131 



The West American Scientist. 



132 



points in the interior of this county 

 ten weatlier stations, equipped with ah 

 the necessary instruments, blanks and 

 books for observing, reporting and re- 

 cording meteorological conditions. Res- 

 ident volunteer observers were secured 

 for all the stations, who reported to 

 the society, which, in turn, reported to 

 the chief signal officer. Stations were 

 thus established at Banner, Campo, El 

 Gajon, Julian, Pine Valley, Poway, San 

 Pasciual, Stonewall mine, in the Cuj-a- 

 maca valley, and at TemecuLa, and 

 were maintaiHed — according to the good 

 faith and perserveraRce of the observer 

 — for periods ranging from one to ten 

 years. The meteorological data thus ob- 

 tained bj'^ the society is interesting and 

 valuable. 



In this conenction, attention may be 

 called to a few interesting "weather" 

 items contained in tiie records of the 

 society. On the 12th of March, 1S76, 

 J. S. Harbison reported to the society 

 that "while certain curious clouds were 

 visible, the atmosphere had qualities 

 unfavorable to honey making. Dr. 

 Barnes thought that northerly winds 

 contained more electricity, and may 

 have some effect in this way. Mr. Har- 

 bison stated further that while these 

 'curious clouds' were present horses 

 seemed to be nervous. Doctors had ob- 

 served at such time unusual nervous- 

 ness in their patients." On Sept. 7, ISTT, 

 it was stated by the meteorological 

 committee that "settlers regarded this 

 season — 1S76-T — as the dryest year they 

 have known in San Diego county, as is 

 indicated bj' the drying up of the la- 

 goons, streams, springs, etc.; the limit- 

 ed rainfall of the season (amounting 

 to only 3.63 inches), and the rapidity of 

 exaporation caused by the unusual 

 heat, and the drying (north) winds.'" 

 Nov. 2, 1877, "C. J. Fox called attention 

 to the unusually early precipitation of 

 snow on the Cuyama:ca mountains, 

 which occurred October 29, 1877." Bril- 

 liant meteors were observed here Nov. 

 30, 1877. Dr. Barnes reported that in 

 the fourteen months during which the 

 sunset observations of the sky had been 

 made at San Diego, 86 per cent of the 

 forecasts of the anticipated weather for 

 the succeeding twenty -four hours had 

 been verified. Dec. 6, 1878, Dr. Barnea 



reported upon the heat wave of Sep^ 

 tember, 1878. March 3, 1897, Ford A. 

 Carpenter, local weather observer, re- 

 ported that "so far at least as the 

 United States is concerned, San Diego 

 has a unique record in the amount of 

 sunshine in the Avinter months, and 

 thrf!Ughout the year — the amount of 

 sunshine being relatively very great 

 during the winter months — when it is 

 needed — and small during the summer 

 months, when it would be objection- 

 able." 



Oct. 11, 1879 the meteorological ccun- 

 mittee reported successful tests for 

 ozone made at the San Diego and Cam- 

 po weather stations for September, 

 1879. 



The o>d bronze cannon, "El Jupiter." 

 cast at Manila in 1798, was brought 

 from Old San Diego in November, 187(J, 

 to celebrate the supposed election of 

 Samuel J. Tilden to the presidency, over 

 Gen. R. B. Hays. In December, 1880. 

 some miscHevious boys filled the gun 

 iwith mud and fired it at night, hoping 

 to make a great noise, in which they 

 succeeded, bursting the cannon and ni- 

 raost killing one of the boys at the same 

 time. The fragments of the gun were 

 collected by Robert Bailey for his mus- 

 eum. On January 7, 1881, the citizenb 

 of "Old Town," who claimed to be th6 

 owners of the gun, donated it in writing 

 to the society, and the board of city 

 trustees confirmed this action. Mi-. 

 Bailey surrendered the gun to the so- 

 ciety, which had the pieces put togeth- 

 er. Jan. 17, 1882, the board of city trus^ 

 tees presented to the society, from the 

 city archives, a letter written in 1850 

 by Capt. J. Hayden, U. S. A., to J. H. 

 Bean, then alcade of San Diego, relat- 

 ing to the historj- of this old cannon. 

 May 13, 1898, "El Jupiter" was placeh 

 on exhibition at the chamber of com- 

 merce, where it now is. 



May 7, 1880, a fine specimen of the 

 California vulture (Cathartes Califor- 

 nianus), which had long been shot in 

 the Cuyamaca motmtains, was pre- 

 sented to the society. It measured ten 

 (10) feet across the wings. Unfortu- 

 nately, this very valuable skin was not 

 preserved, as there was then no taxi- 

 dermist at San Diego. 



Jan. 17, 1882, Theodore L. Rogers, vice- 



