button to main menu  British Rainfall 1867, p.14

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British Rainfall 1867 page 14
since, a proposal for supplying Carlisle with water from the river Glenderamakin, which is principally fed by Scales Tarn, at the N.E. of Saddleback. If this proposal is entertained, we may hope to learn something also of the fall on that northern out-post of the district. Let me, however, in the first place, briefly epitomize the labours of my precursors and present coadjutors.
John Gough, Esq., started the first gauge in the Lake district, viz. one at Kendal, in 1787.
John Dalton, Esq., D.C.L., F.R.S., &c., registered the rain at Kendal, and induced Mr. Crosthwaite to do the same at Keswick in 1788 and following years, and published several notes on the subject.
Samuel Marshall, Esq., of Kendal, the observer whose record is the earliest of all living men, the register going back to 1809, and the observations since 1822 being made by himself. To him we are also inderbted for starting some of the most important gauges in the district; and though last, not least, for publishing yearly summaries of his observations, which tended to keep alive the interest in the subject in years wherein its practical importance was unknown. I think the value of these yearly abstracts may be advantageously illustrated by a quotation from that on the year 1840:-
"It is gratifying to observe the increasing interest which has lately been manifested by several scientific gentlemen in this county, but especially in this neighbourhood, respecting the meteorology of Westmoreland. Their labours cannot fail, if persevered in, to render essential service to this obscure branch of science. I am disposed to say obscure, because the general laws which regulate the meteorolgy of any district are yet undiscovered, for want of persevering and continuous observation for a series of years. It has long been thought that this district had contributed an ample portion of information by the labours of Dr. Dalton, John Gough, &c; but even they, I am persuaded, capacious as were their views, and intimate as they were with this locality, never anticipated such results as we now have from observations made in the mountainous district north of us. For instance, the quantity of rain measured at Esthwaite, a distance of twelve miles from Kendal, for the last four years, exceeds that of this place by very nearly one-half, the average for that period being at Esthwaite 73.066, and at Kendal 50.081 in. : the quantity for 1840 at Esthwaite being 66.362. In the interval between Esthwaite and Kendal, gauges have been erected during this year, and though, from the shortness of the period they have been in operation, no important results can with propriety be deduced, it is interesting to observe that the one at Bowness, which has been longest in operation, from the beginning of April, which is kept by a gentleman in whose attention and correctness I have implicit confidence, shows a medium quantity between those of Kendal and Esthwaite. If we take the last six months of the year, we shall find that at Kendal the quantity registered was 26.821 in.; at Bowness, about nine miles further north, the quantity was 31.454; at Elleray, a short distance from Bowness, 39.196; and at Esthwaite, about twelve miles W.N.W. from Kendal. 38.523 in."
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