466
BY FBPD. J. RANDOLPH and FRED. L. FF~ANCIS. of the Weather Bureau.
The following items are extracted from notes furnished to
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
Alexander McAdie, published in the Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XLV, p. 331, and in Weather Bureau Bulletin No. 11.
DECEMBER, 1896
The highest was 78' at Hamilton on the l l t h , and the lowest, 34' below zero, at Stofiel on the 18th. The average recipitation was 0.42, or 1.26 below normal. It was extremely light alp over the State. The defi. ciency amounted to 4.12 at Tuscarora, and the only excess was at Wads. worth. The reatest monthly was 3.0i, at Lewers Ranch. and the least, 0.00, at ks Vegas and St. Thomas. Neao,&ghnd.-The mean temperature was 31.5', or 3.2' above nor. mal. h e highest, 71', at Norwalk on the SGth, and the lowest, 3' be- low zero, at Berlin Mills and Enosburg on the 13th. The average re cipitation was 3.12, or 0.44 below the normal. The greatest monhy amount was 6.88 at North Conaay, and the least, 1.40, at New London. The ground was not well covered with snow during the month and il
is feared the frequent thawing and freezingof the surface of the ground has injured grass and grain roo&. The want of snow has been severely felt in the lumber districts. Nao Jcreay.-The mean temperature was 37.2', or 4.i' above normal. The highest was i6', at Moorestown on the %th, and the lowTest, 3', a1 Deckertown and Newton on the 13th. The average precipitation was 2.61, or 1.01 below normal. The greatest monthly was 5..1",'at Engle- wood, and the least, 1.71, at Barnegat. Nsro iUe&o.-The average temperature during the month was de. cidedly below normal, and, with one exception, was the coldest Decem- ber since the establishment of the station at Santa Fe, in 1851. The highest temperature was 73', at Eddy on the 14th and Roswell on the IBth, and the lowest, 23' below zero, at Ranches of Tam. on the 31th. The avera e precipitation was considerablv above normal and was fairly well distr%uted over the Territory. The greatest total was 2.90, at Chama. Aztec, Engle, and Olio reported only a " trace" and Ban Mar- cial, 0.00.
New rork.-The mean temperature was 3.1' above normal. The hi hest temperature was 69O, at Victor on the -Wh, and the lowest, ISc bekow zero, at Baranac Lake on the 15th. The average precipitation was 3.70, and was generally above the normal. The greatest monthly was 6.31, at Canton, and the least, 1.68, at Middletown. N i t h CaToline.-The mean temperature was 43.4', or 0.3' below nor- mal. The highest was 78' at Newbern, on the 2d, and the lowest, 5', at Linville and Waynesvdle on the 6th. The average precipitation was 3.4, or 0.59 below normal. The greatest amount was S.49, at Lin. ville, and the least, 1.03, at Rutherfordton. North Dah;ota.-The mean tem erature was 13.8', or 0.3'above norn~al. The highest was 6P, at Berth& Agenc, , on the T t h , and the lowest, 32' below zero, at h e l e 011 the 1st. h i e average precipitation was 0.29, or 0.61 below normal. The greatest amount w a s 0.88, at IVhite Earth, and the least, 0.03, at Willow City. Ohio.-The mean temperature was 3:3.9', or 1.2' above the normal. The highest was 79', at Coalton on the -Wh, and the lowest, 13' below zero, at Warsaw on the 13th. The average precipitation was 3.85, or 1.25 above the normal. The greated. was 6.72, at Wauseon, and the least, 1.65, at Thurman. Precipitation occurred at various point8 in the State on every day of the month, and, in the main, was very well dis- tributed. OkLlrot#&a.--The mean temperature was 39.4', or 0.9' below normal. The highest was SG', at Hennesse on the 6th, and the lowest, Yo below zero, at Hennessey on the %ti. The average precipitation wa8 4.14, or 1.69 above normal. The greatest monthly total was 12.i0, at Vinita, and the least, 0.65, at Alva. Oragon.