?7 
HEAVY RAINS AT ST. LOUIS. 
By Dr. G. ENGELMANN. 
{From the Transactions of the Acad, of Sci. of St. Louis , rol. II., p. 266-7-) 
The heavy rains of the 29th and 30th of March last have induced me tq 
examine my meteorological records, in which every fall of rain since Jan¬ 
uary 1, 1838, is noted. As the result of these investigations, I lay before 
the Academy the following table of the heaviest falls of rain in every 
year, and of all the rains over 4 inches. It will be seen that the maximum 
in one year (1842) was not quite 2 inches ; in 7 years (1838, '39, '43, '53, 
'57,'61, and'64) it was between 2 and 3 inches ; in 7 years (1840,'43, 
'49, '51, '56, '60, and '63) it reached between 3 and 4 inches ; in 8 years 
(1841, '44, '46, '50, '54, '55, '62, and '65), between 4 and 5 inches; in 2 
years (1852 and '58), between 5 and 6 inches ; in 1847, between 6 and 7 
inches ; and twice (in 1848 and 1859) over 7 inches. 
In 13 years, therefore, more than 4 inches of water were precipitated in 
a single fall of rain ; generally only once in one year, but in 1858 twice ; 
and tour times in the memorable wet year of 1848. 
Of the 32 heavy rains recorded in the table, one-fourth (or 8) fell in 
June; 5 in May; as many in August; 3 in March ; 2 each in April, July, 
October, and December; one only in January, February, and November; 
and none in September: 17, therefore, or over one half, fell in our rainy 
season of three months, from the middle of April to the middle of July ;* 
6, or nearly one sixth, fall in the month of August, and the other 10 are 
distributed through the other eight months of the year. 
Heaviest ' Rains in St. Louis in every year from 1838 to 1865, and 
all Rains over four inches during that period of 28 years. 
Date. 
1838. January 6-7 • • * • 
1889. June 7-8. 
1840. October 18. 
1841. August 22. 
1842. June 80. 
1843. June 9 .. 
1844. May 15-16. 
1845. May 22.. 
1846. June 3-4.• 
1847. October 20-22... 
1848. May 6. 
“ June 2 . 
“ June 21-22. 
“ August 15 .. 
1849. July 5-6. 
1850. November 26-2? 
1851. August 2-3 ••••• 
1852. March 11-13 ...» 
1853. May 2-3 —. 
Hours Amount 
Within which of Rain 
the Rain fell. in inches* 
14 ...... 2.07 
30 2.81 
21 3.73 
5 4.78 
16 ...... 1.96 
2 ...... 2! 30 
33 4.37 
11 * 3.70 
15 4.00 
49 ...... 6.59 
3 ...... 5.22 
5 6.17 
29 7.55 
26 4.38 
21 3.95 
63 5.54 
35 2.88 
* The true rainy season generally extends only over about six weeks, which fall be¬ 
tween the limits above assumed. 
Mtssolmi Botanical -Garden 
George Engelmann Papers 
