The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-02-05

The winter OF Maine, therefore, i, not 50
| severe a. l. experienced in the corresponding
| latitude, in ht interior. This i due to the
tlltNialln2 mtlutnre, of the surrounding sea.
| he effect OF wuch, though it be. i'll this latl-
! udr, to ioWer mean OF the year raIses il
| for the " inter.
In regard To the rainfall in Maine it may be
| mentioned that at records kept al twent! -one
| 'ill"rent points in The State. the records eX
| lrndln@ over series of years from TWO to
| thiltN N-tWv. tie mean latitude being 44.2I. The
mean depth in inches i 10 a. Comparing
| these results With the results obtained from
reco d. kept At fifteen different points in >iN
| States west Of Mane. IN the same latitude, and
lhe rainfall OF NJ tint i about % per cent. III
'Nr,,> ol lho,e sections. The actual sumlaer
| IN Maine extend, from May 81 to September
| u. the period IF general exemption from frost.
| Rccurd, kept al twenty-one different points in
| Name show tht mean rainfall for this period
| Of summer TO be II 13 inches. The mean Win
| eT rainfall of the State al the above twenty
| one points Is lO.l3 inches. The mean depth OF
| snow at seven different points is S3.02 inches,
| corresponding To 6.9l inches OF water Th'
| ioial downfall for The four and "a half months
| during which the snow fails is about ID. 90 inch
| -, 6Sl OF which. "a just shown. come III snow.
| Therefore. about "A per cent of The total down.
| fail during The four and half months Of
| actual winter is snow. The per cent. during
| ne three months of nominal winter is, OF
| course, greater. Rain in Maine is distributed
| Win remarkable uniformity at different
sons of the Year. Thus, the summer fall al
twenty -One stations has been shown to be IL .13
| inches; the winter fall al tweniN-siX stations,
| l0.l3 inches. The receipt tor spring and
| lumn are nearly equal, and are each about
| 1000 inches. Of the average A. inches of rain
| received yearly, % 20 are reab>oi bed by the
atmus lhere, and 16 % pass off by the rivers to
| the
| 1t will be readily understood that the even
ness OF distribution of our rainfall is very
| important condition of producilveness. On the
| one hand We are saved from frequent and pro-
lracttu urUutn~, such as a111ct The 1retlc>s Sec
| lions OF the Vest, and on the other we are
| spared from tn" excessive and sudden ranfalls
! ~here every thing i, endangered by inundation.
| Ills tquable rainfall is one of the great bless
| lugs We receive from forests. Water
,pout-. cyclones, whirwnd>. and ''blizzards,'
| Which III jncir Violence are 50 severe in many
| OF The Western States that neither man nor
| beast can face them for any time and Yet live,
| are unknown III Maine. Our trees and wooded
| hlli> are sentlnel> OF safety, and quiet val
ie}s are the abode> of peace and security. The
humidity OF the climate of Maine is remark
| able. The air, on an average. is more than
| three fourhs saturated with moisture. Even
in the summer months the air generally con-
| lalns 40 per cent. OF the amount of moisture 1t
| Is capable of holding at that temperature. In
| other words, il is devoid of dry. burning heat,
| IN striking contrast with the scorching air of
| reeless sections of our country and of our
| densely populated cities. This is WHY Maine is
| so much sought as IA summering ground for The
| large numbers who seek our hills, akesCes,
and forests during the hot months from the
large cities Of Boston, New York, Philadelphia,
and Washington. From the long extent of
coastne i'll Maine, the months of July and
| August give much log along the coast counties
but III the interior, and throughout by far the
larger portion of the State, the sky is usually
| bright and clear. In fact, brightness and sun
SHINE characterize climate. and the air
| talns an abundance OF ozone.
| Iv.--THE RIVER AND LAKE SYSTEMS.
The river aud lake systems of Maine form
one of the %randest natural features of the
State, and give ii ID prominence for its hydro
graphic character unequaed by any other
American State. No other State in the Union
has SO many rivers and streams, aud bui two
others larger water-surface. Maine has s.
I lol rivers and streams of size sufficient to be
iald down upon the State map, and 2,30O square
miles of lakes and ponds. Minnesota has 81
800 square miles of waer-surface, and Utah
2,I00 miles, these States being the only ones
having Il larger area of water-surface than
Maine.
The rivers of Maine are divided into two
systems; first, the primary or interior rivers;
ana second. the secondary or seabOard rivers.
| a. The j.tet'of rtUer system Commencing
at The western boundary of the State, the pri.
mary river systems are the Saco, the Andros-
cogsin, the kennebec, the Penobscot, the St.
CrolX, and the SAINT John. in Maine.
The Saco is, not including the minuter wind
lng-, 50 miles long. Its mean direction is
southeast. The of its basin is / 400 square
miles, 600 of which are in New Hampshire. 1t
has four tributaries with united lei 9Th, not in
Guiding local winnings, of SO miles. The lake
Reservoirs OF the Saco are seventy-five in num-
Der, or more than twice the number represent
ed by the average of the same territory for any
other part of the State. The yearly discharge,
estimated at 40 per cent. of the annual precipi-
tation, is, for The entire basin. 81 900 000, 900
cubic feet The power from Hiram Falls to
the tide, total fall Of 343 feet, is II ,493 horse
power for eleven hours day, or 500, ,720
spindles.
The Androscoggin has length of 157 miles,
It's natural basin representing $500 square
miles in Maine and $500 in New Hampshire. 1t
has seven main tributaries, with a united
length of 165 miles. A total Of l4S lakes and
ponds, grouped in four systems, furnish the
reserve power of the river representing an
area of 213 square miles. The gross measure
ment of the Androscoggin is 50 200 horse pow
er, or ., ,747 900 >pindes. The estimated yearly
discharge from the basin is 135 900, ,000, 900
cubic feet
The basin of the Kennebee has an area of s.