-The mean temperature was 38.8', or 0.1' above norinal. The highest was 6So, at Langlois on the l l t h , and the lowest, 17' below zero, at Lorella on the 29th. The average precipitation was 10.62, or.4.34 above nornial. The greatest monthly was 25.10, at Ne- halem, and the least, 0.59, at Dayville. The precipitation exceeded all previous records for this month, the amount being almost 1.00 more than the next rainiest December, which was that of 1891, with an average of 9.72. The number of rainy days was unusually large. The station at Government Camp, 011 Mount Hood. reported a total fall of snow during the month of 130 inches. The observer at Tillamook, Tillamook County, reports as follows: Friday, December 13, there was an unusual ele&ric display in this vicinity. There were several vivid displays of sheet lightning acrosn the heavens, seeming to permeate all space with flashes of fire, accom- panied with tremendous crashes of thunder. Several trees and houses were struck, thou li no serious damage was done. The public sc11001 building was struct, and the balls of fire rolled .around promiscuously in every room. The same phenomena was noticed in several dwelling- hpuses, and several cases of electrical burning are reported. Lighb nin came into the telegraph office, but did little dama e there. Notting like it was ever seen before, so all say, and it seems &e whole
locality was pervaded with the peculiar electrical demonstration. The storm was followed by a very low barometer. Pennnylwnh.-The mean temperature waa 34.20, or l.5O above nor- mal. The hi hest was 70' at Shinglehouse on the 21st, and the lowest, 10' bekw zero, at Ifollidaysburg on the 14th. The avera e precipitation was 3.22, or 0.05 below the normal. The reatest monthfy amount was 6.55 at Wellsboro, and the least, 1.40, at 8oylestown. 8owlh G'oroliiia.-The mean temperature was 46.1', or 2.20 below nor- mal. The highest was SOo, at Slaws Forks on the 25th, and the lowest, 13', at Gillisonville on the 6th and at Central on the 13th. The aver e precipitation was 3.04, or 0.19 below normal. The greatest monzly amount was, 0.55, at Holland, and the least, 1.25, at Central.
&!%?Ll?b Duhici.-The mean temperature was 22.7', or about 2.0' above normal. The highest was 69", at Fort Meade on the E t h , and the lowest, 25' below zero, at Webster on the 2d. The average precipita- tion was 0.17, or about 0.46 below the average. The greatest monthly amount reported was 1.43, at Webster, and the least, a "trace," at several stations. The month, as a whole, w w an ui~usi~ally pleasant one. Tetriwssee.-The mean temperature, 41.3, was normal. The highest was is', at Waynsboro on the 15th and 23d, and the lowest, 2', at Rug- by 011 the 6th. The average precipitation was 4.20, or about 0.26 above normal. The greatest monthly was 7.35, at Tullahoma, and the least, 1.59, at Bristol. Tt?.me.-The average temperature for the State was 3.1' below normal. It was generally deficient, except in the northeastern portion of south- western Texas, where the excess amounted to 1.0'. The precipitation averaged, for the State, 0.43 below normal. There was an excess of from U.11 to 3.0i along the east coast, which extended less than 25 miles inland, and an excess north of the thirty-first parallel of lati- tude, east of the one hundredth meridian, of from 0.06 to 2.01. Over other portions of the State there was a general deficiency, greatest over southwestern Texas and the southern portions of central Texas, where less than 40 per cent of the normal amount occurred. The greatest local monthly amount was 6.10, at Marshall, and the least 0.00, at Fort Ringgold. D;otah.-The mean temperature was 21.0', or about 7.0' below normal. The highest was a', at St. Georges on the I2th, and tbe lowest, 34' below zero, at Fort Du Chesne, on the 18th. The average preci itation was 0.78. The greatest monthly rainfall was 1-70, at Heber and t f e least, "trace," at Cisco, Giles, and Grover. The snowfall averaged 9 inches. li',.gink.-The mean temperature, 39.0', does not show any marked departure from the normal. The highest, i6', occurred at dshland on the 24th and 25tl1, and the lowest, 1' below zero, at Dale Enterprise on the 14th. The average precipitation was 3.89. There was no great de- parture from the normal, except at Alexandria. It was enerally uni- formly distributed over all sections. The greatest monthky amount waa 6.29, at Cape Henry, and the least, 0.58, at Alexandria. Snow felt in all sections, but most frequently and heaviest in the western counties. Washiugglon.-The mean temperature was 37.4', or 0.6' below normal. The highest was 66', at Connell on the 14th, and the lowest, So below zero, at Ellensburg and Moxee on the 2 d . The average precipitation was 9.00, or 2.M above normal. The reatest rainfall for the month, 2S.14, occurred at Monte Crista and tfie least, 0.42, at Moxee. This was m e of the stormiest months on record. Rainstorms occurred al- inost daily, and severe windstorms followed each other in ra id and constant succession, but none were so severe as those of Decemfer 5-12,
