346 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. AUGUST, 1898
THE WEATHER OF THE MONTH.
By A. J. HEXRY. Chief of Division of Recorda and Meteorological Data.
The statistical aspects of the weather of the month are pre-
sented in the tables which form the closing part of this RE-
VIEW. Table I, in particular, contains numerous details that
&re important in the study of climatology. The numerical
values in the tables have been generalized in a number of
cases, the results appearing 011 Charts Nos. I11 to VII,
inclusive.
PRESSURE AND WIND.
Normal conditioim-The geographic distribution of normal
barometric readings a t sea level and under local gravity for
August is shown by Chart V of the MONTHLY WEATHER RE-
VIEW for August, 1893.
.Normal pressure for August is highest, 30.00 inches and over,
from the Ohio Valley southeastward to the Gulf and Atlantic
coasts, reaching a maximum of about 30.05 on the South Caro-
lina coast. It is also high, about 30.05, on the coast of Wash-
ington and Oregon. Normal pressure is lowest over the Rocky
Mountain and Plateau regions with a minimum of 29.80
inches a t Yuma, Ariz. As compared with July, there is gen-
erally an increase in pressure in all districts, except on the
Pacific coast and south of latitude 35O. The greatest decrease,
.05 inch, occurs over the Florida Peninsula; the greatest
increase, .05 inch, over New England.
The prevailing winds of August differ but slightly from
those of July, On the south Atlantic and west Gulf coasts,
in the MissisHippi Valley, and generally throughout the
Plains region, the prevailing winds are southeasterly, as
would he expected from a conaideration of the pressnre gra-
dients. There are, however, a number of cases where the
direction of the wind is determined by local conditiolis and
topography rather than pressure gradients. On the Pacific
coast the prevailing winds are westerly arid northwesterly, a6
would he expected. The winds of the Rocky Mountain and
Plateau regions are variable ; the prevailing winds of the Lake
region and New England are southwesterly.
The current month.-The distribution of monthly mean
pressure, as shown by Chart Itr, is in general accord with nor-
mal conditions. Pressure was above normal a t Halifax and
Sydney and south of a line drawn from southern New Jersey
to the mouth of the Mississippi River, the area of masiniiim
departures, +.08 inch, heing on the coast from Hatteras to
Charleston. Pressure was also above normal a t a few isolated
stations in the Rocky Mountain region ; elsewhere i t was
below normal by amounts varying from .01 inch on the New
England coast to .ll inch at Rosehnrg Oreg. The departures
exceeded .05 inch generally over the northern Plateau, nwth
Pacific coast and interior California. As compared with July,
pressure fell decidedly over almost the entire country. There
was a slight rise over the Carolinas, New Mexico, a d por-
tions of the adjoining States of Texas and Arizona, and also
over Saskatchewan, Alberta, a d Assiuiboia.
The direction of the surface winds was in almost all cases
in close accord with normal conditions.
-0-p -_
TEMPERATURE OF THE AIR.
Normal conditions.-The normal temperature of the air in
the United States in August varies from about 84O a t Key
West, 81° a t Jacksonville, 81O a t New Orleans, 83O a t Gal-
veston, 69O a t San Diego, to 61° a t Eastport, 69O a t Burling-
ton, 68O a t Buffalo, 70° a t Detroit, 65= a t Dulnth, 63O a t St.
Vincent, 66O a t Havre, 69O a t Spokane, and 63O a t Seattle,
on Puget Sound. The warmest regions are the lower Rio
Grande Valley and southwestern Arizona, including a portion
of the desert region of California; the coolest portion of the
country is the region about Lake Superior. The seacoast is
cooler than the interior on corresponding parallels.
In studying the distribution of monthly mean tempera-
t8ures i t will be found very helpful to consult the charts a t
the end of this REVIEW, especially No. VI, Surface Tempera-
tures, Maximum, Minimum, and Mean. This chart gives a
very good iclea of the variations of temperature with latitude
and IongitucIe, and also of the distribution of normal surface
temperatures. Chart V I for any month will differ from a
nornial chart merely in the displacement or bending of the
isotherms northward or southward according as the tempera-
ture of the particular locality is above or below the normal
for the place and season.
The cirrroit ir~onth.--The inonth opened with temperature
helow normal from the Rlississippi Val ley westward to the
middle Plateau, except over a liarrow fringe of country on
the uorthern horder. Temperature was much above normal
on the Atlantic seahoard westward to the Ohio Valley and
also 011 the northern Pacific coast and northern Plateau. By the second week of the month the high temperatures on the
northern Plateau had spread south\vard and eastward to the
eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountaius. Temperature was
still below iiormal i n the Mississippi Valley arid lorn tempera-
tures prevailed over a portion of the RIiddle and south Atlan-
tic States. Tenip~rature was above normal during the third
week over practically all of the country except a portion of
the north Pacific coast and the northern Plateau. During the fourth week similar conditions obtained, the average daily
excess being greatest (from 6O to 11O) in the lower Missouri
V a1 ley.
The month as R whole was warmer than usual, although in
a few districts there was a slight deficit in the average daily
ten] perature.
The maximum temperature for the month a t regular
Weather Bureau stations was 113O ; that teniperature being
registered a t three dift'erent statious on as many different
dates, viz, Walla Walla, Wash., on the 10th ; Fresno, Cal., on
the 11th ; and Ynnia, A r k , on the 18th. Therewere no unusu-
ally high temperatures east of the Rocky Mountains, although
much suffering was caused by the humid condition of the
atmosphere. Prostrations and deaths from heat occurred in
the Missifisippi and Missouri valleye, the Lake region and the
Middle Atlantic States, August 22,23,24, and 25. There were
a few deaths and prostrations in New York and Pennsylvania,
and, possibly, in other eastern States on August 4 a d again
on August 9. I n the Lake region prostrations were reported
on the 31st; there were also a few cases of prostration and
death, due to excessive heat, in California. The latter part of
the month was especially trying east of the Mississippi River
on account of the humid state of the atmosphere. It is to
be noted, however, that there were not iiiany fatal cases of
sunstroke, notwithstanding the high relative hnmidity. The
maximum temperature did not reach looo east of the Missis-
sippi except in the lower Miseissippi Valley. Masimum tem-
peratures ranging from 100O to 10So occurred in Central
Kansas a d the Missouri Valley from Omaha to eastern Mon-
tana. Maximum temperatures of over looo were also re-
corded in the head waters of the Platte River Valley, and in
Southern Central Wyoming.
A rather unusual case of local heating over an elliptical-
ihapecl area occurred in central Kansas, where the monthly
mean temperature was from 2 O to 6 O higher than a t surround-
ng stations on all sides. The nionthly mean temperature in
AUQUST, 1898. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 341
New England .................. Middle Atlantic.. .............. South Atlantic Florida Peninsula ............. East Qulf ...................... West Qulf. ..................... Ohio Valley and Tennessee.. .. Lower Lake .................... Upper Lake .................... North Dakota.. ................ Upper Mississippi ............. Missouri Valley. Northern Slope ................ Middle N o e ................ Southern 80,. .. .I:. ......... Southern Plateau .............. Middle Plateau ................ Northern Plateau.. ............ North Pacific.. ................. Middle Pacific ................. South Pacific. .................
