The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-12-11
Heavy RainfaIls of the World.

The month of August, inthis present
year is likely to be long remembered
for it's heavy and destructive rainfalls
in most parts of the world. Perhaps
the most remarkable falls reported is
that of which an account was received
from China a few days since, where
1922 inches were precipitated in q
period of "a hours. What afall of 10
inches in "a hours means may be real
lied from the fact that one inch OF
rain gives 100 tons of water per acre,
or 10000 tons to the square mile.
Ten inches, therefore, gives 1,0O0tons
of water to the acre, and 600, 600
tons to the square mile. Yet the
Chinese rainfall referred to is by no
means in the front rank of such occur
rences. For instance, Arago reports
that on October 8, 1927, no less than
800 inches of rain fell in % hours at
Joyeuse. That was three times the Chi.
nese precipitation, and consequently
reached 5000 tons to the acre and
1900, 600 tons to the square mile.
Again, on October 20, 1885, q water
spout broke over Gibraltar, and 3O.l1
inches of waterfall. This is nearly two
thirds of the average rainfall of New
England. No such fall has ever been
recorded in England, though in August,
1S46, 3.12 inches fell in two hours in
st. Paul's churchyard in London.
This was the more notable since in
London a fall of more than one iuch
in twenty-four hours is a rare event.
In the west of England the precipita-
tion is somewhat more abundant.
Thus, on July Ia, 1875, in Monmouth
shire, $3.50 inches fell In twenty-four
hours, and on June 80, 1881, at Seath.
waithe, 4.S0 inches fell in the same
space of time. The average annual
rainfall at the last named place, in
deed, is 154 inches-a record not to
be matched elsewhere out of the trop-
les. The wettest parts of the globe
are naturally such as are exposed to
westerly winds blowing over extensive
ocean tracts, and depositing their
moisture on the first coast they meet.
Such places are the Khasia Hills, in
Assam, with Cherraponga, where the
annual rainfall is, according to Scott,
400 inches, and according to Lyman
600 inches. This would give q pre-
~cipitation of 10000 tons to the acre,
and 100000 tons to the square
mile. 1t represents q body of water,
in fact, so feet in depth. There Ia, as
might be supposed, no such tremend-
Gus precipitation in any other part of
the globe, though several places do
their best to emulate Cherraponga.
The Western Ghauts of India are per-
haps first in Importance of these,
where O. record of $50 inches is found
fer one veal Next comes Buitenzey,
in Java, with 100 inches, and Seath-
waite, England, runs it close with 154
inches. Bergen, in Norway, Sitka, IN
Alaska, Valdivia, In Southern Chill
and a place in New Zealand follow,
while Marankao in Brazil holds its
own very sturdiiy. 1t appears that
an elevation ofaboutx4 900 feet above
the sea level affords the mostfavorable
conditions (other things being equaD
for the heaviest precipitation, forthat
is the height of both Cherraponga and
Mahabulashma in they esternGhauts.
On the plains In our western states
have occurred what are termed CLOUD
bursts" and the precipitation isprob-
ably as heavy as that of the Gibraltar
waterspout mentioned above, though
no record has yet been obtained Of
such phenomena. III New England
remarkable rain-falls have been rare
and exceptional, and oftheexceptional
periods the present month Of August
will doubtless hereafter be regarded
as one.-Boston Traveller.