1894. A t many stations there were only two or three da s on which there was no rain. Snow to the depth of 19Sinches fell at Lonte Crista and 165 inches at Cascade. The extraordinary depth of snow caused extensive blockades in the mountains. West Virginia.-The mean tem erature was 3G.S0, or very near1 nor- mal. The highest was i3', at duefield and Hewett on the 25d, and the lowest, 6' below zero, at Bloomery on the 14th. The avera e pre- ci itation was 3.91, or about normal, and was uite evenly distri%uted. Tie greatest monthly total, 4.14, occurred at #farlinton, and the least, 1.85 at MorgantoNn. Greatest depth of snowfall 9.0 at Marlinton. #iwonso'a.--The mean temperature was 25.1", or 3.1' above normal. The highest was 60°, at Antigo on the Slst, and the lowest, 26' below zero, at Butternut on the 30th. The average precipitation was 0.54, or 3.38 below normal. The greatest monthly was 3.44, at Sharon, and the least, 0.10, at Osceolo Mills. The average snowfall was 4.4 inches. The greatest amount was 15.5 inches, at Butternut. Il)oyom~ng.-The mean temperature was 23.0°, or slightly below nor- mal. The highest was io". at Embar on the Eth, and the lowest, 16O below zero, at Sheridan on the 2d, and Laramie on the 9 t h . The aver- "ge total precipitation nas0.45, or about normal. The eatest monthly was 2.10 at Sundance, and the least, 0.00, at Lander anfFort Washakie.
466
BY FBPD. J. RANDOLPH and FRED. L. FF~ANCIS. of the Weather Bureau.
The following items are extracted from notes furnished to
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
Alexander McAdie, published in the Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XLV, p. 331, and in Weather Bureau Bulletin No. 11.
DECEMBER, 1896
The highest was 78' at Hamilton on the l l t h , and the lowest, 34' below zero, at Stofiel on the 18th. The average recipitation was 0.42, or 1.26 below normal. It was extremely light alp over the State. The defi. ciency amounted to 4.12 at Tuscarora, and the only excess was at Wads. worth. The reatest monthly was 3.0i, at Lewers Ranch. and the least, 0.00, at ks Vegas and St. Thomas. Neao,&ghnd.-The mean temperature was 31.5', or 3.2' above nor. mal. h e highest, 71', at Norwalk on the SGth, and the lowest, 3' be- low zero, at Berlin Mills and Enosburg on the 13th. The average re cipitation was 3.12, or 0.44 below the normal. The greatest monhy amount was 6.88 at North Conaay, and the least, 1.40, at New London. The ground was not well covered with snow during the month and il
is feared the frequent thawing and freezingof the surface of the ground has injured grass and grain roo&. The want of snow has been severely felt in the lumber districts. Nao Jcreay.-The mean temperature was 37.2', or 4.i' above normal. The highest was i6', at Moorestown on the %th, and the lowTest, 3', a1 Deckertown and Newton on the 13th. The average precipitation was 2.61, or 1.01 below normal. The greatest monthly was 5..1",'at Engle- wood, and the least, 1.71, at Barnegat. Nsro iUe&o.-The average temperature during the month was de. cidedly below normal, and, with one exception, was the coldest Decem- ber since the establishment of the station at Santa Fe, in 1851. The highest temperature was 73', at Eddy on the 14th and Roswell on the IBth, and the lowest, 23' below zero, at Ranches of Tam. on the 31th. The avera e precipitation was considerablv above normal and was fairly well distr%uted over the Territory. The greatest total was 2.90, at Chama. Aztec, Engle, and Olio reported only a " trace" and Ban Mar- cial, 0.00.
