Delta chief., 1883-06-27
Temperature.

To the Editor of THE CHIEF:
Extremes meet" and when the sun now
climbs the zenith with dazzling light and tor
rid heat, or at the winter solstice slants
through the frosty air its rays, temperature
receives quite general attention. Whether
it be mode of motion, emanation, or some
other mysterious what not, we will not dis
cuss. just now we are interested in results
and effects, but would insinuate that being a
mode Of motion it does not assist locomotion
from 10 Il. m. to 6 p. m. Is ita monopoly?
RESULTS AND EFFECTS.
Sensations, impressions and crude guesses
are being gradually supplanted by exact
methods so that mankind as Il whole are now
governed in their estimates by precise meas
urements. The capacity a body has for heat
essentially controls its change in temperature.
Water has an immense capacity for heat. The
quantity of heat sufficient to raise water one
degree would raise 80 times that amount of
quicksilver one degree. The change in temper
ature, other things equal, is inversely as the
capacity for heat. Water is the mt st stable
and conservative, dry air the most tickle and
huc.uating substance. The one flows on in
its conservation of previous cold and heat,
yielding slowly to daily change; while the
other jumps high in the scale before the me-
ridian sun, dropping rapidly again after it
reaches the horizon.
The Gunnison river now varies daily 80 to
40; the atmosphere, 500.
A compensation for the ficklencss of dry
air is its non-conductibility and stimulus to
evaporation. 1t does not impart either heat
or cold, and being dry, rapidly absorbs per-
spiration, and consequently heat, the heat
passing off as latent heat-heat of evapora-
ton. So rapidly is the moisture absorbed
that we are hardly conscious of sweating, as,
they do at sea level or in moist atmospheric
where the moisture collects into drops and
even drop from the person before evaporation.
Suppose two cases: First, you drink ice
water; it is perspired and evaporated. See
ond, you drink ice water; it is perspired but
not evaporated. The proportion of heat
temperature of the body being 10O0-is in
the first case 1909 minus 32o plus 112o plus
1,o0Oo, equal 1852 Fab. in the second case
100o-32o-6So. Over seventeen times the
amount of the second case. The heat con-
sumed by evaportion of water is simply i'm
mense. A drink of warm water in cold
weather may, by causing evaporation, cause
cold. Indeed, the difference between the
temperature of two draughts, may become
slight compared to the effect upon perspira-
tion, the warmer draught producing the
greater cold. This reasoning is applicable
only when the perspiration is rapidly alb
sorbed by evaporation.
Steam at 212o has 10000 of latent heat,
and its latent heat plus the sensible heat, be-
ing constant, at 1909, its latent heat==112o
plus 1,0O0o-1, ,112o, the basis of the calcula-
ton in the two cases just given.
The sprinklng of streets, sidewalks, floors,
the efficacy of wet cloths in reducing infam-
the truth of these numbers. The tempera.
ture of water used has very little to do with
the result only as it stimulates or retards
evaporation. 1t is the immense consumption
of heat by evaporation that produces the cold
and reduces inflammation.
When the Grand, the Gunnison, Uncom-
pahgre and other streams now carrying the
heavy SHOWS of the western slope in floods to
the Gulf, are scattered by bitches and cvap-
GRATED, our climate will become more even
during the "a hours. A portion of the
suns thermic power will be consumed in
evaporation, and the nights will be cores
pondingly warmer, yet more damp. Other
possibilities can be inferred, but are foreign
to this paper. SANcToRIo.
a Fcw Interesting FacfS.