Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-09-12

es over more degrees of latitude in con.
| tnuOus line, there are butAone or two APP
proXimating it in the breadth of its domain
from east to west, measured by degrees of
longitude. Nor is there any which affords
by difference of elevation and conformation
of land Hmd water greater elements of
climate changes. The influence of our
great longitudinal chains of mountains
alone, including the great Appalachian
chain in the East, the Rocky mountains
the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade ranges
in the West, upon the climates 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 IL tem-
perature far below that of the plains and
table lands in similar latitudes.
1t may be said, almost without exagger-
alton, that the United States possesses all
climates, from those Of the frigid zone to
those OF the torrid. The mean annual
temperature ranges from summer heat, or
7G degrees Fahrenheit in Florida. TO 36 on
the elevated plains Of Minnesota, which
latter may be said to represent the coolest
regions of the United States. The Amer
lean citizen may thus choose his climate,
and need only possess the means of transit
and the willingness to labor, TO enable him
to settle in IL country where it is almost
perpetual summer, and the fruits of the
tropics grow around him in rich profnsion,
or in region where the colder climate
will brace his energies to steady struggle
with the great forces Of nature. Without
changing his relations to government or
laws (save in the insufficient differences
that subsist between the legislation of the
different states), the American citizen may
90 from cline to cline, according us his
taste or his necessities may impel him.
The traveller, too, in search Of perpetual
spring, may take his carpet bag and 90
from the bamy January or February Of
Florida or Louisiana, nOrthward through
every state until he finds the spring late
in May or early in June breaking into bud
upon the bleak and rock-bonnd shores of
Maine. Reversing his course, he may
travel southward, and, leaving the short
lived northern summer behind him, find Il
medium temperature of delicious modera-
tion in the Middle states in October and
November, which the far southern states
will continue for him all through the Win
ter.
The mountains of the United States,
though inferior in height to the great over
topping SUBMITS of the Himalayas or to
the noted peaks of South America, are
equal in elevation to any on the continent
of Europe. While Mont Blanc, the mon
arch of mountains, pierces the sky to the
height of fifteen thousand seven hundred
and thirty-two feet, Mount st. Elias, in
Alaska, rises yet higher, to the elevation
of seventeen thousand eight hundred and
fifteen feet in the air. California has two
mountains, Shasta and Tyndall, fourteen
thousand four hundred feet each, closely
approximatng the Matterhorn, which is
fourteen thousand seven hundred and ten
feet. Colorado has no less than nine dis
tinct peaks rising 10 Il height of fourteen
Thousand feet and upward above the sen
level, on any of which the enterprising
and adventurous explorer may climb us
far toward heaven us he could possibly
get in Switzerland Among the less ele-
waited mountain ranges Of the Eastern
states it was long supposed that the White
mountains were the loitiest, and many
geographical books still repeat this errone-
us information. Modern measurments,
however, have shown that the peaks of the
Black mountains in North Carolina over
top Mount Washington by IL few hundred
feet. The Black Dome rises to the height
of six thousand seven hundred and sixty,
Mitchell 5 peak TO six thousand live hun
dred and seventy-siX feet above the sea
level, and eleven other North Carolina
mountains exceed six thousand three hun
drcd feet, while the elevation of Mount
Washington is only six thousand two hun
dred and eighty eight feet.
In the recently published tables OF the
atmospheric temperature In the United
States, made up from all accessible obser-
valons by the Smithsonian Institution,
many facts are recorded OF the highest
interest regarding the effects of elevation,
ocean currents, valley isolation, ETC., upon
temperature. Thus it is given as II result
of comparative observations, derived from
large variety of places, through long
periods of time that The temperature falls
one degree for every rise above the earths
surface of two hundred and fifty to five
hundred feet. At the top Of the mountains
five hundred feet high, therefore. the ther-
mometer would Indicate from ten to twen-
ty degrees lower than at its base, this
large limit of elevation being affected by
many collateral circumstances in different
places. Among the circumstances which
modify temperatures the most powerfully,
are to be reckoned the dampness and dry
ness of atmosphere, the slopes of the ele-
walton, the condition of the surface, us
wooden or barren, etc. In the eastern
part of the United States the distribution
of heat is far more uniform than in the
western. This is indicated by isothermal
lines running between forty-four and forty
eight degrees of temperature, which fol-
low with approximate uniformity the par
allels of latitude. In the Western United
States, on the contrary. there is great il
regularity in the distribution Of heat and
cold. the climate of California being quite
abnormal, and exhibiting an undne degree
of cold in summer and heat in winter. In
the coast regions of California nolably in
San Francisco bay), under the influence OF
IL brisk sea breeze. the rays of even II high
sun at noon-day fail to impart any appreci-
able heat to the air.
We give below a table prepared by
selection from the voluminous records of
the recent work on American temperature,
showing the mean annual temperature OF
the atmosphere ut II given point in each of
the forty nine states and territories OF the
Union The place is selected as either the
capital or the leading city or town where
observations have been most continuously
kept:
pIuce OT Ut. Mean annual
state or TtrtiOrV. S'rpdtt0h. tt"tpHdtWe'
Alabama 90
ltka 40
tucson ny
ArkansaS Little ROck bj
san HruhcleCu'''''''' o,
Colorado. Denver. 20
Hartford. ..........,..... 5V
Dakota a..,...........F Fort Randall. .......... a
Wilmington. o.
District of Columbia NasningtO bb
Florida Jacksonville 6J
Georgia q ''''' '''''