New rork.-The mean temperature was 3.1' above normal. The hi hest temperature was 69O, at Victor on the -Wh, and the lowest, ISc bekow zero, at Baranac Lake on the 15th. The average precipitation was 3.70, and was generally above the normal. The greatest monthly was 6.31, at Canton, and the least, 1.68, at Middletown. N i t h CaToline.-The mean temperature was 43.4', or 0.3' below nor- mal. The highest was 78' at Newbern, on the 2d, and the lowest, 5', at Linville and Waynesvdle on the 6th. The average precipitation was 3.4, or 0.59 below normal. The greatest amount was S.49, at Lin. ville, and the least, 1.03, at Rutherfordton. North Dah;ota.-The mean tem erature was 13.8', or 0.3'above norn~al. The highest was 6P, at Berth& Agenc, , on the T t h , and the lowest, 32' below zero, at h e l e 011 the 1st. h i e average precipitation was 0.29, or 0.61 below normal. The greatest amount w a s 0.88, at IVhite Earth, and the least, 0.03, at Willow City. Ohio.-The mean temperature was 3:3.9', or 1.2' above the normal. The highest was 79', at Coalton on the -Wh, and the lowest, 13' below zero, at Warsaw on the 13th. The average precipitation was 3.85, or 1.25 above the normal. The greated. was 6.72, at Wauseon, and the least, 1.65, at Thurman. Precipitation occurred at various point8 in the State on every day of the month, and, in the main, was very well dis- tributed. OkLlrot#&a.--The mean temperature was 39.4', or 0.9' below normal. The highest was SG', at Hennesse on the 6th, and the lowest, Yo below zero, at Hennessey on the %ti. The average precipitation wa8 4.14, or 1.69 above normal. The greatest monthly total was 12.i0, at Vinita, and the least, 0.65, at Alva. Oragon.-The mean temperature was 38.8', or 0.1' above norinal. The highest was 6So, at Langlois on the l l t h , and the lowest, 17' below zero, at Lorella on the 29th. The average precipitation was 10.62, or.4.34 above nornial. The greatest monthly was 25.10, at Ne- halem, and the least, 0.59, at Dayville. The precipitation exceeded all previous records for this month, the amount being almost 1.00 more than the next rainiest December, which was that of 1891, with an average of 9.72. The number of rainy days was unusually large. The station at Government Camp, 011 Mount Hood. reported a total fall of snow during the month of 130 inches. The observer at Tillamook, Tillamook County, reports as follows: Friday, December 13, there was an unusual ele&ric display in this vicinity. There were several vivid displays of sheet lightning acrosn the heavens, seeming to permeate all space with flashes of fire, accom- panied with tremendous crashes of thunder. Several trees and houses were struck, thou li no serious damage was done. The public sc11001 building was struct, and the balls of fire rolled .around promiscuously in every room. The same phenomena was noticed in several dwelling- hpuses, and several cases of electrical burning are reported. Lighb nin came into the telegraph office, but did little dama e there. Notting like it was ever seen before, so all say, and it seems &e whole
locality was pervaded with the peculiar electrical demonstration. The storm was followed by a very low barometer. Pennnylwnh.-The mean temperature waa 34.20, or l.5O above nor- mal. The hi hest was 70' at Shinglehouse on the 21st, and the lowest, 10' bekw zero, at Ifollidaysburg on the 14th. The avera e precipitation was 3.22, or 0.05 below the normal. The reatest monthfy amount was 6.55 at Wellsboro, and the least, 1.40, at 8oylestown. 8owlh G'oroliiia.-The mean temperature was 46.1', or 2.20 below nor- mal. The highest was SOo, at Slaws Forks on the 25th, and the lowest, 13', at Gillisonville on the 6th and at Central on the 13th. The aver e precipitation was 3.04, or 0.19 below normal. The greatest monzly amount was, 0.55, at Holland, and the least, 1.25, at Central.
