The New York herald., 1870-01-30
ABOur .."HE WEATHER
Oug Of the "Oidess ia "bitanfs" Cipher'ng ON
tho Mild WehvA " Question.
~ BURG, Jan. ", 1870.


OHs Of the "Oidess fla "o'tants" C'phor'ns On
the Mild WeacA Vuesti"n'
xsc BURG, Jan. ", 1870.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HHRAL>
short time ago seat you, + answer 70 your
challenge, list OF the opening aAA Closing u 'ne
Hudson, from 1872 to 1882 A few ~ ss "go NO
tioed request for the readers Of sAg HERALD 70
give their theories In relation 10 the prsA nt mild
weather. In the beginning would say shac sctu-
ally know no more about 1t than you d.. f0e the
weather Is In she habit OF cutting up 10 maAV
strange freaks chat for any ono TO- pretend -
know all about Il " quite comca and IN takes
more cheek than ] have. Bus, neverttDiess.
where the attention OF 30 many s TUNED
10 this subject, It canuos fail to interest them II
does TO instruct them TO make few remarks on ahe
subject. cannot tolerate the Idea charge all tNs
trouble to an earthquake altering the Calf Stream
for ths would obge TO seek the aid OF an EARTH
quake number Of timea Por example, IN 1865 the
river was open all the year, and Colonel Dunbar's
regiment went to Albany by sl0op In midwtnter and
soops arrived at Troy during the same wtnAor.
People then did not make much time about u, nlos
did they charge 1t to earthquakes or the Gaf
stream. Though this year is the mildcst No hsva
had in anumber OF years. 4 do not think 1t ID eha
only one. Inc winters obey q certain law
that is not - yet understood. Careful observatens
think, wil tn time discover Il. The year 1858 was
very md the river did not close until February H.
walked across IL on the morning OF the 4th OF Fob
ruary ana a. ten O'Clock VI night the Ice went down
with the tide. Though we had NOSE snow In Docsm-'
Der aud II lasted longer than this year nevertheless
the weather IN January was very much like TINS
year. think therefore, the year 1853, 1855,
tne Keys to this year and the weather that we most
reasonably 70 expect should agree with that Of
those years. But when come to the question,
why 10 this year so warmS why was such year SO
cOldf j must confess 1t 10 0 very impertinont 4"
question. and noone can answer 1t PERFECTLY. How
ever, nave attempted an explanation that seems
reasonable, though not agree well enough 70
suit me. IL has occurred me that sauce We derive
all our heat and light from the sun. and the sun
u the cause OF our winters ana summers, II We then
nave not or cold winter or summer why not LOOK
70 the sun FOR the causef IL seems reasonable 70 g
TO the first cause or primo mover for explanation,
out now shall we question tue sun 50 tnat II Will
answer US IL occurred to me we could get at u
Must exert some power the strength his rays.
Lave not had time to build . theory put to aid me
thought that II the sun was considered huge
red hoG globe and that IL was surrounded with lu-
minous light and the main body only seen OCCASION
ally through the opening OF this luminous surface;
tnat when there were openings or what Ii the same,
spots sum- ought TO be warmest, for then the
heat OF the main body was allowed 10 escape
space But II, by some solar arrangement or Law
that know nothing ABOUT, the spots Intercepted %
Kept back the heat then when tine spots were the
greatest 1t ought to be tho c0dest These thoughts
are very rough. ana, perhaps 2s roughly expressed;
but nevertheless, they we're the means OF my max
Ing the following comparisons. The table contains
the years OF maximum and minimum OF solar spots,
copied from Norton's Astronomy last edition, page