Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-12-28
wea,her raoss ana F~ns,es.

now that the weather is on the
turn, aud that rain may be chron-
iolsd before the end Of the year,
although the weather clerk has
acted so capriciously for months
that no dependence can be placed
upon what In ordinary years would
be infallible indications. In view
Of the universal interest In the
matter, we have collected q num-
Der Of statistics, for which we have
had recourse to Mr.. G. Ducom-
NUNS rain gauge, because his
tables Of the rainfall run back ten
yeArs. far ante-dating the United
States Signal Service records,
which are Of comparatively recent
date. For all purposes OF compar-
ison Mr.. Ducomm ua's figures are
~ good rs though they were of
hciaI, a. his rain gauge was the
same. and placed in the same po.
sition. during all these years.
Their relative value, therefore,
cannot be impeached.
For eight years during which
Mr.. Duoommun's tables are COM
plete the average annual rainfall
Of Los Angeles county was 1897
inches. If the year of droutb,
1877, had been thrown out, the
average would have been much
higher. It is notable that we have
had but ono dry year since 1871.
The question of absorbing interest
TO our people just now is whether
We are to have another A. D. 1882.
The season 18S0-Sl was in every re-
gard fair one. What will 1881
81 be?
Az . matter simply curious we
may state, on the authority Of Hon.
A. F. Coronel, that 1912 and 1852
were dry years. On the other
hand, the years 1852 and 1872 were
quite wet.
By q reference to Mr.. Ducom-
nuns tables we find that, taking
the annual rainfall for the eight
years comprised In bis average of
the total rainfall for the year, an
average Of 6.15 inches fell before
New Years. That is to say. lit
tie more than thirty-four per cent.
But for the memorable year of
drouth before mentioned this av.
erage would also have been large.
Since the fall of 1872 to the pres
ent date We have had, go far, less
Of rainfall than in any year since
the fall of 1875, which ushered in
the dry season of 1877, yet it has been
fully feur times that Of 1875. In
thAt melancholy year only 4O.1O0
OF Al inch fell prior to 1877, aud
Shat fell on the 9th of October.
There was but this single mockery
Of . rain during that whole fall
and winter. This year our fret
rain fell on the 25th Of October,
and we have had number of
rains, the total amounting to 1.5s
inches. It must be added, how
ever, that these showers have done
~ little good as the solitary sprln.
kle Of the fall and winter of 1875.
In order that our readers may
be able to compare the present
with the fall and winter seasons of
the past ten years, we have copied
the figures from Mr.. Ducommun's
record:
Fall and winter of 1879, 4.46 inches
First rain Dec. 23d.)
Fall and winter of 1873, 6.4S inches
First rain Nov. 1sth.)
Fall and winter of 1874, 3 SO inches
First rain Sept. S0th.)
Fall and winter of 1875, s.S9 inches
(First rain Nov. 2d.)
Fall and winter of 1879, O.4O inch
First and only rain Oct. 27th.)
Fall and winter of 1877, 4.ss inches
(First rain Oct. 29th.)
Fall and winter OF 1878, 4. SO inches
(First rain Oct. 15th.)
Fall and winter Of 1879, los inche 9
First rain Oct. 1Sth)
Fall and winter of 1880, 9.S5 inches
(First rain Oct. 9Th. }
Fall and winter of 1881, I.58 inches
(First rain Oct. 25. and up to date. }
With these figures every one ca n
% his own weather prophet, and
ehe master Of the rule of three can
do his own cyphering. There is
one thing to be borne in mind,
however, and that is that there are
yet four days to run before the ex-
piFation Of the current year, and
Of course the rainfall msy be ma
tsrially increased during those
days.
Being In o somewhat fanciful
mood, there are two ways OF spec
ulating on this proposition. As we
have shown. the rainfall after New
Years has been, during all these
ton years, an average Of sc per
cent. OF the total rainfall. On this
basis, should we have no more rain
during the current year, we shall
b justified In looking for total
Rainfall OF about four and seventy
hundrsdths Inches.
On The ether hand, in the disas-
sxeus year Of drouth Of 1877, the
RalnfAll during the fall and winter
mm1R A. an NJ n ~ fcrx~x-t..~l.asp -