&!%?Ll?b Duhici.-The mean temperature was 22.7', or about 2.0' above normal. The highest was 69", at Fort Meade on the E t h , and the lowest, 25' below zero, at Webster on the 2d. The average precipita- tion was 0.17, or about 0.46 below the average. The greatest monthly amount reported was 1.43, at Webster, and the least, a "trace," at several stations. The month, as a whole, w w an ui~usi~ally pleasant one. Tetriwssee.-The mean temperature, 41.3, was normal. The highest was is', at Waynsboro on the 15th and 23d, and the lowest, 2', at Rug- by 011 the 6th. The average precipitation was 4.20, or about 0.26 above normal. The greatest monthly was 7.35, at Tullahoma, and the least, 1.59, at Bristol. Tt?.me.-The average temperature for the State was 3.1' below normal. It was generally deficient, except in the northeastern portion of south- western Texas, where the excess amounted to 1.0'. The precipitation averaged, for the State, 0.43 below normal. There was an excess of from U.11 to 3.0i along the east coast, which extended less than 25 miles inland, and an excess north of the thirty-first parallel of lati- tude, east of the one hundredth meridian, of from 0.06 to 2.01. Over other portions of the State there was a general deficiency, greatest over southwestern Texas and the southern portions of central Texas, where less than 40 per cent of the normal amount occurred. The greatest local monthly amount was 6.10, at Marshall, and the least 0.00, at Fort Ringgold. D;otah.-The mean temperature was 21.0', or about 7.0' below normal. The highest was a', at St. Georges on the I2th, and tbe lowest, 34' below zero, at Fort Du Chesne, on the 18th. The average preci itation was 0.78. The greatest monthly rainfall was 1-70, at Heber and t f e least, "trace," at Cisco, Giles, and Grover. The snowfall averaged 9 inches. li',.gink.-The mean temperature, 39.0', does not show any marked departure from the normal. The highest, i6', occurred at dshland on the 24th and 25tl1, and the lowest, 1' below zero, at Dale Enterprise on the 14th. The average precipitation was 3.89. There was no great de- parture from the normal, except at Alexandria. It was enerally uni- formly distributed over all sections. The greatest monthky amount waa 6.29, at Cape Henry, and the least, 0.58, at Alexandria. Snow felt in all sections, but most frequently and heaviest in the western counties. Washiugglon.-The mean temperature was 37.4', or 0.6' below normal. The highest was 66', at Connell on the 14th, and the lowest, So below zero, at Ellensburg and Moxee on the 2 d . The average precipitation was 9.00, or 2.M above normal. The reatest rainfall for the month, 2S.14, occurred at Monte Crista and tfie least, 0.42, at Moxee. This was m e of the stormiest months on record. Rainstorms occurred al- inost daily, and severe windstorms followed each other in ra id and constant succession, but none were so severe as those of Decemfer 5-12,
1894. A t many stations there were only two or three da s on which there was no rain. Snow to the depth of 19Sinches fell at Lonte Crista and 165 inches at Cascade. The extraordinary depth of snow caused extensive blockades in the mountains. West Virginia.-The mean tem erature was 3G.S0, or very near1 nor- mal. The highest was i3', at duefield and Hewett on the 25d, and the lowest, 6' below zero, at Bloomery on the 14th. The avera e pre- ci itation was 3.91, or about normal, and was uite evenly distri%uted. Tie greatest monthly total, 4.14, occurred at #farlinton, and the least, 1.85 at MorgantoNn. Greatest depth of snowfall 9.0 at Marlinton. #iwonso'a.--The mean temperature was 25.1", or 3.1' above normal. The highest was 60°, at Antigo on the Slst, and the lowest, 26' below zero, at Butternut on the 30th. The average precipitation was 0.54, or 3.38 below normal. The greatest monthly was 3.44, at Sharon, and the least, 0.10, at Osceolo Mills. The average snowfall was 4.4 inches. The greatest amount was 15.5 inches, at Butternut. Il)oyom~ng.-The mean temperature was 23.0°, or slightly below nor- mal. The highest was io". at Embar on the Eth, and the lowest, 16O below zero, at Sheridan on the 2d, and Laramie on the 9 t h . The aver- "ge total precipitation nas0.45, or about normal. The eatest monthly was 2.10 at Sundance, and the least, 0.00, at Lander anfFort Washakie.
DECEMBER, 1896. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 467
Thomas Jefferson, is on the summit of Monticello Mountain on the south side of the Ravenna River in Albemarle County m d three miles southeast of Charlottesville, Va. This nioun. tain, which towers up more than five hundred feet above tht
general level, commands a magnificent view of all the countrj
to the north and east. The birthplace of Thomas Jefferson
called Shadwell, named after the parish in London, where hii
motker was born, is a couple of miles away. The accompanying illustration (Fig. 1) shows the front oi
the Monticello mansion facing east. The general appearancc
of the building has undergone no alteration or change since Mr
Jefferson’s death. The central portion consists of two storiec with a dome surmounting the center; the winge are of ont
story and attic.
Mr. Jefferson was one of the pioneer meteorologists of this country. He kept daily records of the temperature and othei
important weather conditions during the greater part of his
life; he induced others in different parts of the country t c
make records simultaneously with his own observations ; he collected and charted the results, and drew from them his own
conclusions with regard to the character and niovement of
storms, etc. These conclusions were remarkably accurate con-
eidering the meager data a t his command for such investiga-
tions. The photograph of Monticello shows on the roof a
part of his instrumental equipment, viz, the wind-vane, the
construction of which is very similar to the nioderii vane.
