The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-02-03

what One Inch OF Rain Means M
shown by Statistical
Calculations.

IL Is, perhaps, little consolation on
drenehing wet day TO reflect on the
mathematical marvels the rain repre-
sents 1t is, however, httie-known
fact that within the compass Of the
common expression, .an inch Of rain
there are crowded statistics that may
well take away the breath even OF
senior wrangler.
1t requires, of course, more than an
average wet day TO produce an inch OF
rain, so that we may fairly take SIM
gle inch as a very possible standard OF
calculation for q really soaking day.
On such a day, assuming that the fall
is universal throughout the United
Kingdom, the aggregate fall reaches
the stupendous total of over 1862, 000,-
900 tons of water. We realize some
thing of what these figures mean when
we calculate that a fall of an inch Of
rain over the United Kingdom would
allow a distribution of 1899 gallons of
water 10 very man, woman and child
living on the entire earth to-day, or a
daily allowance for whole year OF
3 1-6 gallons for each inhabitant. The
rainfall of three similar days would
outweigh all the inhabitants Of the
earth.
If we distribute our rainfall among
the inhabitants of the United King
| dom, the allowance to each individual
would fiji an enormous tank so feet
long, 81 feet wide and feet deep.
This supply Of water would measure
1860 gallons, and would weigh no less
than 100 tons, a weight which would
tax the strength Of a town of 5000 in
habitants TO lift.
With a single days supply of rain we
could make a miniature Niagara over
which the water would pour night and
day for a whole year at the rate Of
3,27s,OO0 gallons a minute. A single
minutes Fall would fill a reservoir 800
feet square to the depth Of feet 10
inches; and from this reservoir every
man, woman and child in Great Britain
and Ireland might take 2h gills Of
wafer without emptying il. Over our
Niagara, during the course Of the year,
would pour the amazing total Of 1,723,-
042.o00,O0O gallons OF water.
To contain these hundreds OF thou
sands Of millions Of gallons, let us dig
through the heart Of Great Britain from
extreme north and south a canal three
miles wide, and let us pour into this
channel all the water that flows in a
year over our Niagara. We shall find
that at the end of the year this enor-
nous canal, COS miles long and three
miles wide, will be filed to a depth of
feet inches, and thus we have inn
prisoned within ineligible bounds an
Inch OF rain" the products Of wet
day over the United Kingdom.
If we fashion a colossal tank, large
enough to contain the whole of the
city Of London, and build it's sides 9,432
feet into the air, our ''inch OF rain"
would fill this tank to the brim; so
that, IL we drop into il three Scafells,
one perched on the summit Of another,
the topmost mountain will only show
90 feet of its summit above the surface
of our tank. II we widen the area Of
our tank so that il will take in the
whole OF the county" of London, with
it's 75,4I2 acres equal 10 an area lis
miles long and 10 miles wide), our "inch
Of rain" will fill IL to a depth Of 81 feet,
and will practically submerge the whole
OF London with it's 100000 inhab-
itants; and it will even food the whole
of the county Of Middlesex to depth OF
35H feet.
The weight Of our ''inch Of rain" is
1909, SO, 500 tons, a weight too great ~
most to deal with in fancy even. III we
call into requisition every locomotive
throughout the entire world and set
them to work To remove our "inch of
rain" each engine will have TO make
no fewer than GO journeys, transports
ing at each journey a weight of over
1000 tons. If II were possible TO remove
our days rainfall in a single journey,
the necessary train Of tanks, each con-
tanning 10 tons OF water, would be long
enough 10 wind itself 1913 times round
the earth at the equator.
The engines Of the United Kingdom
would naturally be very inadequate 10
cope with such a burden. If each en-
CINE in Great Britain and Ireland could
draw an average weight Of ZOO tons. il
would be necessary TO make two Jour
neys day for every working day
throughout whole year 10 come
within measurable distance OF accom-
plishing the task. Similarly, II we at
tempt to remove IL by road, II would
be necessary for all the horses i'm the
United Kingdom to make 10 journeys
a day for year.
IL is fortunate that we are not called
on to pay for our supply OF water: for
o single days supply, even az the mod
crate rate Of penny for 100 gallons.
would cost MS 1855, s67. 165. or more gold
than 10000 strong men could carry anv
distance. At this rate a 90 hours rain
fall, or an inch and half OF rain, would
cost as rs much as our entire national
expenditure for year.-Tit-Bits
Carrying n Too Far
Look at me-" said Rockingham;
"I'm self-made man. amt never had
/ -