.................
..............
the Missouri Valley and eastern Kansas, under normal condi-
tions, should be higher than in central Kansas, yet i t was
fully 3O lower than over the area above mentioned.
Temperatures of 3 2 O were registered a t a few statious in
the Rocky Mountain region.
The distribution of the observed monthly mean tempera-
ture of the air is ehown by red lilies (isotherms) on Chart VI.
This chart also shows the maximum and the miiiitnuni tem-
peratures, the former by black and the latter by dotted lines.
As will be noticed, these lines have been drawn over the
Rocky Mountain Plateau region, although the temperatures
have not been reduced to sea level ; the isotherms relate, there-
fore, to the average surface of the country in the neighbor-
hood of the various observers, and as such must differ greatly
from the sea-level isothernis of Chart IV.
The average temperatures of the respective geographic dis-
tricts, the departures from the normal of the current month
and from the general mean since the first of the year, are pre-
sented in the table l~alow for convenience of reference :
Awage temperatures and departures from the normal.
10
12
'$ c
1
12
8 9 7 11
A 5
13
9
11 9
5
4
I!
Great Falls Md. ............................ Leusingto;, Md ........................... Laurel, Md. ................................. Manassas Va.. ...........................
Takoma Park. D. C .. ...................... College Park. Md... ......................... Alexandria, Va.. Dlstributing Reservoir. D. C .. ............. 30th and M 8treet.s. Washinet.on. D. C.. ..... Weat.her Bureau, Washington, D. C. *. .....
Receivini Reservoir, D. C. ..................
..........................
Average tempera- tures for the c u r r e n t month.
0
69.7
75.7 79.6 81.1 79.8
81.9
76.8 71.8
66.6 65.5 73.6
75.1 70.4 i6.6
78.8 72.4 i2.3 63.3
64.4
i2.9
C" c 4 4 .1 Jnche.4. 0.93 16 miles northwest. 1.137 9 miles north-northwest.
1.40 18 miles northeast. 0.90 30 miles sout.hwest. 5.44 6t miles northwest. 5.84 5+ miles north. 2.76 7+ miles northeast. 2.16 6 miles south.
5.93 4 miles northwest. 4.85 2t miles northwest. 4.96 2 miles northwest.
Ne arturer &r the :u r r e n t month.
0
+ 2.5
+ 2.4
+ 1.1 0.0
- 0.3
+ 1.3
+ 2.0
+ 2.4
+ 0.8
+ 0.4
+O R
+ 1.9
+ 2.6
+ 1.9 - 0.6
+ 0.6
+ 2.0
+ 2.8
+ 1.9
- 0.4
+ 1.5
Accumu- lated leparture since January 1
0
+ 9.8 +la. 7
+ i .2
+ 2.6
+ 4.0 i-11.5 +14.7
$E:;
+18. 1
t B 1 .0
+IO. 8
+ 5.9 - 0.1
- 4.0
+ 8.0
+ 7.6
- 5.0
+ 3.4
+lo.;
Averam lepartures since Ianuaryl.
0
+ 1 .2
+ 1.6
+ 0.9
+ 0.3
+ 0.5
+ 1.4
+ 1.8
+ 2.8
+ 2.3
+ 2.6
+ 1.3
+ 1.3
+ 0.7 0.0
- 0.5
+ 1.0
+ 1.0
- 0.6
+ 0.3
$ ;:;
In Cm2ada.-Professor Stupart says :
The mean temperature was shove average over the larger portion of
the Dominion, Keewatin, Manitoba and Assiniboia alone showing average or a little below. The largest excess occurred in the upper mainland of British Columbia, where it was at many points as much as
6' and 8". The Province of Ontario, northward from Lakes Erie and Ontario, showed the nest largest excess, aniounting to between 3 O and
5 O , and eastward from this, in Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, the departure above average ranged between 3' and the average.
eo--
PRECIPITATION.
Normal conditions.-The regions of heavy precipitation (4
to 6 inches and over) in August are on the south Atlantic
and eastern Gulf coasts, including the Peninsula of Florida,
whence the fall decreases irregularly to the Dakotas and
Montana, where it is about an inch. The rainfall of Arizona
and New Mexico is comparatively heavy during the months
of July and August. The rainfall of California is almost
?hi!, except on the coast region of the northern part of the
State, whence i t increases to a maximum of about 2 inches
on the coast of Washington.
Current month.-The month was one of generous rainfall
over alniost the entire country, the fall east of the Miesissippi
being larger than for many years. Torrential rains fell in a
number of places on the south Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the
greatest monthly fall (31 inches) heiug in western Florida.
There was also very heavy rain in the region about Savannah
and in various localities throughout Florida where the total
monthly fall exceeded 20 inches. On theeastern slope of the
Appalachians, in G-eorgia and Florida, the fall was also quite
heavy, being over 10 inches a t a number of places. Local
falls of 10 inches or more for the nionth also occurred in
West Virginia, western Maryland, northern Virginia, and east-
ern Pennsylvania, and quite generally throughout Georgia,
Alabama, and Florida. The greatest downpour in twenty-
four hours or less occurred a t Marion, Ala., 9.90 inches of
water falling on the 10th from 8s. m. to 6 p. m. The station
a t Rlarion is not equipped with a self-regiatering gauge, hence
no inforination relative to the varying intensity of the storm
can be had. Falls of 10 inches in twenty-four hours are
liable to occur on the Gulf and South Atlantic coasts, in the
Mississippi Valley, and at less frequent intervals in the Ohio
Valley and the Middle Atlantic States.
During the current month daily falls varying from 4 to 8
inches occurred mainly throughout Florida and Georgia,
although such falls were not by any means wholly confined
to those States.
HEAVY LOCAL RAINSTORMS.
A very interesting aud instructive illu~tration of the purely
local character of heavy rains is found in the storm of the
12th in the District of Columbia. Heavy rain began about
the middle of the forenoon and continued with varying in-
tensity until about 6 p. m., 4.93 inches of rain having fallen.
The storm was purely local, however, as may be seen from the
table below, in which the catch of a number of gauges in the
District and vicinity for the twenty-four hours is given. The
distance of the various gauges in miles from the capitol
liuilding is also given.
Heaoy m i n s in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., August 12, 1898.
Amount. Distance and directlon from
1 1 Capitol. Gauges.
