The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1883-03-29
NOW COLD WAVES TRAVEL.
Some Of the Impressive Fscts Of Meteoro.
looicsI Phenomena.

Cold waves, SO called-a name for
which we are indebted to recent
meteorological science-do not appear
to move in some instances much faster
than a railroad express train. They
vary, however, in their rate of mo-
ton. Where do they come from? IL
Is not easy 10 say. 1t might be found
il one could travel at express train
speed from the mountains of Montana
aud the frozen regions farther north,
that the cold continued all the way to
Eastern Alaska. and on TO Behring
straits, with even a greater degree Of
intensity. In fact the coolest region
Is probably the wide expanse west.
and especially northwest, of Hudson
bay, ia the neighborhood of the Mag
uetic pole. A "cold wave" Is a wave
of heavy air. following the rarefied
track OF low barometer" aud chang
ing the rarefied aud miider atmosphere
which il usually also STORM 10 one Of
clear. cold skies; heavy air. full of
tonic power, and exhilarating and
hunger producing TO sound and
healthy animal life. The establish
ment OF the modern government
weather observation stations, with
:heir appliances, including the electric
telegraph and the daily press. has en-
abl-d the country io see and cornpre-
pend something of the movements Of
these frequent cold waves. The
movement j. rs marked - the adj
vance Of yertible sea wave. The
telegraph herald- it, start from the
Rocky mountains III always seems IL
begin there. though In fact IL rarely
doss-having it, origin much father
north, and its advance can tie timed
like that of railroad train. 1T speed
varies from forty Ia sixty, or some
times even seventy mile- an hour:
usually il would seem about iiity. II
rOll- over the country. a real wave,
an aerial counterpart, on the shore, OF
its congeneT, the tidal wave of the
ocean. and it, direction j. usually
from the Northwest To the Southwest.
IL sweeps slowly down from the
frozen wastes Of the Asiaiic shore,
and the equally fFiLid wilds of the
American main Land in the Arctic.
circle, To our Atlantic coaSt-iiS
breadth reaching all the way from
Nova Scotia Ia Cape Hatteras. aui
frequently making its chill presence
ieit as far south as Florida. The Ber-
mudas which lie jus; south of the
Gulf stream. u little over coo miles due
east of tharleston-feel the iufleHce
oF our "cold waves" very perc.ptiblg.
The solitary little group az small low
lying coral islands. which caI b."
reached by steamer from New York
in the same time that il would take Ia
81 to Savannah. happen To- lie oE TIE
leeward side of the gulf stream aud
that great thermal current of the
ocean forever saves them from frost,
aud keeps them in spring foliage aii
winter; hu:. while IL finally tcnper-
and moiiiies the north wind, ii ran
not quite rob il uf all it, intrinsic
rharacter-and result j. wind that
may be at times cool. and frequently
roi-terous, but never really cold and
those lonely islands, surrounded by
vide reaching coral reef. have all
winter a pleasant climate of spring.
That is almost all that they or the
more southern islands of the Bermu-
las ever know of our winter "ccld
waves" These come in an almost
rhythmical succession, and have
their causes. doubtless, a potent a.
those of the oceans tide, which they
strikingiy resemble.