HEAVY RAINS AT ST. LOUIS 
By Dr. G. ENGELMANN. 
[From the Transactions of the Acad, of Set. of St. Louis, vol. II., p. 266-7.) 
The heavy rains of the 29th and 30th of March last have induced me to 
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, 
'67, '61, and ’64) It was between 2 and 3 inches ; in 7 years (1840, *4.3, 
*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 four 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. 
1838. January 6-7 • ••• 
1839. June 7-8.•* 
1840. October 18. 
1841V August 22. 
1842. June 30..-*. 
1843. June 9. 
1844. May 15-16. 
1845. May 22. 
1846. June 3-4 .... ... 
1847. October 20-22* •• 
1848. May 6.. 
“ June 21-22. 
“ August 15.. 
1849. July 5-6. 
1850. November 26-27 
1851. August 2-3. 
1852. March 11-13 .... 
1853. May 2-3 ........ 
Hours Amount 
within which of Rain 
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 
1 6.05 
30 ...... 3.88 
26 4.38 
21 3.95 
53 ...... 5.54 
* The true rainy season generally extends only over about six weeks, which fall be¬ 
tween the limits above assumed. 
Missouri . 
'” u « l »o u „ w 
