History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 200
[7], iv-vii, [2], 10-826, [2] p., [56] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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HISTORY OF TEXAS.
scientists always go to the original reports of
trained observers for their information.
Texas has variety in her climate as well as
other things. A very large portion of the
State is swept by the gulf breezes, which
dispense life to vegetation and health to the
inhabitants wherever they reach. The long
summers characteristic of this latitude are by
them rendered not only endurable but enjoyable.
So marked is the influence of the gulf
winds on the climate of the State that the
average temperature along the gulf coast and
for many miles inland is much lower during
the summer months than it is in the higher
latitudes of the north. The same influence
neutralizes the cold of winter and makes the
winters of the southern and southwestern part
of the State the mildest and most delightful
of all States in the Union.
The extremes of temperature in Texas
range from about zero in the northern part of
the State to 100 and 112 in August. The
air being pure, the extreme heat is far more
endurable than a temperature of only eightyfive,
with such impure air as generally prevails
in the cities. Most of the year the
temperature is comfortable, and averages
I etter than any other State in the Union.
The amount of rainfall at Austin varies
from twenty-three to forty-four inches per
annum, generally ranging from twenty-eight
to thirty-six inches. The exact average from
1857 to 1874 inclusive was found to be 33.93
inches, with signs of increase; that is, the
first five years the fall was 148.08, the second
five 166.55, and the third five 178.88.
During the same period the highest thermometer
was 96 to 107 in the shade, and
the lowest 6 to 28 above zero.
The following table of rainfall,/ for the
years named, is interesting and iF of easy
reference:Tar.
188 ........
1869........
lb7........
1871......
1872.......
1878.. .
1874.......
1875 .....
1876........
1877........
1878 .....
1879 .....
1880.... ...
1881........
1882........
1883........
1884.... ..
1885.......
1886........
1887........
1888.......
1889Jan
2.55
.16
.
1.28
.16
.25
.05
1.00
....Ii
.50
3.90
.84
.40
1.32
.15
*---1
1.910
1.94.30
.16
.54
1.0.O
.33
.25
1.75
.32
.98
.10
.60
8.38
.80
2.15
.80
.10
1.98
2.57....
241
4.76
..75
1 .60
1 14
.12
.3ti
.80
.30..
.40
1.14
.20
.35
3.16
.50
1.31
.75
1.15April May Sm jJW Aug J
3.27 4.10 .407.30a1.862.35
1.10 3.31.76 .4311.,941 .50
62 .26 4.86 8.32 6.909.92
1.904.40 .421.... 2.0 90
112 1.86 1.50 83.792.0 .85
.... 4.56.40 .921.46 .44
.393.2913.05 .88 .61 5.58
501.70 .645.67 .22 1.2
.50 .... 1.52 .78 3.14 2.84
2.32 .021504.55.... .70
1.701.10 :3.80 .504.001.00
1.701.15 2076080 7 .':0
1.466 .10 .10 .40 .20 .70
.091.23 2.09 4.14 8.463.59
.... .... .76 3.39203.36
4.609.081.872.20 .962.0
3.912.334.221.08 1.351.90
.48 .76 1.60 363.74 .6
1.762.86 .66 .931.882.81
8.63 1.552.50 3.10 2.50 .48
2.03 2.28 . .... .... ....
__ X6.403.71
.961.S
2.78 .44
.661.66
1.08 .26
.64 2.
.U:.,
../.. .8
1.601.0(1
.. 10
.20 . .
2.50 .96
2.30 .511
.58 2.0
.041 .5(1
4.761.86
.74 ...
1.85....
1.74 1.3
1.722.20DL
1.69
1.60
.12
.20
.53
47
.f68
2.00
.60
1.8U
.6)
6.21
.70
.98
.40
*-...The most notable floods of the Colorado
since the settlement of Austin have occurred
as follows: February, 1843, river rose about
thirty-six feet; March, 1852, thirty-six feet;
July, 1869, forty-three feet; and October,
1870, thirty-six feet.
The following circumstance is illustrative:
Colonel Merriam, of the Twenty-fourth United
States Infantry, with his family and an escort,
encamped on the Conclio river Sunday, April
24, 1870. This river is formed by the junction
of a number of small streams from
springs, but at its head it is so small that a
man can step across it. The tops of the
banks are usually about twenty-five feet above
the water.
Fatigued with their journey, the party
were pleasantly resting, when early in the
evening Colonel Merriam saw signs of a
coming storm. The tent was fastened and
made as secure as possible, and about nine
o'clock a hailstorm burst upon them and
lasted until about eleven o'clock, the stones
being of the size of hens' eggs and striking
the tent with a noise like incessant musketry.
The colonel, who was not ignorant of the
sudden and extreme overflows to which the
mountain streams of Texas are liable, went
out into the darkness as soon as the stormA
200
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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)
Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.
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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/205/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.