The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-08-10

the Cold Places Isotherms and IhinEs.
From the Cincinnati Commercially
The vast extent Of territorial domain
occupied by the United States gives 10
Il a greater variety Of climate than that
Of any other single country on the globe.
While there are countries whose terri
tory stretches over more degrees Of lati-
tude in u continuous line, there are hut
one or two approximating II In the
breadth Of lis domain from east TO west,
measured BY degrees Of longitude. Nor
Is there any which affords By differences
Of elevation and conformation Of land
and water greater elements of climatic
changes. The influence Of our great
Longitudinal chains Of mountains alone,
including the great Appalachian chain IN
the East, the Rocky Mountains, the ST.
era Nevada, and the Cascade range In
the West, upon the climate Of the States
and Territories is prodigious. While
the valleys between these mountains are
often reservoirs Of heat, the sides and
SUBMITS of the mountains themselves
yield a temperature far below that Of
the plains and table lands in similar
latitudes.
II may be said, almost without exag-
geration. that the United States possess
SEES all climates, from those OF the frigid
zone up to those of the torrid. The
mean annual temperature ranges from
summer heat, or 10 deg. Fahrenheit in
Florida, to SO deg. Oh the elevated plains
of Minnesota, which latter may be said
to represent the coolest regions Of the
United States. The American citizen
.x.... .l..., ohr.... h;o ..ltmafa and mad
only possess the means Of transit and
the willingness to labor, TO enable him
to settle in a country where II Is almost
perpetual summer, and the fruits OF the
tropics grow around him in rich profu-
sion; or in region where the colder
cline will brace his energies to steady
struggle with the great forces of nature.
Without changing his relations to gov
eminent or laws (save in the insignifi-
cant differences that subsist between the
legislation Of the different States), the
American citizen may 20 from cline TO
cline, according as his taste or his ne
c.ssities may impel him. The traveller,
too, in search Of perpetual spring, may
take up his carpet-bag and 60 from the
bamy January or February Of Florida
or Louisiana, northward through every
State until he finds the spring late in
Nav or early june breaking into bud
upon the bleak and rock-bound shores
OF Maine. Reversing his course, he
may travel southwark, and, leaving the
short-lived northern summer behind
him, find medium temperature of de-
} licious moderation in the Middle States
! in October and November, which the
fair Southern States will continue for
him all through the winter.
The mountains Of the United States,
though inferior in height to the great
: overlapping SUBMITS Of the Himalayas,
or to the noted peaks Of South America,
are equal in elevation to any on the con
tinent Of Europe. While Mount Blanc,
the monarch Of mountains, pierces the
sky to the height Of 1912 feet, Mount
st. Elias, in Alaska, rises yet higher, "a
the elevation of 1873 feet in the air
California has two mountains, Shasta
/ and Tyndall. 1i,400 feet each, closely
, approximating the Mattcrhorn, which
is l4,7l0 feet. Colorado has no. less
than nine distinct peaks rising TO .
l height Of 1900 feet and upward above
r the sea level, on any of which the en-
/ terprising and adventurous explorer
( may climb as far towards heaven as hs
: could possibly get in Switzerland
3 Among the less elevated mountain
/ ranges Of the Eastern States,it was long
I supposed that the White Mountains
? were the lofticst, and many geographic
) cal books still repeat this erroneous In
| formation. Modern measurements
. however. have shown that the peaks q
4 the Black mountains in North Carolin,
I overtop Mount Washington by few
: hundred feet. The Black Dome rise :,
Y the height Of 6,76O, Mitchell's Peak t
/ 6,576 feet above the sea level, ans
3 eleven other North Carolina mountain
+ exceed $500 feet, while the elevation o
4 Mount Washington is only 6,2SS feet.
4 In the recently published tables Of Thu
G atmospheric temperature Of the United
a States. made up from all existing acces
= sible observations by the Smithsonian
h Institute, many facts are recorded Of tn
r highest interest regarding the effects o
a elevation, ocean currents, valley iSola
G ton, ETC., upon temperature. Thus
q II given as a result If comparative oh
& scrvations. derived from large varict,
e Of places, through long periods Of time
a that the temperature falls one dcgrc
y for every rise above the earth surfac
Of 250 to 800 feet AT the top IT noun
n tains 5000 feet high, therefore. th
q thermometer would indicate from 10 h
Il 20 degrees lower temperature than 4
q is base, this large limit Of elevation bc
D ing affected Nv many collateral circum
o stances ia different places. Among ih
i. circumstances which modify tempera
J. turc the most powerfully, are 70 be reck
: oncd the dampncss Or dryness q III
4 atmosphere. the slopes of tho elevation
a the condition of the surface, ~ wooded o