The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-30
The Cold Terms-The Great Circle Of Cycles
TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
In the winter Ct 1S41-'4S inquiry made Of me
to the coldness osmpaIed with that
preceding took up my record book of hourly thermo.
inetIical observations and commenced counting the
Der hours each month during which the tempera-
tuIe at and below the freezing point Of Fsrenheit
The first term eighty hours at and below 90
deg with three hours additional ut SO deg This at
the win er solstce. Next vs several and distinct
Ct ninety consecutive hours EACH and of forty
five hours, hall ninety, AID thea term of ninety
hours. Then eight several terms oocurred between tie
Goth Ct Dec. 1s47, an! the1Tth Of March 154s 10
municafion which addressed to the Regents Of the Uni
versiy Of the state Of New York sni which pub.
lishet th ir report to the Legislature. (isnate Docu
ment No. II, of 1Sa8,) saG'Ths inquiry arises, to
they be near quaItet OF ciicle Of S6oy Ani why
should they within tie time Intervening between
the winter sostice ard the yernai equiaoxf"
In the winter Of 1852 Nature answered substan-
italy that 800 the measure Of the great circle Of
which colo terms we're cycles.
On the 31at Of December 1S48 between the hours Of
and ?. NJ, the temperature fell below the freezing
point and continued below that line Anti the 18th OF
January lSs9 when it above thai line This Il viii
be by counting the hours numbered three hun
dred and fifteen (315) hours three aud half iimes 90
tveneighths of $50. The Did term commenced
tinuec to the 11th at 10 NJ which is 1876 hours
hour more than one and hall times ninety, or three
esnths Of 49, The sold tern y, Which followed this
between AID 10 A. N. of February 81 duration two
hundred and seventy hours Or one hour more than
three times ninety, or six -eighths Of 800.
regarded these eleven several and distinct terms
conclusive Of the Of the great circle being $50
hours. Al subsequent observations accord with this
measure
In the winter Of 1876, cold term commenced here
the 2oth of January, and continued till the 18th Of
February its duration little short OF $50
The difference in the I'm puted to the inaccura
cy Of instruments and no. 10 the variation Of the cold
The present cold term commenced on the Goth day OF
December, between ard A. ", The 10th of January,
at the same hour would count exa:ty 800 hours Now
the hourly records Of temperature show that a. A. Of
9th the temperature fell below zero continued
depressed until A of the 10h when tbs temperature
above zero and the atmosphere became regula
ilder Now, take the next go hours, which reach TO
the 25th OF January at the hour in the morning
when lind By the hourly records of temperature that
great and sudden fall took place in the temperature
falling almost instantly to within Ia degrees Of zero and
continued downward tn next day, presenting the
verse Of the 10th.
Now sgain viii 60 a little farther AMI count ,r ,m
Dec. 80 between and A. N, forward ninety hours,
the very hour In which the temperature de-
grees below the freezing point and yet rain falling
and free zirg ii struck solid substances Ag ain,
count forward another ninety hours and reach
I'd Of January, at r. NJ, When hue rain falling,
while the temperature was FIVE degrees below the freez
ing point. Then count forward third ninety hours to
the 9Th noon and reach that precise time when
the great snow storm commemorative most wonderful
stoI recorded for many years.
II is thus that there is harmony and order In the
movements OF the cold.
This long cold tsrm is connected with earthquakes.
San Francisco on the % of January At ST. Jago de Cuba
tie 4th at Ogdensburg, New York, the night Of
the 5ih and at Winchester Virginia, the morning of
the sth-a occurring days which were marked here
9TH. '''''
My system of counting the temperature in equbra is
pued and carefully recorded observations afford conclu
siye evidence that equbrations Of temperature well
great and sudden changes q temperature imme
diately connected with earthquakes. e. MERRIAM
BROOKLYN HuGHra, Jan %, 1876.