The Rugbeian. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1881-1882, 1881-01-01
Climate of tho TabIe-Land of Tennessee.

enioyed high reputation locally, and with the
people of the South for its healthfuness its invgor
atng air. its pure water, its freedom from malaria
and its charms Of scenery. Travellers have known
but little about it; they have been around it, all
sides of it. but not upon it. across it, and this is
explained by the difficulty of access to it.
Lifted high above the general level of the surround
ing country, the Cumberland table-land stands out
clear cut, huge block, thousand feet above the
neghboring valleys, and nearly two thousand feet
above the level Of the sea- with an in Tennessee
of s, 900 square miles Viewed from the valley on
either side, it presents the appearance of great,
scarfed, terrace-like wall. Along this terrace edge
throughout its entire length in Tennessee, on its
eastern aspect but two or three gaps to be found
its escarpments so bold to defy the most persistent
engineers, until the past year, since when the iron
track has marked its for sixty miles the
northern half of the tableland and opened its re-
sources to the world There is no plateau or table
land this side of the Rocky Mountains, nor in Europe
of equal altitude extent; or of similar geological
formation; no other capable Of sustaining any con-
siderable or compact population; no other offering
SO many advantages for heinvalid
In considering the sanitary influence of any
climate, attention must be paid to the aspect of its
locality its drainage; its elevation above seaevel;
to the temperature and its equablity to the dryness
or moisture Of the soil OF atmospheric degree of
heat being often we'll borne when the air is dry,
which is quite unbearable when it is most-and to
the nature of the prevalent winds The amount Of
rain which descends III a season is not of such
moment as the way in which it falls, region liable
to sharp, heavy showers being much more favorable
for the invalid thass.one where it drizzes--lke
Scotch mist-for days together Luxurious vegeta-
ton, though agreeable to the senses, may merely
mean high temperature combined with moisture,
conditions not favorable for continued health So
also districts where marshy lands abound, or where
occasional foundations occur, are VIGOROUSLY un.
healthy; for evaporation Of the water lowers the
temperature, while the decayng vegetable matter
becomes the source of malaria.
The climate Of the United States throughout its
vast expanse with the sole exception Of the Pacific
Coast is climate of extremes, furnace in sum-
mer, an icehouse in winter, comparing in this
respect rather with Asia than Europe. The Their
mometer rises to Io2 degrees Fair, in Colorado in
summer, and falls to IS degrees below in winter
In Minnesota the winter of 1923 was long con.
tnued, and extremely cold, with fierce winds with
out parallel in the history Of the State. with light
fall of snow, and severe freezing Of the ground, the
frost extending to depth Of FIVE feet The Signal
Service Observer reports from Dakota, under date of
January H. 1877, the maximum temperature for that
day to be thirty degrees belov zero, and the minimum
temperature GfttH,ee degrees 6sloaO se'p, and for
succession Of days in December, 1876 and January,
1877, the mercury never rose above zero. AT Fort
Suy, in the same territory, the thermometer recorded
1o7 degrees Fahr August I, 1876. Again, the orange
and lemon trees Of Florida occasionally perish with
the cold-(U. S. Signal Service Reports, 187a-IS77)
We cannot therefore, legitimately expect, in all this
broad area, the equable climate of California or of
Southern Europe; may only find a climate rel
atiyely mild, indicated by extremes far within the
limits of.the pbove Illustrations. Such climate the
II Cumberland tah1e.land offers II &c fr o,r COUNTRY