Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-08
RAINS Ar cHERRAPOOXJEE.
Remarkable Record of the Wettest
Spot on Earth.
Pall-Man GazetteJ

lfall- aihll 'HtLfAkEI
Most Of us have not troubled 10 study
the details OF the rainfall Of our own
islands. being content 10 accept the popu-
lar belief that ours is the wettest climate
in the world, because our old friend the
Gulf Stream brings us never-ceasing
supply from the ocean TO the west Of us.
Taking q series OF years. the average am
nual rainfall over the United Kingdom
ranges from - inches 10 % inches I'm the
southeastern counties Of England TO from
90 inches 10 so inches I'm the mountainous
districts on the western coasts. Iond0ns
average IS . inches rarely as low as 20
inches, or as much as 80 inches in any
one year. while falls OF as much as an
inch within twenty-four hours are but
seldom recorded. During the first five
and a half months Of this year, down 10
the middle Of June. Cherra had received
the mere bagatelle Of 2T.A inches of rain,
50 that, clearly, we ought 10 deal with the
volume in feet or in yards rather than I'm
inches. Within the limits Of a single week
the aggregate fall was 1919 inches. while
on two successive days the gauge regis
tered 1916 inches and 1871 inches, or more
in forty-eight hours than has ever been
known to fall in London i'm q whole
twelvemonth.
If we look at q map Of the Indian En-
pire we see the funnel-shaped Bay OF
Bengal leading TO the extensive low-lying
tracts Of the Gangetic Soouderbuns and
the Jhils of Syhet. so that Assam is
reached before an elevation OF 100 feet
above the sea-level IS attained. Suddenly
the Khasa hills, or rather mountains,
in the southwest Of Assam, rise abruptly
Fafn faIF
above tho plains OF Cachar 70 an elevation
of thousands of feet. the escarpment fac
ing south towards the Bay Of Bengal, In
the far distance. At an elevation OF about
1900 feet there IS, facing southeast, a
deep gorge. with precipitous sides. and n
terminates in a sheer wall Of rock rising
up straight another couple Of thousand
feet. At the top Of this terrible cliff, at
an elevation of 400 feet above the level
of the sea. is a small plain, on which
stands the little station of Cherrapooniee,
close 10 the edge Of the precipice.
Cherra is not n wet spot all the year
round. Like the rest Of the Indian En-
pire, it has its dry and wet seasons. the
former under the northeast monsoon Ohe
wind from the interior of Asia), the lat
ter under the southwest monsoon (the
wind from the Indian ocean,. During
the four mOnths-NOvember 10 February
when the land breeze prevails, very little
rain is eXpcrienced-les than London re-
ceives in the same period-but with March
comes a marked increase I'm the fall, and
II attains its maximum in June and July,
when the southwest monsoon + fully es-
tablished, afterward decreasing again. The
average annual fan is about 900 inches,
10 which the four dry months contribute
in all five inches, and the two wettest
months go inches. At the wettest spot
in the British Isles. the Stye. near Seath-
waite IN the Cumberland hills. the rain
fan for the year averages as much as lSf
inches. but Cherra's average for the
month Of July alone exceeds 100 inches.
The explanation lies I'm the situation Of
Cherra with regard TO the rain-bearing
winds. The Bay OF Bengal Is a vast
cauldrOn Of warm water perpetually
throwing on immense volumes OF moist
ure. To the northward the Soonder-
buns and Jhils low-lying swamps
covered by fold waters during the mid
simmer months. supply as much moisture
as the bay. II is over these i'm
mense areas Of aqueous vapOr that the
southwest monsoon sweeps. carrying in
land the precious liquid which is poured
down on the country in such a lavish
manner Even at sea-level, or thereabOuts.
the cOpiOusness OF the rain may be
gathered from the fact that IT averages
about 100 inches annually. but Cherra
gets five times az much as the plains.
while places on the little plain within
half a mile Of Cherra. but not so ex-
posed return from 20 incnes 10 100 inches
a year less when the southwest mon
soon strikes the face OF the great cliffs
Of the Khasia hills II Is already super
saturated with the moisture collected
on its course at a low level. II is forced
TO ascend TO the top OF the range, and
IL is this sudden ascensional movement
that brings about the discharge OF such