538 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. I., No. 19. 



to property are reported from Clark and Craw- 

 ford counties. South Carolina reports a tor- 

 nado at Bishopville about 8 a.m. of the 2od. 

 The main track was about a hundred and fifty 

 3'ards wide, and within it every thing was swept 

 awa}'. North Carolina reports a tornado at 

 7 A.M. of the 23d, with a path a hundred and 

 fifty yards wide and about four miles long. In 

 Tennessee, winds of great violence are reported 

 at Chattanooga from 4.40 to 5.10 p.m. of the 

 22d. At Knoxville, 3.75 inches of rain fell 



on the 22d, which is the greatest fall in 

 twenty-four hours for five j'ears. 



Accompanying is the iceberg chart for April. 

 The icebergs appear to have been most numer- 

 ous between latitude 41.5° and 43.5°, and longi- 

 tude 51° and 49° W. This region is less 

 extensive than in April, 1882 ; and, while 

 solid field-ice was reported as far as latitude 

 44° last year, none was seen this. The map, 

 p. 537, shows, that, as usual in this month, 

 the winter area of high pressure in the Rocky 

 Mountain region is giving way to the sum- 

 mer area of low pressure. The mean pressure 

 is generallj' below the normal, except in New 

 England, where it is .07 inch above. 



The mean temperature east of the 100th 

 meridian was 1.95° above tlie mean for the 

 past ten Aprils, the Atlantic states and the 

 lower lake region only, having temperature 

 deficiencies. 



Deficiencies in rainfall of .05 inch and over 



are found in New England, upper lakes, north- 

 ern Rock}' Mountain plateau, and the middle 

 Pacific coast region. Above thirtj' inches of 

 snow fell in Cisco and Summit, Cal., and on 

 Mount Washington, New Hampshire. 



A total air motion of 23,900 miles is reported 

 from Mount Washington, with a maximum 

 velocitj' of 88 miles per hour on the 11th. At 

 Cape Mendocino, California, on the 15th, the 

 wind rose to 120 miles per hour, when the ane- 

 mometer cups were blown awaj'. 124 cau- 

 tionary signals were displaj'ed, of which 91^ 

 were justified hy winds 25 or more miles per 

 hour. 



Severe freshets occiu'red in Canada and New 

 England from melting snows as much as from 

 rains. The Mississippi was above danger-line 

 at Cairo, Vicksburg, and New Orleans, but no 

 serious damage had resulted. On the 21st, 

 Helena, Ark., experienced the heaviest rain in 

 man_y j'ears. Nashville, Teun., on tiie night 

 of the 21st, had five inches of rain, which 

 raised the river sixteen feet in twenty-four 

 hours, causing damage to bridges and rail- 

 roads. 



Two prominent auroral displays may be 

 noted. The less brilliant, on the 3d, was gen- 

 erallj' observed in Canada and New England ; 

 it was also noted in Washington Territory. 

 On the 24th was observed the more brilliant 

 and extensive one. This was seen at Nashville, 

 Tenu., at 7.50 a.m., as an arc of whitish light 

 extending to the height of 9° aud over 40° 

 of the northern horizon : it was seen as far west 

 as Fort Benton, Montana. Less important 

 displays were seen in the United States on 

 nearlj' ever}- night. 



Prof. D. P. Todd of Amherst reports sun- 

 spots most prominent on the 15th, and least so 

 on the 30th. 



At 8.50 A.M. of the 2d, two light earthquakes 

 were felt in San Francisco, aud at 2.36 a.m. of 

 the 12th a heavy shock was felt at Cairo, 111. 

 The New York herald reports a severe shock 

 in Catahia, Sicily, on the 3d, and Nature re- 

 ports a shock in Finland at 9 a.m of the 8th. 



NEW LABORATORY FOR PHYSICS AND 

 CHEMISTRY AT CORNELL UNIVER- 

 SITY. 



The new laboratory of physics and chemis- 

 try, of which the plans and perspective draw- 

 ing are given, is now practically completed, and 

 will be ready for occupancy at the beginning of 

 the next autumn term. The general arrange- 

 ment of the building will be readily under- 