The vertical rod supporting the vane projects down to the ceil- ing of the portico, to the lower end of which is attached an
arrow that indicates by its position on a lettered dial the di-
rection of the wind a t any moment, and this can be seen
from within the house. Mr. Jefferson made and recorded hie weather observations several times each day, and these were
not neglected even during the performance of his most im-
portant and engrossing’public duties. In Paris: during a time when his right arm was disabled, in consequence of a fall, his
weather records were made with his left hand. Even during
the exciting debate in Congress on the document which he had
written, one of the noblest in the annals of the world-the
Declaration of Independence-when he was writhing under
the bitter criticisms with which it was attacked in some of
ita parts, his observations of temperature were continued. The record in his pocket memorandum book contains the follow- ing entries :
Philadetphiib, l i i 6 .
July 1 ..................................... 9 0 a. m. 813
H. Min. 0
..................................... i 0 p. m. 83
3 ..................................... 6 0 a .m . 7s ..................................... 9 40a.m. 23
..................................... 9 0 p .m . 74 3 .................................... 5 30 a. m. 713
..................................... 1 3 0 p .m . 70
..................................... 8 10p.m. 74
..................................... 9 0 a.m. i2+
..................................... 1 0p.m. i 6
..................................... 9 0 p.m. 733
4 ..................................... 6 0 a .m . 6S
For his temperature readings Mr. Jefferson used a pocket
In addition to the above the Editor would call attention to the fact that it is not merely as an observer, but alsoas a care-
ful investigator and as one who fully appreciated.many yues-
tions in meteorology that Jefferson is especially entitled to be
mentioned in this MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. His Notes on Virginia, written in 1781-’83 in response to queries by Volney
(printed first in Paris in English, 1784, and afterwards in French, 1756 ; first edition in America published in 1787, sec-
ond edition, PhiIadelphia, 1794, third edition, Is%), gives many evidences of his ability as a climatologist and natural
philosopher. His investigations into the theory of the mo-
thermometer.
REV-2
tions of the atmosphere are explained in a letter written by
him in Paris, November 13, 1786. (See The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, published by the order of the Joint Com- mittee of Congress, with explanatory notes by the editor, H. A. Washington, pages 54-60, Vol. 11, 1853.) In his Notes on Virginia (page 109 of the edition of Philadelphia, 1826, or,
page 324 of the reprint in Vol. VI11 of The Writingsof Thomas Jeflerson) he describes certain descending masses of air such
as have been the subject of extensive investigation in connec-
tion with fcrhn phenomena. Speaking of his own experience
in the neighborhood of Monticello he says :
Going out into the open air, in the temperate and warm months of the year, we often meet with bodies of warm air, which passing b us in two or three seconds, do not afford time to the most sensible tier- niometer to seize their temperature. Judging from my feelings only, I think they approach the ordinary heat of the human body. Some of them perhaps go a little be’ ond it. They are of about 20 or 30 feet diameter horizontally. Of t i e i r height we have no experience, but probabl they are globular volumes wafted or rolled along with the wind. %ut whence taken, where found, or how generated? They are not to be ascribed to volcanoes because we have none. They do not happen in the winter when the farmers kindle large fires which tra- verse whole counties, consuming the leaves which have fallen from the trees. And they are too fre nent and general to be ascribed to acci- dental fires. I am persuade8 their muse must be sought for in the at- mosphere itself, to aid us in which I know but of these constant cir- cumstances, a dry air, a temperature as warm at least as that of the spring or autumn, and a moderate current of wind. They are most fre- quent about sunset, rare in the middle arts of the day, and I do not recollect having ever met with them in tKe morning.
