Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-07
TYPES or RAIN TAII.
An Interesting Paper Read ny Gen. cr-~iy
Before the Geographic society.

Hsu hutffraNtuG faHrf lFsd tssn. tsfeFty
Before the Geographic society,
The sovsnty-fourth regular meeting q, the
National Geographic Society occurred in the 49,
sembly hall Of tie Comos club last night Tn.
hall was well flied aud with President Hubbard
in The chair the exercises began promptly 90 3
O'Clock. After the minutes q the pre,iou.
meeting had been approved and ths
report Of the committee on ardit-
ing the treasurer's account. hsd beea
adopted the president introduced gen. A. ".
Greelv, whose paper on "EainfHll Types % the
United States" was looked forward 20 with con-
siderable interest. Gen. Greet, said that the
subject he had selected was the tyr,ioai dis,ri-
button Of rainfall in the rited States and The
contiguous territory. with attempt 90 treat
the subject IN such manner thlt IL might 10
a permanent contribution 10 the physical GO
ography OF the United States. The payer Vas
confined 70 the characteristics distribution q
precipitation throughout the wear and pre-
sented a successful nnalysis ~ the average tac-
! tuailoRs from month 10 m snth. 30 that for the
hrst time there was given . presentation q
| all the simple rainfall type-
| IMPORTANCE To FsRNFRs
| The first portion 81 the paper ~As devoted 70
a discussion OF the importance OF this knowl-
edge to ali enterprises aud especially TO farm
ing in the west and arid regions. where q
knowledge of the rain type Of the country often
allowed Of successful agriculture. Tho spe.aer
pointed out the difference between the .imple
and the composite tyIe- and a.-erted tina. the
l iatter form must obtain where too simple tyres
were not separated bv "a noun tain range A
simple type he described A. one which could 10
graphically deuicted by curve with a single
bend or an infection from MAXIMUM Ia mimi
mum. composite type composed OF two
injections from primary MAXIMUM through Q
minimum 10 a secondary maximum and a SEQ
ondary minimum
The study aud investigation 81 Gen Greel,.
based on records Of from forty 10 twenty wears,
! lead HIM to the conclusion that there wer. i've
distinct simple rainfall types and that the COM
/ posites were formed bv the influence % two or
more of these. These Eve simple types were
the Pacific. which sprung FROM the Pacific
ocean; the Mexican which sprung from The
Gulf Of California aud the water to the south,
| the Tennessee. from the Gulf - MeAico: the
Atlantic. from the Atlantic ocean. and the Mis-
sour, which sprung from the Gulf of Mexico,
Hudson bay ami the great lakes. Toe paper
/ then went on 10 give a detailed descriptive %
these various ample types. their INF usnces and
characteristics
Tho Pacific type prevalent in British Co
lumbla. Washington. Idaho. Oregon California
and Nevada lite characteristics we're the
heaviest precipitation ia tnidNintef and an al
most total absence OF rain IA summer
The Mexican type which covered Mexico had
| Its heaviest precipitation after the summer
solstice and a very dry spell after the verral
equinox. August. July and September are the
months of the heaviest rainfall While during
February. March aud April there . almost an
entire absence OF rain.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TYPE
The Missouri he considered to be the most
important type not only on account of the vast
territory il covered. but because Of i,s favor
able influence on agriculture. Tins type was
prevalent IN mos: OF the northwestern stAtes
Its characterisuc- were very light winter
precipitation followed bv a late spring aud an
early summer AID the major quantity OF the
wear rain.
The Tennessee type covered small area and
was characterized by the highest amount Of
PRECIPITATION in the last Of winter or The rrt q
spring and the minimum in mid-autnmn.
The Atlantic type covered mos OF the A.
lantic states and its rainfall WIS the most evenly
distributed Of any OF the types
The paper excited considerable interest and
the facts therc set forth rather overturned the
theories held by some of the members u the
society. Gen. Greclv had maps 10 better IL
lustrate hi- -ta iements.
Herbert q. Ogden followed Gen. Greedy in Q
talk IN which be attempted give specific
definitions for the four great CLASSES e survey
ing exploration. reconnaissance geog rafhic ana
Topographic. He defined exploration a. q sur
yey based on simple itinerary reconnaissance ~
a general description. geographic l. hAviug The
main feature well DEPICTED but subject 20 an
accuracies. and topographic AZ having all ne
features and details well depicted and at th.
same time accurate. The talk II Mr.. Ogden
brought ont some discussion which was
participated in by Prof baker, Mr. n NJ Vii
son and other,. They al agreed with Mr. os-
den in the main.