Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-04-19
APRIL SHOWS.
The Record Reviewed by Prof Draper. Of
New York.
New York Tribune.

New York Tribune.
"Prof. Draper" said Tribune
reporter to the meieorologist OF the
Central park observatory, "is snow
in April excusable ?"
"Why not?" said the professor.
"Snow falls often in April. We
will examine some records. La 1870.
on April 8, there was a snowstorm
which lasted twelve hours, and two
inches and half fell. On Wedn.--
day of this week the snow melted
as fast as it fell in the city, though
In Winchester there was an inch
and half. In 1871, on April 9,
two inches of snow fell i'm two hours
and a half. In 1875, on April z, an
inch and half fell; then there
was a storm that lasted three DAYS
on the Il, IL and IA, during which
ten inches fell, and on the Goth
there was another storm, and three
inches fell, making a total for the
month of five snow days, and four
teen and half inches snow fall.
"There was no snow in April,
1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880 or 1881,
but in 1882 there was short furry,
and one-quarter of an inch Of snow,
and in 1888, on the oath, there was
an hours storm, and half an inch
of snow"
professor, 1876 was obviously an
abnormal year. Is there any cycle
of abnormal years 2"
"When there is sufficient num-
Der of stations where self-recording
instruments are used, we can group
our facts and ascertain the cOnnec-
tion between many that now seem
Isolated. A recurrence of heavy
SHOWS in April would mean re-
currence of the wind that brings
the snow. j have compiled table
showing the distribution of rain
and SHOWS under different winds
from 1870. The wind that brings
snow is the northeast. Its mean
during all these years has been 226
inches. Next TO that is the north
west wind, which is now blowing.
Its mean is only 3.6 inches. The
mean of the north wind is 1.6 in-
ches, of the east wind 2.3 incht s, of
the south wind one-tenth Of an
inch, of the southeast and south
west eight-tenths OF an inch. The
mean OF the west wind is one inch
and half"
"Have you noticed whether after
a steady blow from the north or
il is customary for "a
snowstorm to make its appear
ance?"
"No, l have not noticed that, but
the northwest is somewhat of
snow wind, and the northeast Is
specially the snow bringer. The
wind veering from the north either
TO the eastward or westward might
bring snow. But let me tell you
about barometric fiuctu-
ations. The meteorologist OF Eu-
rope have been greatly interested
In the sharp barometric fluctuations
Of August 26 and of last year,
which they ascribe to the tremen-
1ous eruption of Krakatoa in Java.
The hypothesis is that immense
volumes of heated air were forced
creating wave Of dis
that went around the
globe, registering itself everywhere
by harometric fluctuations. ru-
piled to the inquiries from Europe
that my Instruments had recorded "a
marked fluctnation on the 9th, but
not more so than after cyclones in
the United States. At 8 and 4:30 p.
NJ, April /, twelve hours after the
terrible cyclone i'm Indiana and else
where, there were marked tluctua-
ions, and have no doubt that the
high wind of to-day il connected
with it directly, a sort of after clap.
Look at the instrument that records
the pressure of the wind. There is
4 constant changing rate Of press
lre. The increase at intervals is
from the gusts. The highest of
Ihese, though they are nearly equal,
Toes not exceed fourteen pounds.
at 1880 o'clock, the press
lre increased to thirty-one pounds.
Rhis indicated a velocity of sixty
seven miles AN hour"