The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-01

IHeTe are tuOSe VI an ODSeTNlUS tuTu
of mind who contend that the year
just closed was one of the dryest in
the memory of the oldest inhabitants,
but despite these observations and tn"
fact that small water companies had
to draw on the larger ones for their
supply, ana that water trains, for tho
first time on record, were run up and
down tn" valley, it was not only not
a drought year. but wetter by some
three-quarters of 1 per cent. than the
average year i'm this end of the coun-
try.
SO. at least, says Weather Observer
II. f.. Paine, and he gets his informa-
ton from observations made daily
with apparatus furnished by the gov
ernment.
The precipitation in 1899 was 34.35
inches. In 1898 it was $500; in 1897
it was 1858, and in 1896 it was 3l.5S
The average precipitation for the four
years was 1851, or "A less than it was
last year.
PRECIPITATION BY MONTHS.
The fact that there was n dry spell
| when water was most in demand is ac-
counted for by the following table,
showing the precipitation by months:
January, 2.43: February. 4.20; March,
$40; April. 1906; May, 2.73; June. 2.G6;
July, i.13; August. 3.Gl; September,
3.47; October, .G}: November. eli: De-
cemlaer. 2.O5. The precipitation as
will be noticed. was in large measure
| snowfall. We got more than our
usual share of wet in the winter and
consequently ran short in the summer.
The natural subteranean water cours :
es and the artificial surface reservoirs
filled up and overflowed and then sur
plusage was discharged and went its
way to the ocean.
This prodigality, coupled with the
fact that the precipitation for a GER
tain locality does not vary as to its
aggregate, explains the apparent ano.
maly of a severe drought in a year
| when the precipitation is above the
| average.
The temperature Mr.. Paine finds
| was 1.31 degrees lower than the aver
age. The mean temperature for the
| past four years was 49.2l. For 1899
| it was 47.90. The fact that nearly all
| Of last winters frgidity was crowded
| into the latter part of the winter ac-
| counts for this, Mr.. Paine says.
| These months We're unusually cold.
February having six successive days
| from the ninth to the fourteenth-when
| the temperature was below zero for
at least part of each day. The cold.
est days of the year were January
9 and February 10, when the mer-
curry was down to Is degrees below
| zero. The summer months We're qu."
normal. The hottest day Of the year
| was August 81, when all three Of the
| government thermometers agreed that
| it was 90 in the latticed coop erected
on a four foot pedestal in the back
| of Mr.. Paines garden on Madison
! avenue.
| RECORD BREAKING MONTH.
Last month was a record breaker.
| The total snow fall for the thirty-one
days was only IL inches. This is the
smallest snow fall in December
month that Mr.. Paine has any record
of and he has been keeping tabs on
that sort of thing for twenty years
The maximum temperature of the
month was 81 degrees which was
reached on the twelfth. The mini
mum was zero, recorded last Saturday
IL
month was characterized by a very
even temperature, growing gradually
colder and colder until the present
zero weather was reached.
Mr.. Paine's observations has led him
to the conviction that Scranton is
impregnable to heavy general storms
The two great storm centers are
the Caribbean sea and the region about
Manitoba. All kinds of cyclones and
blizzards start from those points AMI
head in this direction. but they invar-
ably pass us by. The storm from the
equator will be predicted to create
serious ruction in Eastern Pennsyl.
vania, but the storm always falls
short of the prediction by the dis.
tance between here and the PoconOs
New Jersey will be deluged with rain
covered with snow or terribly tossed
about by the wind, and we will ex-
perence nothing more than an orii,
nary little disturbance Of the elements
If any at all.
There is sleighing now in New Yora
state ana New Jersey and severa
In hes of snow in Maryland. On Sat.
urday 1t was colder in Louisville, Ky.
than it was in Scranton. just at pres
ent, Mr.. Paine says, it is cold all about
us. and a spell of crisp weather can be
looked for.
FOR STEALING BEER KEGS,