sso 



THE CIVIL EXGIXEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[NOTBIIBIIB, 



I am desirous of laying before llie Roy«l Society certain observations 

 made under my own direction, wliich lead me to dilTer from tlie author of 

 that paper in the conclusion lie has deduced from his facts. 



Mr. Miller kindly furnished me some lime since with many, if not the 

 whole, of the results of his experiments in thcs* districts up to the begin- 

 ning of INIarch last. I have been careful to ascertain whether Mr. Miller's 

 own experiments fully bear out the conclusions suggested in the quotation 

 above made, because this conclusion is in direct opposition to the recorded 

 observations of the Honourable Daines Barringtun, l'M{ S., Dr. Dalton, 

 Professor Daniell, Samuel Marshall, Esq, of Kendal, and. John Meniing,Ksr[., 

 of Manchester; and also to observations made in 1841 by Captain Lefroy, 

 then Director of the Observatory at St. Helena; the results of which ob- 

 servations were published in 1847, by order of Her Mnjesty's Government, 

 under the superintendence of Lieut. Col. Sabine, F.S.H.S., in a volume 

 entitled " Observations made at the Magnetical and Meteorological Ob- 

 servatory of St. Hekna." 



The Honourable Daines Barrington, F.R.S., stales in the " Pliiloso- 

 phical Transactions" for 1771, page 294, that in 1770 he caused two rain 

 gauges to be placed, one on Mount Rening, in Wales, 1,350 feet above 

 the level of the sea, and the other upon the plain below. From July 0th 

 in this year to October 29th, the gauge on the top of the mountain caught 

 8-1C5 inches of rain ; the one at the bottom 8-7C0 inches, showing half an 

 inch more rain to have fallen at the bottom than ou (Ae! top of the moun- 

 tain. 



Dr. Dalton, in the " Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical So- 

 ciety of Manchester," vol. v.. New Series, p. 236, says :— " From the ob- 

 servations made in Great Britain, it appears to be an established fact, that 

 more rain falls in the iiilly part of the country than in the plain ; but it 

 also appears that the quantity of rain in a low situation is greater than in an 

 elevated situation in the vicinity." 



Professor Daniell, in his "Elements of Meteorology," vol. i., p. 230, 

 states, " It has been ascertained more rain falls at the bottom of a moun- 

 tain than the top. Samuel Marshall, Esq., of Kendal, also states, in a 

 communication published in 1839; in the Transactions of the Meteoro- 

 logical Society," vol. i., p. Hi, that, " It is a fact sufficiently well estab- 

 lished, that more rain falls in low situations than in more elevated ones, 

 even when contiguous. 



And more recently, John Fleming, Esq., states, in the "Memoirs of 

 the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester," vol. v.. Second 

 Series, p. 252, that, " On the descent of the hill, and probably about the 

 foot of it, the heaviest rain will fall." In the " Observations made at the 

 Magnetical and Meteorological Observatory of St. Helena," before alluded 

 to, it is stated at p. 102 of the index:— "In 1841, Captain Lefroy, then 

 director of the observatory at St. Helena, established rain gauges at three 

 other points of the island, for the purpose of ascertaining a comparative 

 estimate of the quantity of rain. The stations were — 1. Near the highest 

 pinnacle of the island, on a very narrow ridge or rock ; 2. lower down on 

 the same ridge ef hills; 3. Longwood observatory; 4. James Valley. The 

 three first stations miglit be comprehended in a circle of one mile radius, 

 and the fourth is but little more distant. The quantities of rain received 

 at these stations, during nine months of 1841, weie as follows : — 



1. At 2644 feet of elevation, 22'63 inches. 



2. At 1991 „ 2711 „ 



3. At 1782 „ 43-42 „ 



4. At 414 „ 7 63 „ 



This table shows that at 1782 feet elevation, much morerain fell in a given 

 lime than at the liighcr elevation of 1991 feet. The reason why so small 

 a quantity as 7"63 inches only was recorded in the same time at 414 feet 

 elevation, is not very apparent ; but it would probably be found, upon ex- 

 amination, that this result is due to some local circumstance in the position 

 of the gauge, and not toils elevation — a conclusion to which I am led by 

 an examination of the localities, compared with the quantities of rain col- 

 • cted in Mr. Miller's experiments. 



