Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-02-09
\ PULLING ! !. CLIMATE ] |. !. I
The Curious Way Rain Falls In
sss. Baimy Honolulu. .....
PERPLExlNG SPECTACLE.

Z The most perplexing thing about
Hawaiis climate to TIE new arrival
n the matter of rainfall. You begin
10 experience this peSplexity before
yoa have set foot on the dock at Homo
lulu, whom You consult anxiously with
your fellow travellers - to the advisA-
bility Of digging out an unbrella o.
rainproof before you 90 ashore. The
chances are that you are all convinced
that the heavy veil Of black clouds
which shuts out portions Of the noun
tain scenery from view and the few
drops Of rain which the fresh shore
breeze dashes in your face like fash
ing jewels torn from that bit Of rain
bow are warnings TOO plain to be ig-
nored, and you prepare accordingay for
the downpour which seems imminent.
& You observe with some surprise that
zone Of the wearers Of the dainty co..
TUNES you pass on the street appear to
De In the least perturbed BY the possi-
bility Of getting caught n The inapsad-
I iag shower until a1ter awhlle It dawus
on you that thu, storm heepe right on
1mpending-and nothing mora. 40 you
ride in a street car along the flashing
seabeach, vivid with color Of break.
ing surf and Of flowers n trees and
hedges along the way, ths sunshine
never appeared 20 brilliant But az to
ne left In .. beautiful little valley
tucked like deep pocket In tia moan
tains and seemingly scarcely half 4
mile away there can b. no doubt Of
ths fact that I GOOD, heavy rain y falI.
ing. The sunlight striking through
he falling drops n1ls tls valley VITA
glory Of broken up salnbows.-a rot
oi color that eassss one to 9aaR ana
exclaim In sdmiration. Thare can b 10
doubt that the rain We hare seen tall
ing Is real and that It II % near ~ It
seems, for tho wind nox and tnsn car
sr1es refreshing dashes of Il into til
open car, causing few u Tie DQsDs1-
seeu to ehapGe their sse&s b. tn eppr
ute side. But stiA the stpsst = pss-
tectly dry and the sunshine a. bright
- ever.
II Five minutes Inter We leave the cat
It The foot II 4 great Jagged pie Of
volcanic roek that marks tie vent Of
10 prehistesic voasans, a1a The nd bass
and sides which support 4 stun4ed.
mesquite-l like growth and few eseh
look as though thsy hadn't had gdbd
shower for six months. And they prob
ably haven't.
E In time one learns that HawaiPs cli-
mate II purely matter u locality;
EtAlA ~ report u tie I1infAll toe my
given time, publisl,sa b. ~ Unitel
etatas weather bureau, does not mean
tor every place In the territory nor for
the island Of Oahu nor even for tho
city OF Honolulu, but only for the
place where the rain gauge standA II
would not he true for 4 place half or
thRoe-Quarters Of q mile away. One
learns that he may I've In Honolulu
under very different conditions 40 to
precipitation, according to location. In
some Of the valleys rain falls practt
caliy every day Of the year and varies
In amount in different parts Of the
same valley, which may be only q mile
or two long. There are other sections
in which the splendid lawns and bow
en- Of green foliage which surround
beautiful homes are only possible
through constant irrigation. And there
are 10 be found almost every degree OF
moisture between these extremes.
Like everywhere else, one finds PEG
ple of every turn Of mind In Honolulu
a. to the most desirable places I'm
which to live. In sections where tho
rainfall may amount to two or three
hundred inches per year vegetation
lourishes most lu1uriantly and with 4
minimum Of attention. There Il also
an absence Of humid feeling in the At
mosphers or disagreeahle dampness
which one usually associates with
much rainfall. This IN accounted fgx
b. the fact that the rain comes in
showers, of which . dozen or more
may come in a day and may occur
while the sun Is Ginning brightly,
while the never failing trade winds
and 4 porous soil dry up the surface
moisture within a few minutes after q
shower has passed. The heaviest pre-
clpitation also usually occurs at night.
IN the dry sections, II one has plenty
Of water with which to irrigate (and
Honolulu has splendid system Of va
tefworks with ample supply, one may
mora easily control what he would
grow and ut the same time escape the
Inconvenience of oft occurring show
ers. Some Of Honolulu's most beauti-
full residence districts as well as the
beautiful Kapiolani park, one of the
most beautiful tropical gardens In the
world. was originally barren sand
plains, practically devoid Of vegeta-
ton and once thought to be worthless.
Tho newcomer Il often puzzled to hear
an old resident refer to 1.-THE plains"
when, speaking Of section Of the city
in5$ which are located some Of the
most magnificent homes and beautiful
grounds In the whole territory. ~,
The variation of rainfall. together
with the difference In temperature due
to elevation, give to Hawaii divers5-
" Of climate that can scarcely b
~ a.