()28 THE KHOST ANJ) DHOIGHT OK IDO.J. DOAXE. 



Xovember -itli — 8 feet 4f inches below the waste wei]-. On the 

 16th November Spruce Hill lake was 7 feet 9 inches below the 

 waste weir. The fall rains usually begin in September, but in 

 1905 the Sei)tember rainfall was oiily 74 per cent, of the mean 

 .and October 28 per cent. Steps were takeu by the city to pre- 

 vent a water famine, but it was not until November 17th that 

 fears for the ethciency of the supply were relieved. Although 

 the rains came at last the lakes did not recover rapidly as the 

 ground was parched, and to-day Long lake is eie:ht inches below 

 the waste weir, while Spruce Hill lake must rise 46 inches l^e- 

 fore it will overflow. 



The season of 1905 was the driest for over ten years in the 

 eastern States, and reports from England state that it was much 

 l)elow the average there. 



The dryness caused much inconvenience in Halifax and was 

 a greater strain on the water system than in 1894, because the 

 consumiption of water has increased considerably during the 

 eleven years since the last drought. There is no danger of the 

 low service ^npply running short, however, as over 1,000,000,- 

 000 gallons of water were allowed to run over the waste weir 

 during April and May. The high service lakes were equal to 

 the demand, although they till up again more slowly in conse- 

 quence of the coinparative ditference in water-sheds. 



Not every engineer has the time or the opportunity to 

 investigate in detail many ])oints concerned in the observa- 

 tion of rainfall; that work appeals more to the meteorologist. 

 It is sufficient for the engineer that he be able to obtain a trust- 

 worthy record. The writer is indebted to the meteorological 

 agent of the Dominion government for tlie use of his records 

 and valuable assistance in the compilation (tf the <iccompanying 

 tables. The means ])hiced at his disposal for making ])recipita- 

 tion observations are not what they should be. He should be 

 provided with all necessary self-recording instruments, so that a 

 more complete record could be nuide and the greatest assistance 

 given to the engineer. 



