Meteorological Journal at Marietta, Ohio, for 1842. 347 



Art. XII. — Abstract of a Meteorological Journal, for the year 

 1S42, kept at Marietta, Ohio, Lat. 39° 25' N., Lon. 4° 28' 

 W. of Washington City ; by S. P. Hildreth, M. D. 



Remarks on the year 1842. — The year which has just closed 

 has differed in some respects, in the distribution of heat and mois- 

 ture, from many which have preceded it ; although nothing very 

 extraordinary has transpired, yet there is sufficient to merit our 

 notice. It was rather remarkable for the mildness of the winter, 

 the warmth of the spring, and the coolness of summer. 



The mean temperature for the winter months is 36°.66, which 

 is more than four degrees warmer than that of 1841. The quan- 

 tity of snow which fell was very small, amounting to only a few 

 inches. The ice in the Ohio River barely obstructed the steam- 

 boats for a few days, so that the navigation of that stream may 

 be said to have been free during the whole winter. The cold 

 was so slight that no ice was formed of sufficient thickness to 

 put up for summer use in ice-houses ; and the little which was 

 stored away was taken up afloat in the Ohio in February, hav- 

 ing come down from the Allegheny River. At Cincinnati the 

 main supply of ice was brought from the Upper Mississippi, where 

 it formed of a convenient thickness for this purpose. The want 

 of this refreshing luxury was sensibly felt during the summer 

 months by the towns bordering the Ohio, and by those who trav- 

 elled in steamboats. It is quite a number of years since any 



