Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-16
WET DAY FIGURES.
Mathematical Wonders Brought Gu,
by Statistics.
what an Inch of Rain Menns-some
Calculations W hich show Re-
suits That Are Truly
Astounding.

1t is, perhaps, litile consolation on a
d%renching wet day TO reflect on the
mathematical marvels the rain repre-
sents. 1t is, however, a little-known
fact that within the compass of the
common expression, IAN 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 4 sin
gle inch as u very possible standard OF
calculation for a really soaking day.
On such a day, assuming that the fail
is universal throughout the United
Kingdom, the aggregate fall reaches
the stupendous total Of over 1862. co.,
eco tens of water. We realize ONE
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 1929 gallons o.!
water 10 very man, woman and Child
living on the entire earth to-day, or a
daily allowance for a whole year Of
3 &c gallons for each inhabitant. The
rainfall of three similar days would
outweigh all the inhabitants of the
earth.
II we distribute our rainfall among
the inhabitants of the United King.
dom, the allowance to each individual
would fill an enormous tank 80 feet
long, % feet wide and 5 feet d-.a
This supply of water would measure
1850 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. 600 gallons a minute. \ single
minutes fall would Gil a reservoir 300
feet square to the depth Of 5 feet 10
inches; and from this reservoir every
man. woman and child in Great Britain
and Ireland nigh; take .H gills Of
water without emptying Il Over our
Niagara, during the course Of the year.
would pour the amazing total Of l,722r
CI2.00 600 gallons Of wafer.
To contain these hundreds Of thou.
saEds OF millions Of gallons. Ter us LIZ
through the heart ofGrcl; britain from
extreme north and south a canal TIRE,
miles wide, and let Us pour into jh.,
channel all the water that flows In D
year over cur Niagara. We shall lhd
that AZ the end Of the year thi- enOr.
nous canal. COS miles long and tire,
miles wide, will be filled TO a depth u
: feet 5 inches, and tEus we have i'm.
prisoncd within intc,,igiblr bounds al
Inch of rain" the products Of a wet
day over the United Kingdom.
II we fashion a colossal tank, larg,
enough to contain the who.e IL lie
city of London. and build II, sides 9,4a.
feet into the air, our Inch o. rnir'
would fl this tank 10 She brim; -
that, IL we crop into 1t iastc Scaie.'.
one perched on the summit o. another,
the topmost mountain VIII only show
CO feet Of it's summit above the surface
Of u tank. II we widen tie area Of
our tank 30 thai IL will take In the
whole Of the County" Of London. with
its 75,442 acres equal TO an area IFS
miles long and 10 miles wide), our Inch
OF rain" will I'll IL TO a depth Of 81 feet,
and will practically submerge the whole
Of London with its 100000 inhab-
itants; and it will even flood the whole
OF the county Of Middlesex to a depth OF
35h feet.
The weight Of our Inch OF rain" i,
1909. $4,000 tons. a weight too great al
most TO deal with in fancy even. IL we
call into requisition every locomotive
throughout the entire world and set