348
84 111
MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
-0.60 $0.40
AUQUBT, 18%
81
110 81 46
68
sunshine for a little over an hour. Shortly after 10 a. m. the clouds be an to thicken and darken, and soon necessitated the use of artificial l i g f t i n buildings. At 1050 a. m. both t h e electrical and rain storm burst with sudden fury and continued with but little variation in its intensity until 1235 p. m. During t4k time the electrical forces of namre seemed centered over the city., ?-Vivid and blinding flashes of lightning occurred in rapid succession, and these were followed by ter- rific crashes of thunder. A number of buildings, towers, flagstaffs, et&, were struck by light- ning, but probably owing to the heavy downpour of rain, no serious fires occurred, with the single exception of the destruction of the oil tanksat Point Breeze. One person, Mr. William Noble, was killed by
lightning. The following records of rainfall are from self-recording instru-
ments:
Weather Bureau Station, Ninth and Chestnut streeta.
Maximum rainfall for 5 min., 0.60=7.20 per hour. Maximum rainfall for 10 min., 0.94 ~5 .6 4 per hour. Maximum rainfall for I hour, 3.81 ~3 .8 1 per hour. Total rainfall during storm, Proin 10:50 a. rn. to E 3 5 p. m., 5.43 inches.
Tfie total rainfall was practically t h e same a t the Pennsylvania Hos- ita1 and at the station of the voluntary observer in Camden, N. J .
!v hile the above 5 and 10-minute rainfalls have been exceeded at sev- era1 stations of the Weather Bureau, according to the official records the one-hour rainfall of 3.81 inches is 1.26 inches more than the great- est maximum previously recorded by self-recording gauges a t any sta-
tion.
Department of Swrveys, Fifth and Whnrton strata.
Maximum rainfall for 15 min., 1.00=4.00 per hour. Maximum rainfall for 1 hour, 3.50 = 2.50 per hour. Total rainfall, 3 hours, 30 minutes, ~5 .1 7 inches.
Departnlsnt of Surveys, Frankjbrd awnue and Orthodox street.
Magimum rainfall for 12 min., 0.50 = 2.50 per hour. Masimum rainfall for 1 hour, 1.20 = 1.20 per hour. Total rainfall, 3 hours, 1.75 inches.
The accumulation of water was so rapid in the lower districts as to produce a heavy hydraulic pressure i n the city sewers, notwithstand- ing t h e relief afforded by open catch basins and manholes. As a re- sult many buildings were flooded with water which flowed into them from t h e sewers through t h e drains and waste ipes, and was dis- charged from closets, basins, and sinks. The overtow from this source in some cases rose to the second floors. The general movement of the storm, from nest to east, was appar- ently interrupted after its center had passed a short distance north of
the station, as it then circled toward the southeast and returned directly over the station before resuming its easterly course. This movement was accomplished with only a slif h t break in the intensity of the electrical display and heavy downpour of rain. Peter Schall, No. 1618 Chadwick street, was drowned i n a bakeshop cellar while trying to save property stored there.
Average precipitation and &parturea from tL mTnial.
-0.40
$0.30
-0.w -0.70 -0.00
New En. land .......................... Middle ftlantic.. .................... South Atlantic ......................... Florida Peninsula.. .................... East Qulf ............................... West Qulf ............................ Ohio Valley and Tennessee.. .......... Lower Lake ........................... Upper Lake ............................ North Dakota .........................
dssouri Valley ........................ Northern Slope ....................... Middle810 e ........................... Southern dope ...................... Southern Plateau ..................... Middle Plateau ....................... Northern Plateau.. .................... North Paci5c.. ......................... Middle Pacifio ...................... .: South Pacific.. ........................
U per Mississippi ......................
120
136 38
100
loo
10 12
1;
c
I
12
8 9
7 11 10 7 0
6
9 11
9
5
4
la $0.10 t o .1 0 -0.60 0.00
0.00
~
Average. I Departure.
Current month.
Inchee. 4.78 G.01
8.81 10.23 9.71 8.05 4.01 3.23 3.38 1.72 3.38 2.64
0.85
1.73 3.08 1.85
0. Bo 0.49
0.37 0.01
T.
I- Lccumu- l a t e d s i n c e Jan. 1.
IWhee.
T 3.40
- 1.30
- 6.10
- 6.80
- 8.80 - 3.60
+ 0.30
- 0.80 - 0.70 - 1.50
+ 3.80
+ 2.70
- 0.60
+ 2.30 - 0.90 - 0.10
- 1.10
- 2.40
- 5.80
- 8.20
- 5.10
The geographic distribution of precipitation is ehown on
Chart 111, and the numerical values for about 3,000 stations
appear in Tables I1 and 111, while the details ae to excessive
rains will be found in Table XI.
I n Canada.-Prof. R. F. Stupart says :
~~
The entire Province of British Columbia and a large portion of Ontario suffered from a deficiency of rain. I n the former Province there were a few scattered showers, but at many points there was absolutely no rainfall, and in the latter Province it was more especially along the shores of Lake Ontario and northward from the west end of that lake to the Georgian Bay that the deficiency was very marked, while in the more eastern and northern counties the rainfall was well up to or even esceeded the average. Over most of Quebec there was a small de- ficency. as there also was in southwestern New Brunswick, but gener- ally in the Maritime Provinces t h e rainfall was above the average, and
to a large extent above in southern and western Nova Scotia. Some exceptionally heavy thunderstorms occurred in Ontario and New Bruuswick. During t h e one on t h e 2lst, iu the counties of York and Ontario, five and a quurter inches of rain fell at Pickering.
HAILSTORMS.
The following acoount of severe hailstorms has been com-
piled from press dispatches, reports of Climate and Crop sec-
tion directors, and the statements of regular and voluntary
observers:
2.-A hailstorm, in which the size of the stones varied
from that of an egg to a large-sized apple, swept over
Springer, N. Rles., 011 the night of the 2d. The force of the
hailstones wae so great that, in many cases, tin roofs were
coni pl e tel y riddled.
14th.-A hailstorm, about 3 miles wide, struck the towns
of Fairfax, Kertzonville, Russia, Hammond, Fanny, and
Reis, hlinnesota, a t 6 p. tn. The damage done by the storm
was variously estimated at from one-third to three-quarters
loss of the crops in the field. Very little insurance was
carried in these towns.
A heavy hailstorm, about 2 miles wide, alao crossed the
northeastern portion of Brule County, S. D., doing consider-
able damage to windows, gardens, etc.
Iii Chamberlain RIr. Fred. C. Warnshuis, voluntary ob-
sprver, picked up a hailstone measuring 8 inches in circum-
ference. He states the hailstones were very hard and that
sonie of them contained dust particles and small pieces of
gravel.
A heavy liailstorrn passed over a part of Noble County,
Ohio, causing great damage to the tobacco crop. The losses
were small in individual cases but the aggregate was a con-
siderable suni.
Reports from Carrington, N. Dak., state that a hailstorm
destroyed many thousand acres of grain in Foster and Eddy
counties on the early morning of the 14th. Some of the
fields were scarcely touched while a majority were injured
from 20 to 50 per cent. A rough estimate places tlie damage
a t a loss of 20,000 acres.
