Show A phenomenal WINTER since white men lived in these valleys has there been such a winter as the present one scientific comparisons can be made as far back as 1874 in which year the signal service was established here and since that time no record of precipitation will compare with that of the present winter up to last night january 26 the downfall for this month amounted to inches with the record of five more days to be added to the total for the month whereas the normal or average downfall for the entire month of january in this city is only inches the downfall for december was inches which was inches above the normal or average by far the greater part of the downfall in fact very nearly all of it has abeen been in the mountains in the form of snow tor for when it has rained in the valleys snow has nearly abw always ays fallen in the mountains not much of this snow has melted yeti yet as the average temperature has been lower than usual the deficiency for the present month being degrees this means that the snow in the mountains has been preserved from waste and that most of what has fullen fallen there still remains the above figures were obtained this morning from sergeant fitzmaurice maur loo in charge of the local signal ignal station who by the way appears to be a thoroughly competent incumbent of the position aside from the curiosity which most moat people have in regard to weather statistics the figures here given are of importance to many people in these mountain regions whose homes and far forms ms are necessarily located in thousands of instances nea aea natural streams the above statistics mean that during the spring and summer a greater awater amount of water than was ever before known to do so will flow from the mountains to the valleys the inevitable inference is that there will be damage age from floods should the spring advance slowly with cool nights and a gradually increasing temperature this damage may not be bejec ax great but should warm weather come suddenly should we love have copious spring ralus rains there will al 1 be many disasters from high water bridges will be swept away dams will be torn out farms will be submerged and extensive injury to and loss joss of property must ensue it ip scarcely to be hoped that the weather of spring will be of a character to prevent floods there is too much snow in the mountains to expect this the wise course therefore is to take such precautions as are necessary and practicable against them |