The Rain Cloud: or, An Account of the Nature, Properties, Dangers and Uses of Rain in Various Parts of the World — John Shaqi
The Rain Cloud: or, An Account of the Nature, Properties, Dangers and Uses of Rain in Various Parts of the WorldTomlinson, Charles
Science
The Rain Cloud: or, An Account of the Nature, Properties, Dangers and Uses of Rain in Various Parts of the World
Tomlinson, Charles
Clouds; Rain and rainfall; Weather
The deluge of rain, which produced the flood of the 3d and 4th of August,
fell chiefly on the Monadhlradh mountains, rising between the south-east
part of Lochness and Kingussie, in Badenoch, and on that part of the
Grampian range forming the somewhat independent groups of the
Cairngorums. The westerly winds, which prevailed for some time
previously, seem to have produced a gradual accumulation of vapour to the
north of our island, and the column, being suddenly impelled by a strong
north-easterly blast, was driven towards the south-west, its right flank
almost sweeping the Caithness and Sutherland coasts, until rushing up and
across the Moray Frith it was attracted by the lofty mountains just
mentioned, and discharged in fearful torrents. There fell at a great
distance from the mountains, within twenty-four hours, about one-sixth of
the annual allowance of rain; on the mountains themselves the deluge that
descended, must have been so enormous as to occasion surprise that a
flood, even yet more tremendous in its magnitude and consequences, did
not result from it.
The mouth of the Findhorn is described as the most important scene of
action. The banks of this river are well defended by rocks on either
side, and its whole course is distinguished by the most romantic scenery.
At the part where it is crossed by the old military bridge of Dulsie, the
scenery is of the wildest character. The flood was most tremendous at
this bridge, for the water was so confined that it filled the smaller
arch altogether, and rose in the great arch to within three feet of the
key-stone, that is to say, forty feet above the usual level. This fine
old bridge sustained but little damage, while many of the modern
buildings were entirely swept away. At another part of the river, it is
stated, as a curious illustration of the height to which the stream had
risen, that a gardener waded into the water as it had begun to ebb on the
haugh, and with his umbrella drove ashore and captured a fine salmon, at
an elevation of fifty feet above the ordinary level of the Findhorn.
At Randolph’s bridge the opening expands as the rocks rise upwards, till
the width is about seventy or eighty feet; yet, from the sudden turn of
the river, as it enters this passage, the stream was so checked in its
progress that the flood actually rose over the very top of the rocks,
forty-six feet above the usual height, and inundated the level part that
lies over them to the depth of four feet, making a total perpendicular
rise at this point of not less than fifty feet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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