1Gth.-Delaware. Ohio, was visited hp a heavy hailstorm
on the evening of the 16th. The fall of hail caused a general
stampede of teams that were on the street, and many
windows were broken.
17th.-A series of severe thunderstorms, and in some cases,
accompanied by large hail (as large as walnuts), passed over
eaetern Massachusetts on the evening of the 17th. Hailstones
14 inch in diameter were picked up in Boston. In the latter
city the hail lasted but 5 minutes, being followed imme-
diately by a heavy downpour of rain.
lgth.-Gotlienburg, Nebr., was visited by a severe wind
and hail storm a t 9 p. m. of the 19th. Nearly all of the
windows on the north and east sides of the buildings wer0
destroyed. In the country east of the town the damage was
much greater, particularly over a strip of country from 3 to 5
niiles wide in which hundreds of acres of corn were cut off
close to the ground, wheat in tlie stack and shock was badly
damaged and, in some cases, barns and buildings were com-
pletely demolished, owing to the severity of the wind.
There was also a severe hailstorm in Iowa, hetween Spencer
and Emmetsburg, on the same date. The corn crap within
an area about 10 miles wide and 15 to 20. miles long wa5
almost totally deetroyed.
AUQUST, 1808. 1vfmmLY WEATHER REVIPW. M9
24-26th.-Hailstorms of unusual severity occurred in
various parts of central New York.
The following are the dates on which hail fell in the
respective Stake :
Arizona, 3, 16, 19. Arkansas, 23, 24. California, 6. Colo-
rado,.l, 2, 6, 6, 7, 8, 14, 17, 18, 23. Connecticut, 17. Idaho,
16. Illinois, 14, 15, 16, 26. Indiana, 15, 26. Iowa, 14, 16,
19. Kansas, 1. Maine, 17. Massachusetts, 17. Michigan,
3, 16, 16. 28. Minnesota, 14, 15. Mississippi, 18. Missouri,
15, 17, 27. Nebraska, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17,
23, 26. Nevada, 5, 7, 15, 26. New Hampshire, 16, 24. New
Jersey, 4, 17. New York, 1, 5, 12,
16, 22,23,24. North Carolina, 1,4, 5. North Dakota, 14, 21,
22. Ohio, 2, 3, 8, 16, 17, 19, 24, 39, 30. Oklahoma, 17. Ore-
gon, 29. Pennsylvania, 3, 16, 24. South Dakota, 14. Tesas,
2. Utah, 3, 4, 15, 29, 30. Virginia, 7, 9. Wisconsin, 14, 15,
16, 22, 23.
Hail was reported on the greatest number of dates in Colo-
rado, 10; Ohio, 9 ; and New York and Nebraska, 7 each.
There appears to have been less hail than during the preced-
ing mouth.
Montana, 20, 21, 31.
New Mexico, 1, 6, 9, 23.
Wyoming 4, 6.
- HUMIDITY.
The humidity observations of the Weather Bureau are
divided into two series; the first or tridaily series began in
1871 and ended with 1887 ; the second or twice-daily series is
continuous from 1858 to the present time.
The monthly means of the second or present series are
based upon observations of the whirled psychrometer a t 8 a. m.
and 8 p. m., seventy-fifth meridian time, which corresponds
to 5 a. m. and 5 p. m., Pacific ; 6 a. m. and 6 p. m., Mountain ;
and 7 a. m. and 7 p. m., Central standard time.
Mean values computed froni the first Reries are naturally
not directly comparable with those of the second. In gen-
eral the means of the first series are lower than those of t h e
second, since they include an observation in the afternoon
when the relative humidity of the air is near the minimum
of the day. At stations in the western plateau region, how-
ever, the converse holds good, the means of the second seriec
being lower than those of the first by amounts ranging from
0 to 10 per cent on the average of the year.
I n the present state of knowledge respectiug the diurnal
variation i r i the moisture of the air, we are scarcelywarrauted
in combining the two series in a general mean.
The current month.-Relative humidity was above the nor-
mal in all districts east of the Mississippi River; also iu
North Dakota, the uorthern Plateau and the southern Pacific
coast. It was exactly normal in the Florida Peninsula and
below normal in the remaining districts. The atmosphere W ~E
unusually humid in the Middle Atlantic States, the upper
Mississippi Valley, the Ohio Valley and Tennessee. The
departure from the normal, as will beseen by the table below
was more pronounced than has been the case in any month
since the first of the year. While there have been but few
fatalities from heat the bodily discomfort experienced in the
large cities on the eastern seaboard during the month wag
very great.
I n using the table by means of which the amount oi niois-
ture in the air is computed from the readings of the wet and
dry bulb thermometers, the pressure argument has almost
always been neglected, an omission that has little significance
except for low temperatures and a t high stations, such as Santa
Fe, El Paso, Cheyenne, and a few others. The failure to apply
a correction for the influence of the prevailing pressure on the
psychrometer has the effect of making the mouthly means of
relative humidity at high-level stations too small by quanti-
ties ranging from 5 to 10 per cent. I n the application of
the monthly averages of the above table, or those of indi-
vidual stations in Table I, to special inquiries, whether in the
lepartmen ts of biology, climatology, or sanitary science, this
Fact should be kept in mind. It should also be remembered
that the hours at which observations in the Rocky Mountain
Plateau region are made, viz, at 5 or 6 local mean time,
morning and afternoon, give approximately the maximum
and minimum values of the relative humidity for the day;
probably the means of such hours approach more nearly the
true mean of the month than is the case on the Atlantic sea-
board and in the seventy-fifth meridian time belt.
Amrage rebtiva humidity and departwee from tha nvrmal.
% New Enqland ............... 85
?out11 Atlantic .............. 86 Florida Peninsula .......... 81 East C:nlf .................... 85 Weat Gulf .................. 78 Dhio Valley and Tennessee. 77 Lalwer Lake ................. 75 Upper Lake.. ............... 79 NorthDakota ............... 64
Upper Mississippi Valley.. .. 76
Middle Atlantic.. ........... 80
Distrlcts.
d
2
f 4
Missouri Valley.. .... Northern Slope ..... MiddleSlo e ......... ope. ..... Southern gy
Southern Plateau .... Middle Plateau ..... Northern Plateau.. .. North Pacific Coast.. Middle Pacific Coast. South PaciEc Coast..
..... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ......
% 6 i
48 80 59 43
31
44
77
65 64
-0-
SUNSHINE &ND CLOUDINESS.
