Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-03-10

Hayper's Weekly, in recent In
teresting article descriptive Of the
route Of the Northern Pacific Rail
road, gives the following reasona-
BILE explanation of the remarkable
mildness Of climate and fertility Of
soil which characterize the vast re-
gion which has come to be known
as the New Northwest. The jour
nal says:
ssThe fact of the mildncss Of the
climate which prevails along the
belt OF country tributary to the line
of the Northern Pacific Railroad, is
abundantly established. Nowhere
between Puget Sound md Lake Si,-
perior is the climate colder than in
Minnesota; and this great State Is
not surpassed as wheat-producing
region, or in healthfulness Of atmos-
phere. Dakota is very similar to
Minnesota; and from Dakota west
ward, the climate continually modi-
fies until in Oregon and Washing
ton Territory, there is almost no
winter at al aside from . rainy sea-
son as in California. Throughout
Dakota, Montana and Nortbssa Ida
no, cattle and horses range oa all
winter, and in The spring are fat and
strong. Records kept by govern
ment officers at the various military
stations on the upper waters of the
Missouri show that the average an
nual temperature for a series Of
years have been warmer in Central
Montana than at Chicago or Albany
This remarkable modification of eli
mate, the existence of which no well
informed person now questions, is
due to several natural causes, chief
Of which are these: First, the coun-
try lying between the 44th and seth
parallels is lower by some 5000 feet
than the belt lying Immediately
south. The highest point on the
line of the Northern Pacific Road is
$500 feet lower than the cores
ponding summit of the Union and
Central line. Both the Rocky and
Cascade ranges, where they are
crossed by the Northern Pacific
route, are brought down to low ele-
vations compared to their height
400 miles southwark. This differ
ence in sititude would account for
much Of the difference in climate,
as four degrees Of temperature are
usually allowed for each 1000 feet
of elevation. But, second, the warm
winds from the South Pacific, which
prevail in winter, and aided BY the
warm ocean currents corresponding
to our Gulf Stream, produce the
genial climate of our Pacific coast,
pass over the low mountain ridges
to the north of latitude a. degrees,
and carry their settening effect far
inland, giving to Eastern Washing
ton Territory the climate Of Virgin
ia, and to Montana the climate of
Ohio, without its dampness and
chill.
The same cause.-The depression
of the mountain ranges toward the
north-accounts for the abundant
rain fall in nearly all parts of this
vast area. The southwest winds,
saturated by the evaporation of tn
tropics, carry the rain clouds east
ward over the continental divide,
and distribute their fertile moisture
over the fertile belt stretching from
the mountains to the lakes. Further
south, the mountains, with their
greater altitude, act as a wall
against the warm, moist, west winds;
hence the colder winters and the
aridity Of portions Of the regions
south of Montana and east of the
mountains. That the climate of the
new Northwest which is now to be
open to settlement, travel and trade,
is such as to make it a congenial
home to the migrating millions of
Central and Northern Europe, and
the crowded portions of our own
land, there is no doubt"