Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-30
Singular Change Of Climate i'm the
Sierra Mountains.


Professor Legate has recently returned to yir-
gfnfa City from trip into the Sierras OF eight
days duration. He had with him two assistants
and his own vehicle for the transportation of
his instruments, and camped out most of the
time The object OF the professors trip was the
study OF recent meteorological changes in the
elevated regions OF the Sierras. He was led to
| believe that during the present season the
warm belt had shifted south Beginning at a
point just north Of Lake Tahoe, the snow has
net m ne away as In former years There are
feet in depth at points where heretofore at this
season no snow has lain. Nearly the whole OF
this snow will remain where it now lies until
the SHOWS OF winter again set in.
Up toward the headwaterS Of the north fork
OF the Yuba river, where no snow is usually
seen at this season, 1t has but little more than
begun TO disappear. In that place are to be
seen huge banks of snow, under which flow the
waters OF the stream, forming arches of natural
three hundred feet in width. AS nearly the
whole Of this snow will remain until snow
again comes, the accumulation next year will
the head OF that and other rivers high In the
mountains VIII probably lie under the snow
the year round.
cause of this remarkable change of climate to
the northward that Prot. Legate went on his
expedition into the mountains. Through the
points with various delicate Instruments, but
| principally by means OF careful thermometrical
tests. the professor has established the factthat
Nevada mountains this season grand is oil her.
NAL change. BE finds that the warm current OF
air which ever since the settlement of California
Dy Amerlcans-and probably ages bef0re-has
moved upward from the Pacific Seaboard to the
Sierra Nevada mountains and thence turned
and flowed to the northwaId along the west
slde OF the main ridge OF the range, thus givin G
10 all regions In that direction warm ciifnat e,
no longer moves in that direction. IL now
comes up from the side OF the ocean and pours
eastward directly across the crest OF the SIerras
near Lake Tahoe.
Professor Legate has satisfied himself that
this wonderful change, which is leaving all the
northern parts OF the Sierras buried In snow,
| summer and winter. Is caused by the denuda-
ton OF timber which the mountains have SUI
fered through belt beginning at Lake Tahoe
and extending some twenty miles southwark
Through the great gap thus left by the sweep
Ing away OF the forests now flows the warm
current of air which formerly moved-with
something OF the circling motion of water In an
edoy-far along the mountains to the north
ward. Prof Legate says 1t must not be sup
posed that the change has been caused merely
on account OF the gap or trough left to the
clearing away Of the forests The denudation
OF the ground is the principal cause. The heat
OF the sun pouring down upon the broad belt
OF ba1e ground now reaching across the noun ain
causes at That point an immense ascending
column of heated air which draws In from the
west the current which formerly moved to the
northWard and now all crosses the Sterras, pass
Ing In an upward and eastward direction.
Prof.. Legate Is OF the opinion that the only
thing capable of changing the isothermal line
which has been recently accidentally and dis
astrously established, Is the creation, a. some
point well north, of another broad belt OF denu-
datlop, the Influence OF which will be to draw
In that direction portion OF the warm current
OF air moving up and along the western slope
OF the Sierras and thus partly restore the equa-
pie temperature that formerly prevailed. He
thinks the railroad which Is to run In the direc-
t1on OF oregon from Reno and which Is to strike
and tap the great pine forests OF the Slerras
well to the north Will after few years effect
the desired change,