfall during this de-
cade increased eastward and south
ward from about one inch on the
Missouri to lls inch IN Northeastern
aud 3L. inches in Southeastern Iowa.
The rivers are now open aud high.
This decade was also marked by a
,, most brilliant detoadtiag meteor. com
parable in magnitude and brightness
10 the great Iowa meteor of February
18th. 1875. Ii was observed all over
Southwestern Iowa. from Grant City
and Grand Junction TO Tabor, Mt
Ayr, and Davenport. II travelled
soutllward, nearly over Alton: the
detonation was heard i'm Ringgold
trouniy, the bursting of the meteor
was -cc'r--i,r- <ss--e.... ..-->-....4.---I If--sa
descended to the earth. the meteoriies
will be found in Missouri.
l Dpnp Irvrc fnp lanrtor,r JSIe
The prediction of mild winter, made
at the close of November report hav-
ing been fully confirmed thus far
-(the mean temperature of the month
of December being very nearly nine
degrees ADORE its normal value. an ex-
cess reached only twice before in
nearly forty years,-namely in 1873
and 1857 1--WE venture some addition
al probabilities, although without
considerable aid the numerous Scien-
iific data on which these probabilities
rest cannot be fully developed. The
chances are more Than five to one that
January will he decidedly mild
month with a moderately high prob
ability OF ccol weather toward the
close of the first decade and more
CtItultf ucpitcEloH VI ttHfptIdtuIt
near the middle of the month, [most
probably sometime between the 18th
and 1Tth), Early in the third decade
the probability is very high for con
siderable descent OF the thermometer
causing a real cold spell, and proba-
bly, between the 23rd and 18th. The
cold may continue till the end of the
month, but more probably will be
followed by moderate or mild wealth
er, at least on The 2lth.
| A higher degree OF certainty can
not be attained unless Iowa will do
\ something to cause systematic in
vestigation of the climate OF the State
to be made. As the growth OF the
crops depends on the distribution of
rain and sunshine, ii would seem that
! this investigation might be at least as
worthy of help as was the examina-
zion OF the fossils contained in Iowa
rocks. GUsIAvUs HINRiCHs.
Iowa City, January 4th, 1916.