Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-12-25
PROaNOSTICS OFTHE WINTER.

True to the prOgnosties of the buffa-
10, whose migration has recently been
noticed, winter has made its bois-
ferrous debut. We can now no longer
speak of
Inc pale descending year. yet pleasing still
and must resign ourselves to his
stern, icy breath, intensely keen y
Old and hOary headed as he is, his ar
rival is always a subject Of interest.
and speculation is ever rife as to the
probable severity and length of his
visitation. In the grand climatic
cycle of the worlds history the varia-
tiODs of these conditions have PLAYED
no unimpOrtant part in determining
the destiny of men and nations. In
1858, the great frost king, by bridging
the Baltic Sea with solid ice, enabled
Charles ", with his whole army, to
make a safe and decisive march aeross
it for his invasion of Denmark. In
December, 1875, by sealing up the
seas which wash the shores of HOl-
land base Of operations and an en-
campment on the ice was furnished
the French army, aud thereby the
late of the nation sealed. 1t has also
often been well " marked that the
Russian Winter of 1872 was the first
death-blow to Napoleon's fortunes.
Without wishing 70 divine the
Winter now impending, it may be
Instructive to note that the computa-
tions of the greatest living scientists
give US some general idea of its pr0ba-
6le character. The severest and most
intense frost seasons have long since
been demonstrated to reeur IN supra
annual cycles of eleven years. Re-
spOnsive to the mysterious vertical
spots which freekle the face. of the
sun and have been mpaF, d to ter
restrial cyclones, the temperature of
our planet is exposed to the passage Of
vast cosmical heat-wave, followed
closely by a cold wave, eoincident,
respectively, with the increase and
decrease Of the sun-spot cycle. De-
pending upon the results of the most
observed eleven years period, the een-
clusiOn now reached by physicists is
that we passed through the center of
a cold wave Of minimum temperature
last winter and are now just emerging
from it. The Inference would in this
case be that We may anticipate q
severe early winter, but one of mod
crate duration and declining rigOr. It
should be added, however, that there
has been noticed one variation from
the rule, which was very marked and
occurred in 1856, which occupied i
relation to the cold wave precisely
similar to that occupied by 1S72-73 to
eosmieal phenomenon of last year. In
the winter Of 1885 J35 the Hudson
river was closed to navigation one
hundred and twenty-five days-the
longest ice blockade which occurred
in period Of fifty years. If the law
of climatic cycles now announced by
meteOrolOgists holds good we shall
have another severe and prOtracted
winter about 1879, but, by parity of
reasoning, it is possible and probable,
we may expect in the latter part of
the winter great precipitation OF snow
and usually severe storms. At any
rate every endeavOr should be made
TO supply the poorer classes OF the
country with abundance of oeeupa-
ton, that they may have it in their
power to avert the calamities of the
season. While with reason hoping
for the best, let every one prepare for
the worst.-N. Y. Herald.