The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-24

something on the throes OF nature. This year,
80 remarkable for illustrations of violent al
formations Of heat and cold, drought and rain,
sunshine and storm and earthquake, may truly
be reckoned as the annus mira6His of meteor
ology. Our columns, bearing continual evil
dence Of strange viclsstudes and convulsions,
establish striking similarity between the
present year in America and the year 1867 in
Europe, which caused 80 much comment there.
During the severe frost which prevailed In
England from the LIST to the 2lst Of January,
1867, the barometric pressures from the Eng
lish Channel to Iceland exhibit the fact thai at
this time the air wave over Iceland was abnor-
mally large and high; and as the air must
flow from the region of high pressure TO that
Of low pressure 1t is plain that Great Britain
was then in the stream Of powerful polar
current Of atmosphere descending from Ice
land over Western Europe. In February of
the same year, the high Icelandic pressure
having exhausted itself, the barometer rose
high In Great Britain, the wind became south
west and south, the tbermometric column rose,
showing that the British Islands were now
swept by an equatorial air current
The cool weather which we have lately en-
joyed, as well as the severe spell Of last
winter we did not enjoy, indicated unquestion-
ably that the eastern and central parts Of the
United States were in stream of polar air
descending upon US from the northern area of
British America. II the government Signal
Service could have meteorological station in
the valley Of the Mackenzie or Saskatchewan
rivers, the recent barometric readings would,
beyond doubt, have been very high, and would
have given premonitions Of the sudden changes
of temperature.
The Importance of investigating the relation
of barometric pressure to the temperatures
relation which often steadily controls the
weather for fortnight or more at time
is greatly enhanced when we consider
the intimate relation between the march
Of temperature and the life and death
rates. The mortality, 1t is found, in
creases with the severity and change
ableness Of climate, as In England, where the
per cent, the climate of the latter being more
equable and insular, although more northerly.
The great cold spells, it is clearly proven,
occasion q greater increase Of the death rate
than the cholera or any epidemic pestilence
stalking over the land, just because they are
more penetrating and diffusive. With an ex-
tended field for ogg daily weather kilograms
the meteorologists Of the Signal Service might
notify us of approaching extremes both of heat
and cold, so disastrous to the weak, and thus
enable physicians to take timely measures to
secure their patients from danger Our
weather bureau, it is true, Is charged only and
exclusively with the duty of sscertaining great
Disturbances, or, as the law deaning its sole
responsibility says, ''the approach and force
of storms" But this intelligence will follow
as matter Of course and incidentally, aud will
be Of incalculable use. As We pointed out not
long since, the anomalous rise of temperature
last year at the earth's extremities, by dissolv-
ing and setting adrift immense ice masses, b as
had much to do with disturbing our atmos-
pheric balance. An official letter, dated
Stykkisholm, Iceland, August 10, 1870,
states:-
In some places the heat has been, It Is reported,
where II has sixty.elght or seventy degrees
The effect OF this long continued heat is apparent on
and have mses where
tent, aud some OF the large glaciers have become
Nc sH
Such facts furnish important clues, even
though they be gossamer-like, to the great
agitations in nature, to which our attention
has lately been 80 rudely called. But is it
not probable that such shocks as the New
England earthquake are due as much to vic.
lent atmospheric commissions and the rolling
Of immense aerial waves over the shell of our
planets For at the time OF the occurrence of
the Boston shake (2Oth instant) the govern
ment weather reports clearly show there was
q low pressure just in front Of the very high
pressure and cold polar stream of air descend
ing on the United States from the northwest
Of British America.
This suggestion would accord with the
striking facts now known of the mysterious
spots on the sun, which are accompanied by
magnetic storms and auroras. These solar
spots are well known to recur periodically,
at intervals of trife more than five aud
a half years; in 1861 they were peculiarly
abundant, and REQUIRED in 1865 and 1866,
and are due this year. II is true they have
defied all efforts of our savants to explain
their origin or nature; but it is believed by
some that the effects Of the strange phe-
nomenon are noticeable. And Sir John
Herschel, so noted for his cautious shrewd-
ness and sagacity, suggested that these effects
are manifested Sin an increased emission of
heat from the sun, in an increased generation
Of vapor from the ocean, but especially in q
more cloudy state Of the atmosphere and in an
increased tendency to atmospheric disturbance
and barometric fiuctuatiou."