In the following paragraph JelTerson alludes to the contem- porary observations made a t Monticello and Williamsburg,
Vu., some account of which has been given by Mr. McAdie :
It seems that Jeffereon’s cousin, Prof. James Madison, of William and Mary College, Williamsburg, Va. (afterwards
Bishop Madison), had begun a systematic record of the baro-
meter, thermometer, wind, and rain, and Jefferson, in 1772, Iiegan a similar record a t Monticello. The comparison of
these records seems to have suggested the systein of observa-
tion explained in the following extract from the letter dated
January, 1797, addressed to Mr. Volney, and published a t page
341 of Vol. 111 of T. J. Randolph’s Memoir, Correspondence,
e t c :
I am sorry that you have received so little information on the sub- ject of our winds. I had once (before our Revolutionary war) a project on the same subject. As I had then an extensive acquaintance over this State I meant to have engaged some person in every county of it, giving them each a thermometer, to observe that and the winds twice a day for one year, to wit, at sunrise and at 4 p. m. (the coldest and the warniest point of the twenty-four hours) and to communicate their ob- aervations to me at the end of the year. I should then have selected the days in which it ap eared that the winds blew to a center within the State, and have male a map of them, and seen how far they had analogy with the temperature of the air. I meant this to be mere1 a
3 ecimen to be communicated to the Philosophical Society at Phildel- F i a , in order to engage them, by means of their correspondents to ave the same thing done in everv State, and through aseries of ears. By seizing the clays when the winds centered in any part of the dnited States we mi ht, in time, have come at some of the causes which de- termine the iirection of the winds, which I suspect to be very various. But this long-winded project was prevented by the war which came upon us, and since that I have been far otherwlse engaged.
During the past few years there have been several references
in the WEATHER REVIEW to the subject of ‘‘ frostless zones.” It
LE a matter of course that observant farmers in dry climates,
iuch as that of the United States, must always have been Familiar with the pheuomenon that the nieteorologist calls
;he ‘‘ inversion of temperature,” occurring on still clear nights,
J u t i t is interesting to find that Jefferson is the first Ameri- :an author who refers to the subject as in the following ex-
;ract taken from his Notes on the State of Virgiuia (see the
Philadelphia edition of 1825, page 112) :
The access of frost in autumn and its recess in the spring do not seem ,o depend merely on the degree of cold, much less on the air being at ,he freezing point. White frosts are frequent when the thermometer
s at 4io, have killed young plants of Indian corn at Bo, and have been mown at M0. Black frost, and even ice, have been produced at 3Q0,
468 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. DECEMBER, 1896
which is Qo above the freezing point. That other circumstances must be combined with the cold to produce frost, is evident from this also; on noli kiiown as “ looming,” which is frequent a t sea but rare on land ; but as jeffersoll says :
plains-on wbich they stand, frosta do not appear so early by a eonsider- able s ce of time in autumn and go off sooner in the spring than in the p &a . I have known frosts 80 severe as to kill the hickory trees round about Yonticello, and yet not injure the tender fruit blossoms then in bloom on the top and higher a r k of the mountain, and in the course of forty years, during which i t i a s been settled, there have been but two instances of a general lose of fruit on it, while in the circum- jacent countr the fruit has escaped but twice in the last seven years. The plants oltobacco, which grow from the roots of those which have been cut off in the summer, are frequent1 green here at Christmas. This privilege against the frost is undoubted;y combined with the want of dew on the mountains. That the dew is very rare on their higher parte, I may sa with certainty from twelve years observations having scarcely ever, furin that time, seen an unequivocal proof of its exist- ence on them at a d during summer. Severe frosts in the depth of winter prove that the region of dews extends higher in that season than the top of the mountains, but certainly, in the summer season, the vapors by the time they attain that height are become so attenuated aa not to subside, and forni a dew when tlie sun retires. may make a circle appear elliptical, raise or depress a cone, but by none of its laws, as yet developed, will it’make a circle appear a square, or a One more extract from the On the State Of
showing Jefferson’s close observation of the optical phenome- cone a sphere.
At Monticello it is familiar. There is a solitary mountain about 40
miles off in the south, whose natural shape, as presented to view there, is a regular cone, but by the effect of looming it sometimes subsides almost totally in the horizon, sonietimes it rises more acute and more elevated, sometimes it is hemispherical, and sometimes ita sides are perpndicular, ita top flat and as broad as its base. I n short, it assumes at tiines the most whimsical shapes, and all these perhaps succeseively in the samemornin The Blue Ridge of mountains comes into view in the iiortheast at atout 100 miles distance, and approaching in a direct line passes by within 20 miles and goes off to the southwest. This henoinenon begins to show itself on these mountains at about 50miles xistance and cuntinues beyond that as far as they are seen. I remark no particular state, either in the weight, moisture, or heat of the at-
mosphere, necessary to produce this. The only constant circumstances are its appearance in the morning only, and on objects at least 40 or 5@
iiiiles distant. In this latter circumstance. if not in both, it differs from the looming on the water. Refraction will not account for the me& morphusis. That only changes the proportions of the len h and breadth, base and altitude, preserving the general outlines. qhus, it
NOTES BY THE EDITOR.
