The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-01-17

peraturc, produces a line of light raren- |
cd air in its whole course from one
hundred 10 two hundred miles wide.
The cold winds Of winter in passing
from the northern regions Of America,
southerIy, are drawn out Of their south
course in an easterIy direction, by the
rarefaction oftbe air over and about the
gulph stream. This body Of warm wa
ter, having found its way SO much farther
north, than any other in the known
world, approaches nearer the great
source of cold existing IN the polar re-
gions of America, and from its situation
incIines the winds to an easterly dircc-
ton, and mt the same time acceIerates
their speed. This we believe to he the
cause of our variable climate in winter,
winch frequently causes the thermome-
ter, in few hours after the wind changes
from southeast to west or north west, to
vary from 80 degrees above,to 10 below
zero. 1t is well known to mariners COM
ing from Europe. that they experience
no frost to the southwark g. eastward of
tho gulph stream, when in the same lat
itudes on this side Of the stream, winter
RACES with all its violence. The effect,
of the heat occasioned by the gulph
stream, upon the winds, may be illustra.
ted when house is ON fire. If the
weather is calm, the wind will rise and
approach the flame from every direction.
If there is wind il will be increased on
the windward side Of the FIRE, and If
man stand on that side ofthe fire at such a
distance as not to feel its Immediate eff
fects, he wili perceive colder air, than
he would have perceived at the same
time, and in the same place, if the house
had not been on fire. We ought also to
notice, that the cold northerly and west
eriy winds, when put in motion from the
above causes, pass over the eastern coast
Of North America with great velocity,
collecting cold in their passage from the
higher regions Of the atmosphere, con-
yerting the waters into ice, and penetra-
ting the earth with frost from twelve to
eighteen inches deep. These, together
with the snow accumulated on the sur
face Of the earth, become SO formidable,
during cold winter, that the sun makes
but little impression upon it, until about
the time Of the vernal equinox.
On tho western coast Of Europe, and
also Of America, the winds from the po-
lar regions Of tho north, in going south
ward to fillthc vacuum in the rarefied
regions of the south, are MOTTO much ex-
tent, drawn out of sheir course by either
of the aforesaid causes, but pass in a
greater degree over land which reflects
into the mir much greater heat from the
suns rays than the water; consequently
the atmosphere becomes more hea'ed,
the climate is rendered more mild, and
the rigor ofwinter is confined to narrow
or bounds.
The waters accumulated in the Gulph
Of Mexico being much higher than those
Of the Pacific Ocean on the western
shore of America, the conclusion follows,
that If by some convulsion Of nature,
North and South America, should be
separated by strait Of sufficient capaci-
ty, to discharge the waters accumulated
in the Gulph Of Mexico. into the Pacific
Ocean, the Gulph Stream would cease,
portion Of the Ocean water would re-
tire from oar coast and harbors, and the
climate of Rhode Island would become
rs mild as that Of France; frost would be
almost wholly unknown, and many of
the present productions of our soil give
place to those Of a tropical character.
sThis last fall, 1881, on the Goth
of November, there had been no
frost in Newport: the cattle were
grazing on the growing herbage Of the
field, aud the most delicate plants Of thc
garden had received no injury from the
cold. On the Both of the same month,
the thermometer at Washington, stood at