The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1871-03-31
Climate orthe Northwest.

Harper's Weekly, in q recent in
teresting article descriptive of the
country traversed by the route of
the Northern Pacific Railroad, gives
the following reasonable explans-
ton of the remarkable mildness Of
climate and fertility of coil which
chsracterizes the vast region which
has come to be known as the New
Northwest. That journal says:
The fact of the mildness Of the eli
mate which prevails along the belt
of country tributary to the line Of
the Northern Pacific Railroad. is
abundantly established. Nowhere
between Lake Superior and Puget
Sound is the climate colder than in
Minnesota I; and this great State is
aot surpassed as a wheat-produc-
ing region, or in healthiulness of
atmosphere. Dakota is very SINH
lar To Minnesota and from Dako
Ia westward the climate steadily
moJiies, until, IL Oregon and Wash
iEgtcn Territory. there is almost no
winter at all aside from a rainy
season, as in California. Through
out Dakota, Montana, and North
ern Idaho cattle and horses range
out all winter, ard in the spring r
fat and strong. Records kept by
government. officers at the various
military stations on the upper wat
ers of Missouri show that the aver
age annual temperatures for a series
of years has been warmer IN Cent
raj Montana than ut Chicago or AL
bany. This remarkable modifca-
ton of climate, the existence Of
which no weIl-lnforre ed psrsonnox
questions, is due TO several natural
causes, chief ameng which r
these /: First, the country lying os-
tween the 44th aad 50th parallels is
over by some 5000 feet than the
belt lying Immediately south. The
highest point on the line Of the
Northern Pacific Road is 3 500 feet
lower than the corresponding sum-
nit Of the Union and Central line.
Both the Rocky and Cascade rang
es, where they are CROSSED by the
Northern Pacific route, are broken
down to low elevations compared TO
their height 400 miles southwark.
This difference In altitude would
account for much of the difference
in climate, as four degrees of temp
erature are usually allowed for each
1000 feet Of elevation. But, second,
the warm winds from the South Pa
HclSc, which prevail i n winter, and
(aided by the warm currents
corresponding to our Atlantic Gulf
Streaml. produce the genial climate
of our Pacific coast, pass over the
low mountain ridges to the north
of latitude 40, and carry their sof-
tening effect far INLAND, giving to
Eastern Washington the climate Of
Virginia, and to Montana the CHI
mate of Ohio, without its dampness
and chill.
The same cause.-the depression
of the mountain ranges toward the
north-accounts for the abundant
rainfall in nearly all parts OF this
vast era...T The southwest winds, sat
urased by the evaporation of the
tropics, carry the rain>clouds east
ward over the continental divide,
and distribute their moisture over
the "fertIle belt" stretching from
the mountains TO the lakes. Furth.
er south the mountains, with their
greater altitude actas a wall against
the warm, moist, west winds hence
the colder winters and the aridity
of the portions Of the regions south
of Montana and east of the noun
talns. That the climate Of that now
Northwest which Is DOW TO be OPP
ened to settlement, travel, and to
trade. is such as to make il a con-
genial home for the migrating MILL
IONS of Central and Northern Eu-
rope, and the crowded portions of
our own land. there is no doubt.
The Pittsburgh Commercial, the
leading Radical organ of Western
Pennsylvania, considers the worst
feature OF the deposition of Sumner
the selection of Simon Cameron as