HAS OUR CLIMATE CHANGED? 665 



HAS OUR CLIMATE CHANGED? 1 



Br DANIEL DRAPEK, Esq., 



DIRECTOR OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY, CENTRAL PARK. 



Does the Clearing of Land affect the Fall of Main f 



MUCH solicitude is publicly felt as regards the supposed dimin- 

 ished quantity of water which fell last year a point of the 

 highest concern. There is a general impression that this alleged de- 

 ficiency was to such an amount as to endanger a due supply to New 

 York for the current year. And not only this, it has also been asserted 

 that for several years past there has been a steadily occurring diminu- 

 tion in the rainfall. While the quantity of water has thus been be- 

 coming less and less, the demand has been becoming greater. Not 

 only has the population of the city increased, but also that of the 

 suburban districts, which derive their supplies from the same water- 

 gathering grounds that we do. 



I therefore, supposed, since the registering rain gauge furnishes 

 very reliable measures, that it would be useful to examine this subject 

 critically. But, since we have had these gauges in operation only 

 about three years, and as the investigation proved to be full of interest, 

 I was led to draw upon other additional sources of information, select- 

 ing such as seemed to be of the most trustworthy kind. By the aid 

 of these the examination has been extended as far back as 1836, and 

 with the following results : 



1. As respects the indications given by our own instruments, which 

 may be thoroughly relied on, for the years 1S69, 1870, 1871. 



For the first of these years, 1869, the total rainfall was 46.82 inches, 

 distributed as follows : 







During tbe first quarter 15. 0G inches. 



" " second " 10.24 " 



" " third " 7.72 " 



" fourth " 13.80 " 



Total 46.82 inches. 



For 1870 the total rainfall was 42.32 inches, distributed as follows : 



During the first quarter 12.86 inches. 



" " second " 10.29 " 



" " third " 9.39 " 



" " fourth " 9.78 " 



Total 42.32 inches. 



1 Abstract from the Meteorological Report of Daniel Draper, Director of Meteorological 



Observatory, Central Park, to the Commissioners of Public Parks (1871). 