In a Report which I have recently published, " On the Supply of 

 Surplus Water to Manchester, Salford, and Stockport," p. 70, I have 

 shown that, duiing the past year of 1847, I had four rain gauges fixed, 

 one at the bottom of Todd's Brook Valley, situated in Cheshire, near 

 AVhaley, 620 feet above the level of the sea ; another at Brinks, the top of 

 the hill bordering this valley, 1,500 feet above the level of the sea, and 

 that 38-39 inches in depth was received at the bottom of the hill, and only 

 29'5 inches at the lop of the bill. A third gauge was fixed at the bottom 

 of the Comb's Brook Valley, situated in Derbyshire, near Chapel-en-le- 

 Frith, 720 feet above the level of the sea, and that 5130 inches in depth 

 was caught at the bottom of the hill, and only 35'85 inches at the top of 

 the hill. 



Since the report just referred to was published, I have been favoured 

 by Thomas Hawksley, Esq., C. E., with the results of some important un- 

 published experiments made by him for the Corporation of Liverpool, on 

 the amount of the fall of rain at Rivington, and in the Valley of Roddies- 

 worth, near Preston, in Lancashire. Six rain gauges, placed near the 

 ground, were fixed in these localities at the beginning of January, 1847, 

 three at Rivington, and three in the Valley of Roddlesworth. 



The quantities falling per month are shown in the following table, and 

 also the monthly fall for January, February, and March, 1848, all of which 

 results prove the same general fact, that more rain falls at the bottom than 

 the to of the hills in the same localities. 



Table. — Showinr/ the cjunn/ilies of ram fallen per month in three rain 

 ffauffn, fijctd near the (/round, in the district of llivinijton, and in the 

 Roildleswurlh Valley, Lancashire, during the year 1847 and three months 

 of 1848, with their respectiee heights above the level of the sea. 

 Rivington District 



a"3 Sir s ^ 



2|,- t% . -; I s I I 



til 1^ it^i^l^illi 



lH-17. 

 No. ft. ins, ins. ins, ins, ins. Ins. ins. Ins. ins. ins. ins. ins. 



1.— 410 ii;0 1-47 2-6'J C-22 4-22 1-,TO 2-91 6-28 5-69 i-07 7-38 48-83 



6-36 1-22 2"5 CyWJ 420 1-26 2-.12 5K3 6-a7 4-.S5 (i-«,-! 46-48 



5-51 1-25 2-69 604 379 I'll 2-/8 hM 5-27 475 7-18 45-96 



2.— 710 

 3,-750 



1848. 



1.— 410 3-13 7-fl3 3-81 14-78 



2,-710 2-89 7-m 3-91 14-66 



3,-750 2-88 8-UO 3-77 14-65 



1847. Roddleswonh Valljy. 



4.— S.M 6-42 1-33 231 6 69 4-.'i2 105 3-72 5-86 6-25 5 53 "-54 60-22 



5.-700 6-79 1-35 272 630 4 93 120 3-U5 7-10 7-09 655 912 57-10 



6—900 6-46 1-28 2-80 6-59 4 43 1-60 3-21 6-60 6-.39 5-99 7-28 52-53 



1848. 



4.-6,50 270 8-fil .■i-C4 14-95 



5.— 700 3-19 10-25 4-26 17-70 



6,-900 2-90 8-36 321 14-47 



The gauge at the lowest elevation in the Rivington district (410 feet) 

 received 48-83 inches of rain during the year 1847 ; the gauge at 710 feet 

 elevation 4G-48 inches during the same time; and the gauge at 750 feet, the 

 highest elevation, only 45-96 inches. 



