New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-24
iIY RIINEALLS

4 dispateb from China the other day gave somo
acc punt oi a very heavy aud destructive rainfall in
one OF tho provinces of the Middle Kingdom. 1t
was stated that 1922 inches we're prcolpitated IN
twenty-four hours with the result OF tOodng large
tiacts aud doing much damage. What fall OF ten
ncbc. in twenty -fonT hours means may ne realized
flom the fact that one inch Of rain gives 100 tons
Of water per acre. 90 600 tons to the square mile
Ten inches therefore gives 900 tons Of water TO
the acre. and 100000 tons TO the square mile
Yet the Chinese rainfall referred to is By no means
m the front rank OF such occurrences For instance
Arago reports that on October o, 1927 less than
300 inches of rain fell in twenty-five hours Mt
Joyeu.e That was three times tine Chinese pre-
cipttation. aud consequently reached 5000 tons 10
the aero and 5000 tons 10 tho square mile.
Again, on October -. 1886 WATERFRONT broke
over Gibratar, and 30.ii inches OF water fell.
THIS il nearly two-thirds OF the average annual
rainfall OF New-Yprk.
No such fall has ever been recorded In England,
though the rate OF IL WIS approached pretty closely
ON August / 1916, when 3.I2 inches fell in two
hours In IT. Pnus churchyard This was a very
hoavy rain for tho locality. for at London fall of
more than ono inch in twenty-tour hours Is raro.
In the west OF England. however the precipitation
Is much more abundant Ihus on J'ly IL. 1870 IN
N0nmo lih ,liro. . 80 inches foil IN tweuty-iour
hours, aud ON June 30 1881. Mt Scathwalte $50
in chcs fell 10 the same space OF time. The average
annual rainfall nt tho last named place, indeed, rs
lb4inchos-a re cord to matchrl elsewhere out
oT tl,e tropics We sometimes think Ncw-YOrk has
penty OF moisture. but seathwaite beats Ms almost
four 20 one and even Seathwaitc cannot hold a
cnndle-or perhaps we should say rangaugo-to
sou,e otbor places The wcttcst parts oil the globe
are naturally such IA are exposed TO westerly winds
blowing over extensive tracts. aud depositng
their mo sture on the FIRST coast they meet. Such
places arc the Khasia Hills. IN Assam with Chorra-
ponga where the annual rainfall u.s. according to
Scott. 400 inches. and according to Lyman 600
inches This would give precipitation OF 10000
tons TO the acre. and 5000 600 tons to tho square
mile IL represents o body of water, III fact fifty
feet in depth
There ~ no such tremendous precipitation IN any
Other part of the globe. though several places do
their best 90 emulate Chorrapongh. Inc Western
Chants of India como next, with Mahabulashna,
winch has n respectable record OF 200 inches. Next
oga,n comes Buitonzoy in Java, with 1850 inches,
and seathwaite. England runs it close with l54
inches Bergen. in Norway. Sitka. in Alaska Val
diyia. in Southern Chill. and place In New.
Zealand follow. whe Muranhao in Brazil holds its
own very sturdily IL appears that an elevation of
obout 900 Ieot above the level affords the most
favorable conditions tother things being equal for
the heaviest precipitation. for that is the height OF
both Cherrapouga and Mahabuaslna.
In tho so-caed cloud bursts' which occur on the
Western plains, the precipitation Is probably as
heavy ~ that Of the Gibraltar waterspout cited
obove tbouQb no record has we believe yet been
obtained of such phenomena. IL Is also somewhat
curious that though exceptionally severe storms
seem at times to disturb tho record, the result oil
sixtr wears OF observation shows that tho annual
average in those Eastern States remains constant,
and that we have neither more nor less rainfall on
the whole than our u andfAthers had.