The quantity of sunshine, and therefore of heat, received
by the atmosphere as a whole ie very nearly constant from
year to year, but the proportion received by the surface of
the earth depends upon the absorption by the atmosphere,
and varies largely with the distribution of cloudiness. The
sunshine is now recorded automatically a t 21 regular stations
of the Weather Bureau by its photographic and a t 47 by its
thermal effects. The photographic record sheets show the ap-
parent solar time, but the thermometric records show seventy-
fifth meridian time; for convenience the results are all given
in Table I X for each hour of local mean time. In order to
complete the record of the duration of cloudiness these
registers are supplemented by special personal observations
of the state of the sky near the sun for an hour after sunrise
and before sunset, and the cloudiness for these hours has
been added as a correction to the instrumental records, whence
there results a complete record of the duration of sunshine
from sunrise to sunset.
The average cloudiness of the whole sky is determined by
numerous personal observations at all statiolis during the
daytime, and is given in the column “average cloudiness” in
Table I ; its complement, or percentage of clear sky, is given
in the last columii of Table IX for the stations a t which
instrumental self-registers are maintained.
The perceutage of clear sky (sunshine) for all of the sta-
tions included in Table I, obtained ae described in the pre-
ceding paragraph, is graphically shown on Chart VII. The
regions of cloudy and overcast skies are shown by heavy
shading; a11 absence of shading indicates, of course, the prev-
alence of clear, sunshiny weather.
The formation of fog and cloud is primarily due to differ-
ences of temperature in a relatively thin layer of air next to
the earth’s surface. The relative position of land and water
surfaces often greatly increases the tendency to form areas of
cloud and fog. This principle is perhaps better exemplified
in the Lake region than elsewhere, although i t is of quite
general application. The percentage of Runshine on the lee
shores of the Lakes is always much less than on the wiud-
ward shores. Next to the permanent influences that tend to
form fog and cloud may be classed the frequency of the
passage of cyclouic areas.
The current naouth.-The geographic distribution of sun-
350 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. AUGUST, 1898
Districts.
shine and, conversely, of cloudiness, is shown on Chart VII.
The two features that seem to call for special mention are
the low percentage of sunshine in the South Atlantic region,
particularly in Georgia, and the great excess of sunshine
that obtained in Oklahoma and Kansas. It will be remem-
bered that in the remarks on temperature mention was made
of an area of high monthly mean temperature central in
Kansas. The area of increased insolation, as determined by
the distribution of sunshine, is considerably greater in ex-
tent than that of high temperature above referred to, the
latter being wholly within and a little to the northeast of the
center of the area of greatest insolation. The rainfall in this
region, as also the cloudiness, was below normal, a combina-
tion of circumstances quite detrimental to agricultural inter-
ests. On the South Atlantic coast easterly to southeast,erly
winds prevailed, with thunderstorms and much rain. There
were d s o several disturbances in the Gulf and off the coast
of Florida and Georgia which tended to produce cloud and
rain.
Anerago cloudiwa and departures from t h normal.
d b l
e c 4
Florida Peninsula .......... East Gulf.. .................. West Gulf.. ................. Ohio Valley and Tennessee. Lower Lake ................. Upper Lake ................. NorthDakota ............... Upper Mississippi Valley. ..
New England ............... 5.8 Middle Atlantic.. ......... 5.1 South Atlantic ............ 6.1 4.6
6.3
4.6
4.6
5.7 5.1
3.3
4.3
Districts.
........... 3.3
........... 3.6
............... 2.7
........... 3.2
....... 3.3
............ 3.1
........ 2.7
+].e North PaciEc Coast.. ..... 4.8
+0.3 Middle PaciEc Coast.. ..... 3.8 -0.6 I i South Pacific Coaat.. ...... 2.5
+'.2 /I I
~
a m .
*a- a * a
Z E g
i z z
~
4 .8 -0.1
-1.1
-1.6
4 .1
+].I -0.3 $0.9 t l .0
0.0
The masimum wind velocity a t each Weather Bureau sta-
tion for a period of five minutes is given in Table I, which
also gives the altitude of Weather Bureau anemometers above
ground.
Following are the velocities of 50 miles and over per hour
registered during tho month:
itfaxhunt wind wlocitiea.
Buffalo, N. Y ........... 51 ew. Havre, Mont ........... 51 nw. Charleston, 9. C ....... 52 e . Do. .............. 60 I sw. ChicaEo, 111.. ......... .I f I
72 sw.
1'
Pierre, 5. Dak.. ... ....I f I
Bo nw. Do.. .............. 60 sw. Savannah, Ga ........ 76 I nw.
LOCAL STORMS.
2d-3d.-A Gulf hurricane having a comparatively narrow
track struck the Florida coast a t Apalachicola about midnight
of the 2d. The velocity of the wind for a time was estimated
a t 80 miles per hour, and considerable damage was done to
vessel property. The tug Occnn Gcni was wrecked, becoming
a total lose, three other tugs were sunk and a number of sail-
boats were damaged. The casualties of the storm in the Gulf
were as follows : Tug Keyser foundered 15 miles off Cape San
Blas with a loss of three lives; the dredge Herndon was cut
adrift when the Keyser went down and afterward foundered
with the loss of one life. The hurricane passed inland and
broke up into general rains in western Florida and southeast-
ern Alabama.
3d.-A severe local storm visited Sandugky, Ohio, a t 3 :35
p. m., partially wrecking a few buildings and damaging many
others. One building was completely wrecked, involving a
loss of $5,000; other losses, not including destruction of
shade trees and crops, will aggregate a t least 8s much.
A severe electrical storm occurred a t Philadelphia, Pa.,
during the forenoon of the 3d. (See precipitation, page 347.)
14-15th.-A tornado moving in a southeasterly direction
passed about 2+ miles west of Gary, S. Dak., a t 6:30 p. m.,
central time. The path of great destruction was not continu-
ous over the entire track of the storm (about 15 miles).
Eight persons were killed (5 in onehouse) and6 were injured.
The loss to buildings was about $7,000; crops, live stock and
farm machinery, $13,000.
Winds of almost hurricane force were reported in the vicin-
ity of Minot, N. Dak., and severe local disturbances prevailed
in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Gales on Lake Michigan the
night of the 15th endangered several of the larger craft, par-
tially dismantled the schooners Ida 0I~e.n and Butcher Boy, and sunk two yachts in the harbor of Chicago where a squall
wind of $2 miles per hour was registered.
16th.-A minor tornado passed through the country east
of Fairbank, Fayette County, Iowa, about 5 p. m., destroying
a few farm buildings and some live stock. No loss of human
life.
17th.-Severe thunder and hail storms occurred in Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. In the vicinity of
Boston much damage was done by lightning and 2 persons
were killed. Grain in the field, trees, chimneys, etc., were
somewhat damaged by the wind squalls which preceded these
storms.
19th.-A series of severe wind and thunderstorms swept
over the northwestern portion of Iowa on the evening of the
19th. The storms were first noted in Jackson County, Mini].,
and extended southeastward into and through the first two
tiers of counties in Iowa. Within this belt there were many
local wind squalls of much severity. tI-5 wind being strong
enough to overturn freight cars and demolish frail structures.
