THE RAINFALL IN 1896—DOANE, 281 
rainfall on the face of the globe. Statements have been made 
frequently that rain never falls in these localities, but there is 
no year at any station where a measurable rainfall has not been 
recorded, the least observed being that at Indio, 0.10 in., during 
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the seasonal year 1884-85. 
General Greely’s “ American Weather” gives the following 
instances of heavy rainfalls, which exceed the above record: 
Mayport, Fla., Sept. 29, 1882, 13.7 ins. in 24 hours; Newtown, 
Del. Co., Pa., Aug. 5, 1843, 13 in.in 3 hours ; and at Brandywine, 
Hundred, Pa., 10 ins. in 2 hours. 
Nevada Co., California, reports the rainfall for the month 
from Dec. 23, 1861, to Jan. 23, 1862, 45 ins. Providence, R. L, 
records a rainfall Aug. 6, 1878, 4.49 ins. in 1 hour, 3.5 ins. of 
which fell in 36 minutes. At New York, the heaviest fall is 
Aug. 19, 1893, 14 ins. in 20 minutes ; for 12 hours Aug. 23, 1898, 
3.81 ins.; 24 hours Sept. 23-4, 1882, 6.17 ins.; month Sept., 1882, 
14.51 ins. 
The average annual rainfall at Halifax from 1869 to 1895 
was 55.862 inches. It varies from 45 808 ins. in 1894 to 66.294 
inches in 1888. A rainfall of 39.51 inches is reported for 1860, 
but as the Meteorological Observatory had not been established 
at that time, it is doubtful if the record is reliable. There is no 
doubt, however, that the rainfall for that year was far below the 
average. The scarcity of water, meagre supply from the lakes, 
and consequent inconvenience to householders lead to the pur- 
chase of the water works from the company in the following 
year, 1861. 
Reference to the records shows that the years of smallest 
rainfall are immediately followed or preceded by years of greatest 
rainfall. Thus in 1888 the rainfall reached the maximum 66.294 
inches. In the following year it dropped to 48.659, within 2.851 
inches of the minimum. In 1894, as already noted, the season 
was very dry. The rainfall was the smallest recorded since the 
establishment of the Observatory at Halifax. The sources of 
our water supply dried up so that there was danger of a water 
famine. Similar conditions were noted throughout the New 