METEOROLOGY IN THE PUBLIU SUHOOLS.
Among the improvements in methods of education none is more rational and practically successful than that. which in-
sists on requiring the pupils, from the youngest to the oldest,
to observe natural phenomena and make their own personal
records and deductions. For. a century paet the favorite field
of u nature-study ” has been that of botany, and a visitor to the beet primary schools will find the children bringing in
quantities of leaves, buds, and flowers, which they compare
and study, and thus quicken their habits of observation and
generalization. Almost equally attractive is the elementary study of the soils, rocks, and minerals. In regions where
birds and insects are accessible these also afford fine objects
for study. The whole tendencyof modern pedagogy is to stimulate the study of nature in every field, especially those
moat easily accessible. In October, 1882, the present Editor
had occasion to give a series of talks to the students of the
Normal School in Washington, and to maintain that as we have the weather about us every day it constitutes an admi.
rable subject for youthful observation and study. In accord- ance with the principles that were then taught a t that Nor-
mal School it was necessary for each member of the class tu record and analyze her own observations on the subject under consideration, in order, by this personal training, to obtain
the experience that is neceesary to successfully conduct the
classes of children that must eventually conie under her care,
Accordingly, the present writer prepared an elementary printed
form for the use of the class in which each member kept a
personal diary of the weather, in so far as that could be done
without instruments. Specimens of these diaries and an ex- planation of the whole system were exhibited at the New
Orleans Exposition in December, 1884, in the division of
Subsequently the accomplished principal and founder of
the Nornisl School a t Washington (Miss Lucilla E. Sniith) was called to take charge of a part of the work of the Train-
ing School for Teachers in Brooklyn, N. Y. In such a loca-
tion where botany and geology are not so easily studied she again had occasion to adv0ca.t.e the observation and study of
atmospheric phenomena as a means of training the perceptive
faculties of the pupils. This idea, which was a t first so novel,
has. been practically carried out during the past two years, and
many have testified that not only the scholars but the teachers
pedagogy -
themselves have profited greatly by this drill. Each child is
expected to keep a record of the wind and weather, and the
discussions that take place are rapidly disabusing the chil- dren’s minds of erroneous ideas that are widely dissemi-
nated. The trite weather sayings that have been current for
centuries, and that have no real basis of fact, yet are handed down like myths and legends viva voce, from parent to child,
are now daily brought to the test of actual experience, and a
healthy stimulus is given to the study of nature. The chil-
dren, and even the teachers, begin to wonder a t t.he numerous erroneous uotions formerly entertained and to admire the
clearer vision that they are now rapidly attaining. This fea-
ture in the study of nature was advocated before the Brook-
lyn 1nstitute.in 1893, and the teaching of meteorology in the schools has since then received enthusiastic endorsement.
Probably Miss Sniith was the first in this country to intro-
duce this study, first into the Normal School and then into
the public schools of all the lower grades. The future devel-
opment of meteorology in this country will largely depend
upon the extent to which it is taught in the public schools. The special meteorologists of future generations will, un-
doubtedly, look back to the time when, as school children, their attontion was first seriously directed to this study.
THE GENEX%AL CIRUULATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
Ori several occasions the Editor has in the MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW enforced tlie principle that the important
peculiarities of any season depend upon what is called the general circulation of the earth’s atmosphere. That is to say,
an unusual drought or a rein-arkable series of rains, or the
so-called apparent secular change in the general climate of
any locality is not a t all to be considered as dependent, even to the slightest extent, upon the destruction of forests, the
cultivation of the surface of the ground, the local evapora- tion, the presence of lakes or rivers, etc. Even great forest
fires have been shown to have little influence on the subse- quent weather. All these phenomena affect the air that is
temporarily a t the surface of the earth, but as soon a8 this
air is raised and carried oti into the cloud region, it is mixed
with such a large mass of otherair that its special influence
becomes greatly diminished, and i s felt, if a t all, in some far distant region and at some distant time. It is very easily
shown that the strong winds, and with them the temperature