Two fatalities occurred near Petersburg, a fow miles north of
Superior. A barn, in which a man and his wife were living,
was blown to pieres, killing both occupants. There was no
funnel cloud nor other evidence of whirling. The minimum
value of property deRtroyed was about $25,000.
24th.-A remarkably violent series of thunderstorms oc-
curred in a region extending from western Pennsylvania to
eastern Massachusetts on the afternoon of the 24th. The
electrical discharges were estraordiuarily frequent and bril-
liant. Thirty-eight persons were struck by lightning of
whom 9 were killed ; a large number of buildings were also
struck.
25th.-Thuuderstorm activity was renewed the next day
(the 25th) in New Pork, Pennsylvania, and New England,
ill which region 22 persons were struck, 11 being killed.
3lsL-A tropical storm struck the coast of Georgia in the
neighhorhood of Savannah, August 31, and while there was
110 loss of life the damage to property will aggregate close to
half a million dollars. The storm began early on the night
of the 30th and raged with increasing violence until about 8
a. m. of the 31st. Probably 100 buildings were wholly or
partially unroofed and as many others damaged in other
ways. The storm was not so severe i i ~ the sea islands as the
great storm of 1893. The beaches north of Tybee, however,
were lined with wrecks of small craft, and a t Blufftoii and
the small settlements near by nearly all of the houses were
unroofed and many were destroyed. The Norwegian bark
R a g ~a , which went ashore 011 Gnakin Bank, is a total wreck.
The bark Noe was wrecked and has about disappeared. This
is the vessel in which Lieutenant Morgan and one of his
companions lost their lives in attempting to rescue the crew.
The loss to the rice crop 011 the Savannah River is estimated
a t $200,000.
AUGUST, 1898. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 361
The steam pilot boat J. ET. Estill, which arrived in Tybee
Roads on the night of September 2, after a cruise of a day
and a night, reported six wrecks of coastwise schooners off
Martin’s Industry Lightship, 15 miles from Tybee. Several
of them were sunk, others bottom upward, and all of them
apparently having been anchored when the storm struck
them. The storm was not felt except within a comparatively
short distance from the Savannah River, and nearly as much
damage was done by water as by wind.
WATERSPOUTS ON THE GREAT LAKES.
The following description of a nnmber of waterspouts oh-
served on Lake Erie, August 13, 1898, is taken from the
Marine Record of Cleveland, Ohio, August 25, 1598 :
We cleared from Ashland with ore, and on Saturday morning were about 20mileseast of t h e Dummy. There ma$ a 10-knot breeze, and the sun was shining as bright as could be. The captain was a t the wheel
and had her course laid due east, calculating to touch Ashtabula. About 8 o’clock I noticed a black cloud forming on the starboard quarter. It kept growing bigger and blacker, and rising higher and
higher. It seemed to gain on the ship, and we began making prepara- tions for a blow. I n a little while the cloud was to our bow, racing along on a parallel course, but not going up into the sky far enough to obscure the sun. Then a peculiar thing happened. A portion of the cloud seemed to drop down toward the water. The section was forked
like the tail of a fish, ani1 it dropped lower ancl lower until it nearly reached the water. We could see the water whirling round and round, and then begin to rise to meet t h e descending cloud. Then they came together and the cluud seemed to rise up again, taking toils and tons of water along with it. We had none of us ever peen a waterspout before, but we knew this was the genuine article. The spout appeared to be about 10 feet in rli-
ameter and connected the great cloud and the lake like a big cable. It
was black as the cluud and seemed tu be surrounded by a heavy mist, which, after a little, when t h e strange freak got nearer, we found was descending water, falling like the spray from a fountain. A11 t h e time the sun was shining and the falling mist was turned into a rainbow that danced and fasherl about the column of water in a way that 1
can’t describe. I t was the prettiest sight I’ve ever seen. But it wasn’t long before another part of the cloud hepan to clescend and another section of the lake to boil and rise, and pretty soon there was another waterspout racing alongside of t h e Forhea, a bit closer than the first, ancl we began to think it inclined to be a trifle too
familiar. Right along on our starboard side the two black fellows raced, and worse yet, another ani1 another was formed, until seven of the big columns of black water were waltzing and swaying along. some pretty close to the ship, others farther away toward -the southward. Sometimes the columns of water would move alongnsstiff anti straight as a squad of soldiers, and then they would begin to stagger ant1 swinp around like a lot of drunken fellows trying to do a cake-nalk. All the time the water for 100 feet about the base of each pillar was churned into a white foam, and I tell you it was an awful sight. There wouItI
not have been a ghost of a show for any lake vessel once in among the racing columns of water, and we were moving along right a t the edge in a parallel direction, not knowing at what minute the wind would veer and send them all in our direction. Our greatest fear was that the big fellows, in their crazy gyrations, might collide and go to pieces. Were they to do so it meant a suclden fall of tons upon tons of water, and if the Forbe8 should be in the path of the descending flood, you can guess what the result woulG be. After a while the first waterspout began to disa pear; just as it had formed, t h e cloud a t that point settling lower ant1 kwer, then separat- ing from the lower part of the column, and rising away again, while where i t had been the water once more became comparatively quiet. One by one they disappeared, and we were beginning to congratulate ourselves upon our good fortune, when I saw the captain turn the wheel sharp. What do you think? Why, there, dead ahead, and
nearer than any of the others, was the king pin of all. It looked to be half a mile in diameter, but wasn’t black like the others, having more the appearance of a big waterfall. We just naturally concluded we could seeour finish then. You know
sailors are superstitious, and I guess some of them thought the Falls had taken a move up t h e lake since the last trip down, from what they said. The wind seemed to slacken a bit, and that helped us, for the big waterspout did not move as rapidly as t h e others had, and it was soon well to starboard, and thus we gradually worked away from it. That,
too, shortly afterword began to disappear as the smaller ones had done, and i n an hour and a half from t h e time the cloud had first appeared, it and the cables it had picked up, asif to tow itself along, had all disap eard and the sky was as clear as before. Capt. fames Montgomery, master of the Kittia M. Forbur, was asked his imprqssions of the peculiar lake phenomenon. He corroborated
Then the lake clirectly under i t hegan to boil.
REV-2
t h e main details of t h e mate’s story, and declared that h e had never seen anything to equal the spectacle presented by this strange freak. I’ve heard a great many lake men tell of seeing waterspouts here, but I always gave them a grain of allowance. I supposed they ware only fpund on the ocean, but I can back up their stories with my own expe- rience now. I must confess that I was a bit scary of the big fellow dead ahead of us, for I had heard that those strange formations burst sometimes, and I knew the Kittie M. would be sure to go down should that mass of water fall upon her. I think that prompt action in sheering to the northward prevented a collision, and probably the fact that the wind eased up aider1 our escape. I counted seven of the waterspouts, and it as more than an hour and a half from the time we saw the first one until the last had disap- peared. They were of varying size, from that of a man’s body to that of a house. They geemed to extend from the surface of the lake into the clouds.
