Miscellaneous Papers. 273 



THE CLIMATOLOGY OF KANSAS. 



By T. B. Jennings, United States Weather Bureau. Topeka. 



TN reviewing the history of a country it is customary to divide it 

 ^ into prehistoric and historic. In writing of the climatology of 

 this state we will divide it into two periods ; the first period extend- 

 ing from the earliest reliable written accounts of its weather down 

 to the time ( 1887 ) that systematic observations and records were 

 practically begun over the entire state. 



Though the state is young it has a few records that began in the 

 dim past. The Fort Leavenworth record began in 1836, the Fort 

 Kiley record in 1853, the State Agricultural College record in 1858, 

 the Kansas University record in 1868, the Independence record in 

 1872, and the Dodge City record with 1875. 



THE PREHISTORIC CLIMATOLOGY. 



FLOODS. 



The old river boatmen give an account of a flood in the eastern 

 part of the territory and in the Missouri river in 1785, which passed 

 down that river and into the Mississippi, flooding the "American 

 bottoms" across from St. Louis, and for many years was referred 

 to as "the great flood." Twenty-six years later the Missouri river 

 bottoms were again flooded. 



About the last of February or 1st of March, 1826, heavy rains 

 began in what is now the southeast quarter of the state, raising the 

 Neosho and its tributaries out of their banks and flooding their 

 bottoms; heavy rains continued in the territory during the season. 

 In June the lowlands near the mouth of the Kaw were flooded, 

 owing to high water in the Kaw and Missouri rivers meeting; 

 in the fall a destructive flood swept down the Neosho, carrying 

 away wigwams, houses, and gathered and ungathered crops. 



In 1844 occurred probably the worst floods eastern Kansas has 

 ever experienced. Rev. Mr. Meeker, who was missionary to the 

 Ottawa Indians, and was living on what is now the town site of 

 the city of Ottawa, in his letters gave a graphic account of the 

 condition of the Marais des Cygnes and the destruction wrought 

 by it at that point. From May 7th to the 20th there were* nine 

 days of rain, and daily, 23d to 29th, inclusive; rain began again on 

 June 7, and on the 12th the Marais des Cygnes overflowed its 

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