The gauge at the lowest elevation in the Roddlesworth locality (550 feet) 

 received 50-22 inches of rain during the year 1847 ; the gauge at 700 feet 

 elevation 57-10 inches during the same time ; and the gauge at 900 feet, the 

 highest elevation, 52-53 inches. Here it will be observed, that the gauge at 

 900 feet elevation received, as before, a considerable less amount of raia 

 than the gauge at the lower elevation of 700 feet, but that the gauge at the 

 lowest elevation of 550 feet forms an exception, as this gauge received abou 

 2 J inches less in depth during the same time than the gauge at 900 feet elet 

 vation, and nearly 7 inches less than the gauge at 700 feet elevation. 



A personal knowledge of this locality, or a glance at the map, may serve 

 to explain this departure from the general rule observed, for this gauge is 

 placed at the bottom of a steep valley, bordered to the west by very pre- 

 cipitous and high land, and it is in this manner sheltered, to a considerable 

 extent, from the prevailing rainy winds. 



Two rain gauges which I have caused to be fixed, one in the neiehbour- 

 hood of the Bosley Reservoir, situated near Congleton, Cheshire, 590 feet 

 above the level of the sea, and the other at Bosley Minns, 1,265 feet above 

 the level of the sea, in the same locality, show that, during the first, four 

 months, January, February, March and April of the present year, 11-75 

 inches fell on the bottom of the hill, and only 11-65 inches on the top of 

 the hill. 



The amount of rain received in the rain gauge placed near the bottom of 

 a hill at Todd's Brook, (before referred to,) during this period, was 13-03 

 inches in depth, and at Brinks, the top of the same hill, only 11-51 inches. 



The amount received in this time at Comb's gauge at the bottom of the 

 hill, was 19-70 inches, and in the gauge at the top of the hill only 10-45 

 inches, as shown in the monthly report of the observations made with all 

 these gauges which are given in the following table : — 



Table showing the quantities of rain fallen per month in certain funnel rain 

 gauges, 9 inches diameter, and placed 2 feet 6 inches above the surface of 

 the ground, at Todd's Brook, near Whaley, Cheshire ; at Comb's Brook, 

 near Chapel- en-le-Frith, Derbyshire ; and Bosley, near Congleton, Cheshire, 

 with their respective heights above the level of the sea. 



Situation and heiglit above the level of the sea. Jan. Feb. March. April. Totals. 



Z Ins. Ins. Ins. Ins. Ins. 



Todd's Brook, Brinlis, top of liill, 1.500 feet, 1-75 6-49 2 22 2-05 11-51 



Todd's Bioolt Reservoir bottom of bill, 620feet, 1-76 560 321 2-46 13-03 



Comb's Ridge, top of hill, 1,«70 feet, .. 1-86 486 2-;i9 1-64 111-45 



Comb's Reservoir, bottom of hill, 720 feet* .. 2 60 920 4 60 3-30 19-70 



BosleyMlnns, top of hill, 1,266 feet, .. 1-90 4-/5 2-75 2-25 11-65 



Bosley Reservoir, bottom of hill, 590 feet, ,. 2-38 4-21 3-29 1-S7 11-75 



A knowledge of the facts before mentioned induced me to examine Mr. 

 Miller's experiments soon after receiving them, with a view to ascertain how 

 far they confirmed or were in opposition to the recorded observations and 

 facts stated by the many eminent meteorological authorities before quoted, 

 for which purpose I procured the best map of the lake district I could ob- 

 tain, and marked upon it the situation of Mr. Miller's rain gauges, and then 

 compared together the results obtained by the rain gauges placed in the 

 valleys or the bottom of the bills with the rain gauges placed upon the tops 

 of the same hills or bordering the same valleys. By proceeding with refe- 

 rence to locality in this manner, it soon became apparent that the valuable 

 and interesting facts collected and recorded by Mr. Miller, with very few 

 exceptions, which it appears to me may be easily accounted for, agreed with 

 the observations of other meteorological writers. Indeed, this could not fail 

 to be the case, unless the generally received and admitted theory of the 

 formation and distribution of rain, as laid down by Dr. Dalton, was also 

 disproved. 



* The gauge at Comb's Reservoir is a cylindrical gaupe, 7 inches diameter, and 13 

 inches above the level of the ground, and has a float and staff to indicate the amount of 

 rain falling : this gauge probably shows an excess of the amount of rain. 