I n a letter to First Mate Reynolds inquiry was made as to
the location of the spouts ancl the date of their occurrence.
His reply is, in part, as follows :
We were about 15 or 50 miles east-northeast of the Dummy or Point Pelee Light on Lake Erie when the black cloucl began to move from a north-northeasterly to a southwesterly direction on the morning
of August 13, 1898. On that date, between 7:30 a. m. and 9:OO a. m., we saw seven full-fledged waterspouts. The greatest of these appeared to be directly in our course, so we turned out and passed about half a mile from it. Although the others were some distance away they were plainly seen, as the day was clear.
The Weather Map of August 13 (7 a. 111. central time)
sli~ws an area of low pressure, central over the niouth of the
St. Lawrence. The weather a t all statione on Lakes Erie and
Huron was clear, with light winds, pressure between 30.10 and
30.20.
Two points in the description given by RIate Reynolds are
(J f especial interest, viz, the direction in which the spouts
progressed and the fact that the weather was clear. It is quite
generally believed that tornadoes and waterspouts are closely
allied phenomena. The direction of niovenierit in a tornado
is almost invariably from southwest to northeast or a
direction almost exactly contrary to that taken by the water-
spouts ohserved by Mate Reynolds. Toriiadoes rarely, if
ever, form under the conditions of tmiperature, pressure, and
humidity that obtained over Lake Erie on the morning of
August 13.
The impression that the vessel would be swamped in case
the spout broke over her was a natural though erroneous one.
Little water is carried up in waterspouts, contrary to a some-
what general belief. The danger to ft vessel coining into
actual contact with a waterspout would be from the whirling
winds rather than the water.
ATMOSPRERIC ELECTRICITY.
Thunderstorn;s.-Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three reports of thunderstorms were received during the cur-
rent nionth as against 4,260 in 1897, and 5,376 during the
preceding month.
The dates on which the number of reports of thunderstorms
for the whole country were niost numerous were: l’ith, 319;
%th, 391 ; 23d, 277 ; lSth, 258; 16th, 355.
Reports were most numerous from New York, 310; Ohio,
496 ; Pennsylvania, 249; Colorado, 231.
Auroras.-The evenings on which bright moonlight must
have interfered with observations of faint auroras are as-
s u m d to he the four preceding and following the date of full
moon, viz, from 1st to 5bh, and 26th to 31st.
The greatest number of reports were received for the fol-
lowing dates: 16th, 8, and 12th, 7.
Reports were most numerous from Wisconsin, 8 ; Mon-
tana, 6.
I n Canada-Auroras were reported as follows: St. Johns,
18; Father Point,, 14, 17, 19, 22; Quebec, 16, 17,1S, 19, 26;
362 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. AUQUST, 1898
~~
White River, 26; Minnedosa, 12, 13, 16, 16, 17; Qu'Appelle, 6 ; Swift Current, 16; Prince Albert, 24; Banff, 16.
Thunderstorms were reported as follows: St. Johns, 23, 31 ;
Halifax, 23, 25 ; Grand Manan, 17, 22 ; Bermuda, 12, 14,20,
22, 23, 26; Yarmouth, 25; Charlottetown, 9, 10; Father
Point, 6, 16, 17; Quebec, 4, 9, 13, 36, l'i,22; Montreal, 12, 16, 29; Rockliffe, 3; Toronto, 3, 11, 12, 16, 21, 23, 24; White
River, 4, 6, 11, 20, 28, 31; Ottawa, 16, 29, 31; Port Stanley,
3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 16, 24; Saugeen, 15, 25; Parry Sound, 3, 11, 26,28; Port Arthur, 28, 31; Winnipeg, 14, 15, 16, 24, 28;
hlinnedosa, 4, 18, 19,22 ; Qu'Appelle, 14 ; Medicine Hat,, 1,3,
4, 5, 14, 21, 28; Swift Current, 3, 4, 11,17, 22, 31; Kamloops,
3 ; Prince Albert, 8,20; Battleford, 8; Esquimalt, 15; Banff,
13, 3, 8, 11, 19, 31.
~_______ _____
CLIMATE AND CROP SERVICE.
By Javm BEBBY. Chief of Climate and Crop Service Divlsion.
The following extracts relating to the general weather con-
ditions in the several States and Territories are taken from
the monthly reports of the reepective sections of the Cliniate
and Crop Service. The name of the section director is given
after each summary.
Rainfall is expressed in inches.
Ahbarn.-The mean temperature was 78.io, or about normal; the highest was lo?', a t Pineapple on the 24th, and the lowest, 59', at Florence on the 24th. The average precipitation was 7.43, or 3.11 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 17.48, occurred a t Alco, and the least, 1.02, a t Riverton.-P. P. Chzfce. Bnbna.-The mean temperature was 81.9'; the highest was I%", a t Fort Mohave on t h e loth, and the lowest, 41', a t Fort Defiance on the 11th. The average precipitation was 3.01: the greatest monthly amonn't. 8.51, occurred a t Calabasas, and the least, 0.19, a t Yuma.- W. 6. Burne. 8rhnuas.-The mean temperature was 79.4', or 0.6 above normal; the highest was lCSo, a t Lonoke on t h e 23~1, and the lowest, 55', at Fayetteville on t h e 4th. The average precipitation was 4.35, or 1.01 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 8.42. occurred a t Jones-
, boro, and the least, 1.86, a t Conway.-E. B. Richal.de. CulifornCz.-The mean temperature was 71.5', or normal ; the high- est was I%', at Volcano Springs on the IJth, ancl the lowest, 23', at Bodie on the 3d. The average precipitation was 0.03, or 0.03 below normal; tlie greatest monthly amount, 0.99, occurred a t Etlgeaood, while no rain fell a t more than lialf of tlie stations.-W. H. Eammon. Cobrado.-The mean temperature was 66.9', or 2.3' above normal; the highest was 107' a t Delta on the l4th, and the lowest, 29', a t Wagon Wheel Gap on t h e 26, and a t Breckenridge on the 10th. The average precipitation was 1.48, or 0.27 below normal; t h e greatest monthl amount, 3.62, occurred at Yuma, and the least 0.14 a t Crook--F. 2 Brandenhurg. Flurit/a.-The mean temperature was 80.8', or slightly below nor- mal; the highest was 97', occurring at several stations on different dates; the lowest wax5S0, at St. Andrews Bay on the 7th. The average precipitation was 12.96, or about .6.50 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 31.26, occiirred at St. Andrews Bay, and t h e least, 5.34, a t Sebastian.-.4. J. Xifchell. ffemgia.-The mean temperature was 78.5', or about normal; tlie highest was 99', at Millen on the 25th, and the lowest, 59', a t Dia. mond on the 13th. The average precipitation was 10.09, or 4.66 above normtil; the greatest monthly amount, 28.70, occurred a t Fleming, and the leabt, 2.45, a t Greenbush.-J. B. Hurbwy. Idoho.-The mean temperature was 69.1'; the highest was lln', ai Payette on t h e l l t h . and the lowest, 31', at Swan Valley on t h e 23d. The average precipitat;on was 0.51; the greatest monthly amount, 1.44 occurred a t Rurnsille, and the least, trace, at Downey ani1 Itlahc City .- D. P. Nc Callum. Il1inoia.-The mean temperature was 73.S0, or 0.3 above normal; the highest was lOO', a t Rfartinsville on the 2 d , and a t New Burnside
on the 24th, and the lowest, 45', a t Lanark and Scales RIuiind on the E t h , and a t Kishwaukee on the 13th. The average precipitation waE
4.41 or 1.69 above normal, antl was very unevenly distributed, ovei 10.00 falling at Laharpe and Knoxville, while less than 2.00 fell a1 severtil stations.-C. E. Linney. Indiana. -The mean temperature was 74.2', or 0.8' above normal the highest was 98', a t Boonville on the 2311, and at Vincennes and Washington on the 24th, and the lowest, 46', a t Winamac 011 the 5th The average precipitation was 3.36, or 0.35 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 6.85, occurred a t Jasper, and the least, 0.94, a t Greens. burg.--. F. R. Wappnhane. Iowa.-The mean temperature was 71.2", or nearly normal; the high. est was 103'. a t Clarinda and Couiicil Bluffs on t h e 20t11, and the low.
