254 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. VII. , No. 163 



The surface temperatures agree with the results 

 of previous observations for the same seasons and 

 latitudes. It is to be regretted that no tempera- 

 tures below the surface were obtainable, on ac- 

 count of the absence of deep-sea thermometers ; 

 but as the Enterprise is a cruising ship of war, 

 and is not fitted especially for this kind of work, 

 Commander Barker and the officers are deserving 

 of great commendation for the valuable results 

 accomplished. When the specimens of the bot- 

 tom arrive, they will be sent to the Smithsonian 

 institution for examination and discussion. 



J. R. Bartlett. 



U.S. hydrographic office, March 8. 



THE DISTRIBUTION OF RAINFALL IN NEW 

 ENGLAND, FEB. 10-14, 1886. 



The rainstorm which occurred in the eastern 

 part of the United States between the 10th and 

 14th of February of the present year was very 

 severe in the southern part of New England. 

 The amount of rain surpassed that of any pre- 

 ceding storm on record in that portion of New 

 England where it was the greatest. In addition, 

 there was a large quantity of snow and ice upon 

 the ground, which was melted, and swelled the 

 amount of water pouring into the rivers, thus 

 causing most disastrous flood?. 



The meteorological conditions which attended 

 this remarkable rainstorm are deserving of atten- 

 tion. On the morning of Feb. 11, the press- 

 ure in the eastern part of the United States was 

 unusually high. At Anticosti Island the barom- 

 eter (reduced to sea-level) indicated 30.01 inches ; 

 in New England the pressure ranged from 30.9 

 inches on the eastern border, to 30.6 on the 

 western ; wiiile a trough of relatively low press- 

 ure, 30.0 inches, extended from the Gulf of 

 Mexico to the lake region. Light rains were 

 falling along the eastern front of this trough in 

 the central states, heavy rains upon the Middle 

 Atlantic coast, and the storm was just beginning 

 in New England. During the day a centre of 

 depression gradually developed in the central 

 states, and the pressure began to fall. The fall 

 was very rapid on the 12th ; and on the morning 

 of the 13th the pressure ranged from 29.8 to 29.6 

 inches in New England, with the centre of the 

 depression, 29.45 inches, over Lake Ontario. 

 During the 13th the storm-centre advanced rap- 

 idly down the St. Lawrence valley, but the rain- 

 fall had ceased to be excessive. On the 12th, the 

 day on which the greatest rainfall was noted, the 

 pressure conditions were peculiar. A careful 

 charting of the barometric observations made by 

 the U. S. signal service shows that in the morning 



a well-developed centre of low pressure existed in 

 Indiana, moving northerly. In the afternoon a 

 secondary depression formed on the Atlantic coast, 

 which at ten P.M. was central at Washington. At 

 seven a.m. of the 13th but one centre existed, — 

 over Lake Ontario. The heaviest rainfall, there- 

 fore, occurred simultaneously with the develop- 

 ment of a secondary barometric depression, 

 south-west of New England. In its development 

 the barometer fell rapidly. Between seven a.m. 

 of the 12th and seven a.m. of the 13th, the fall 

 was 0.54 of an inch at New York, 0.57 at New 

 London, and 0.60 at Boston. 



No peculiarities were noted in the other condi- 

 tions. The temperature remained very nearly 

 stationary during the 11th and 12th at a few 

 degrees above the freezing-point, but rose on 

 the night of the 12th and the morning of the 13th 

 to above 50° F. 



The region covered by the greatest rainfall 

 includes the states of Connecticut, Rhode Island, 

 and the eastern portion of Massachusetts. As 

 there are many observers of rainfall in this region, 

 it has been possible to determine the distribution 

 of the rainfall with considerable approach to 

 accuracy. The special reports collected by the 

 New England meteorological society from one 

 hundred and thirty-two observers show, that, in a 

 region covering more than one-half of Rhode 

 Island and the south-eastern part of Connecticut, 

 over eight inches of rain fell. The amount 

 diminishes rapidly west and east of this region, 

 about two and one-half inches having fallen on 

 Cape Cod, and less than one inch in the north- 

 western part of Massachusetts. The region of 

 heaviest rainfall is situated about two hundred 

 miles north-east of the position of the centre of 

 barometric depression on the afternoon of the 

 12th. 



In order to give a general idea of the extent of 

 territory covered by the rainfall, the following- 

 estimate has been made by the help of the ac- 

 companying map. The estimate includes the 



land-surface only. 



Amount of rainfall. 



Area in square miles. 





750 





75a 



6 " 7 » 



1,500 

 1,850 

 2,750 



5 " 6 " 



4 " 5 »• 





The above embraces about five-ninths of the 

 total area of the states of Massachusetts, Rhode 



