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 

 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 Brandy wine, 

 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. I, 

 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, 1J ins. in 20 minutes ; for 12 hours Aug. 23, 1893, 

 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 