est, 40°, a t Britt on the 1st. The average precipitation was 3.44, being very unequally distributecl; the greatest monthly amount, 10.55, oc. curred a t Bonaparte, and the least, 0.58, at Adair.--8. M. &ppel.
Eanscls.-The mean temperature was 78.2', or 1.9' above normal
.he highest was 108', a t Eureka Ranch on the 20th, a t Minneapolis oe
,he 29th, and at Meade on the 31st; the lowest was 46' at Frankfort on ,he 1st. The average precipitation was 2.46, or 0.63 below normal; ,he greatest monthl amount, 6.30, occurred at Osage City, while none tell a t Hoxie.-2'. 2 Jenninge. Kentucky.-The mean temperature was 76.7", or 1.3' above normal; ;he highest was looo, at Paducah and Russellville on the 23d, and the lowest, 55', at Princeton on the 12th, at Loretto on the 19th, and a t Maysville and Owenton on the 23th. The average precipitation was 3.82, or 0.64 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 9.86, occurred i t Alpha, and the least, 1.10, at Woodburn.-G. E. Bunt. Loui8iaim.-The mean temperature was 81.0°, or 0.3' above normal; the highest was 102", a t Liberty Hill on the 18th and 234 and the lowest, 5S0, a t Minden on the 31st. The average precipitation was 6.26,
3r 1.30 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 14.39, occurred
5t Venice, and the least, 1.39, at Como.-A. G. Mcddie. hfarybnd and Dehtntcre.-The mean temperature was %.go, or 3.0' above normal; the highest was 9So, at Boettcherville, and Laurel, Md., on the 31st, and the lowest. 46', a t Deerpark, Md., on the 28th. The average precipitation was 6.27, or 3.79 above normal; the greatest monthly amonnt, 10.61, occurred at Receiving Reservoir, D. C., ancl the least. 2.81, a t Annapolis, Md.-3'. J. Wak. Xichigan.-The mean temperature was 67.4', or 1.5' above normal;
the highest was 101', a t Owosso on the 23~1, and the lowest, 28', at Newberry on the 19th. The average precipitation was 3.88, or 0.36 below normal; the greatest monthly amount, 5.92, occurred at Gladwin, and the least, 0.75, at Mount C1emens.-C. F. Schnetifcr. Min~mohc.-The mean tem erature was B6.9', or about normal; the highest was 102', a t Wabasfia on the 31st, and the lowest, 33', a t Roseau on the 17th. The average precipitation was 3.32, or about 0.75 above normal; t h e greatest monthly amount, 6.17, occurred at Monte- video, and t h e least, 0.86, at Morris.--. 8. Outrani. ~4fi88~88&ppi.-The mean temperature was 80.4', or 0.4' above normal; the highest was 105', at Columbus on the 234 24th, and 29th, and the lowest, 59", at French Camp on the 14th. The average precipita- tion was 5.97, or 3.01 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 16.95, occurred at Mnsspoint, and the least, 1.83, at Greenwood-R. J. Hyolt. Xhuri.-The mean temperature was 75.6', or about 1.0' above nor- mal; the highest was 103', at Jefferson City on the 23d, and the lowest,
44', at Potosi on the 5th. The average precipitation was 3.01, or about normal; the greatest monthl amount, i.20, occurred at Oto, and the least, 0.40. at Bo1ckow.--8. d Haekctt. .Uoiitaiuz.-The mean temperature was 68.0°, or 1.6' above normal; the highest was 105', a t Glendive on the 21st, and the loyest; 31', at Adel on the 23d. The average precipitation was 0.66, or about nor- mal; the greatest monthl amount, 1.38, occurred at Columbia Falls, and the least, 0.09, a t Poprar.- E. J. cfluse. 1Ye6raeh.-The mean temperature was 74.2', or about normal; the highest was log', at Camp Clarke on the 3lst, and the lowest, E', at Lodgepole on the 9th. The average precipitation was 2.24, or about 0.33 below normal; the greatest monthlv amount, 6.85, occurred at Cal- laway, while none fell at Lodgepole.-G. A. Lowland. NeDada.-The mean temperature was 73.6', or about 1.0' above nor- mal; the highest was 112', a t St. Thomas on the l l t h , and the lowest,
2O0, at Blaine on the 31st. The average precipitation was 0.45, or 0.04 above normal; the greatest monthly amount, 2.85, occurred a t Ely, while none fell at a number of stations.-R. F. Toung. New England.-The mean temperature was 69.6', or 3.7' above nor- mal; the highest was 95', a t Plymouth, N. H., on the 4th, and the low- est, 33', at Flagstaff, Me., on the 12th. The average precipitation was 5.67, or 1.62 above normal ; the greatest monthly amount, 11.89, oc- curred at Jefferson, Mass., and the least, 0.70, at North Conway, N. H.-J. W. b'mith. New Jmeq.-The mean temperature was 74.8', or 2.7' above normal; the highest was 98', at Imlaystown on the 31st, and t h e lowest, 42', at Charlotteburg on the 28th. The average precipitation was 5.36, or 1.53 above normal; the greatest monthl amount, 9.26. occurred a t Camden, antl the least, 2.i0, at Barnegat Lig&house.-E. W. NcGann. New Mczico.-The mean temperature was 71.0', or 2.6' below normal; the highest was 99' a t Gila on the 14th, and the lowest, 34', at Win- sors on the 26th. The average precipitation was 2.27, or 0.28 below