HEAVY RAINS AT ST. LOUIS. 
By Dr. G. ENGEL&ANN. 
(Frbm the Transactions oftKc Acad, of Set. Of St. Louis, vol. II., p; 266-7.)' 
The heavy rains of the 29th arid 30th of March last have induced me to 
examine riiy meteorological records, in which every fall of rain since Jan¬ 
uary 1, 1338, is rioted. As the result of these lfivestigatiOris, I lav 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 riot quite 2 inches ; in 7 years (1838, ’39, '43, '53 * 
57, "61, arid ’64) it Was between 2 arid 3 Inches ; in 7 years (1840, '43’ 
49, ’51, '56, '60, and '63) it reached between 3 arid 4 inches : in 8 years 
(1841, '44, '46, '50, '54, '55, *62, arid '65), between 4 arid 5 inches; in 2 
years (1852 and '58), between 5 and 6 inches ; in 1847, between 6 and 7 
inches; arid twice fin 1848 and 4859) over 7driches. 
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, arid November; 
and none m 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 •* 
5, 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. 
, Hours Amount 
1840. 
1841. 
1842. 
1843. 
1844. 
1845. 
1846. 
1847. 
1848. 
January 6-7... .... ..... 14 
June 7-8 .. 30 
October 18. 21 
August 22. 5 
June 30. .... 16 
June 9. 2 
May 15-16. 33 
May 22. n 
June 3-4. 15 
October 20-22. 49 
May 6 • • *... .. 3 
June 2. 5 
June 21-22.*.. .. 29 
August 15 .... ... „ „ . 1 
July 5-6. 30 
November 26-27 .. 26 * 
August 2-3. -.... 21* 
March 11-13... .... 53 
May 2-3 .... ...... ...... .. 35 
generally extends only over about s 
Missouri botanical garden 
, rvr-'MUNNPAPERS 
