St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-23

statements as plainly as do. Well, viii
try to explain them to you.
Thermometers (heat-measurers, and, per
consequence, cold-measurers) were introduced
only at comparatively very modern date.
They have only received systematic attention
from learned men during the past hundred,
and chiefly during the past fifty, years, and
they are yet a riddle to the general public,
and even (begging your pardon) to the aver
age newspaper man and official parsonage,
(begging your pardon: sublime sir.l
The degrees of heat and cold de-
pend upon the Surroundings of the
thermometer in q given region and the spe-
cial exposure of the given thermometer This
you see in the comparison of the thermome-
ter at Fort Smelling. The thermometer at
tue fort proper, among cluster of buildings,
is two degrees higher than the one at head
quarters, where the buildings stand widely
apart and furnish greater degree of cold.
There is certain time of the day at which
the minimum of temperature is shown,
another certain time when the thermometer
records the maximum. The distance of the
instrument from the ground is to be cousid-
ereG. The wind intensifes severe temper
AZURE. The sun shining from clear heaven
will almost make summer of temperature
like that within the Arctic circle.
Take your position at the main door Of the
Windsor hotel in st. Paul, looking towards
the postoffice and cathedral. II is about the
average grade of the city. It Is sufficiently
near, for approximate estimates at least, to
the geographical centre of the city. Now, q
correct thermometer, hung up in ~the free
air at this point, seven feet from the
ground, would have indicated on the
morning of the second of January, 1885,
(your Fort Smelling date at twenty minutes
after sunrise (the time of the minimum tenn
pcrature of the whole twenty-four hours)
thirty-nine degrees. The official thermome-
ter on that morning, in warmer locality
and consulted at an earlier hour (say q
o'clock, and perhaps more remote from the
ground and in a warmer stratum Of air,
showed thirty-six degrees only. The differ
ence in temperature between the localities Of
the city and the colder localities In the sur
rounding country will run as high as eight
degrees. Fort Smelling on the lofty bluff, in
the freest Of free air. at the junction OF two
rivers, is on one Of the coolest localities in
the surrounding country six miles from
the center and at least two miles from the
edge Of the city Its forty-seven degrees, you
observe, are eight degrees lower than the
cold spot / indicate In the center OF
the city. and its forty-five degrees
are nine degrees lower than the markings
Of the official thermometer. How absurd,
then, and how untruthful and unjust TO your
city, 10 parade this excessive temperature
at Fort Smelling as the thermometer Of the
city.
Again. many quotations, and especially
the absurd ones, are made FROM spirit Their
mometers. Now, spirit Thermometers, al
though they do not suffer congeistion until
the hundred and thirty-second degree below
zero is reached, yet are wholly unreliable be-
cause subject TO so many variations.
know one in st. Paul which is usually nine
degrees too low In its markings. Four feet
from IL on the opposing jaInb Of the same
door Is 4 meTcuTidi thermometer which re-
cords correctly, but the boastful citizen, in
tent on big talk. and determined 10 freeze
the town all be can, swears by the spirit
thermometer II the spirit thermom eter
which allude TO is the property of public
spirited Minuesotian, he ought to remove II.
II is in a central position In your city, and
Is a libel on your climate. II the climate
were as reckless as a certain presidential
candidate It would sue this spirit thermome-
ter.
Again, must be considered the dry air, the
COO! nights keeping the snow upon the
ground, aud the great and sudden range Of
the temperature, sometimes marking, from
the twenty minutes after sun rise. through the
FIVE, or less than five, hours 10 noon, as
many as forty degrees, an increase Of
temperature OF the rapid average OF about
nine degrees per hour And this rapid
ameloration Of the temperature. is, In my
experience, very frequent popularity Of
your locality.
There is a saying. and one founded on
good reason, that il the temperature falls as
low as zero, 1t makes little difference how
low il goes. This is true. Zero is severe, and
In a wind under clouded sky,i is more severe
than forty below. Forty below Is severe,
but In quiet air and brilliant sunshine it is
not as cold as zero under the other condi-
tons.
The climate Of Minnesota has abundant
sunshine. You have greatly many more,
believe double the number, Of clear DAYS 10
the winter, than are enjoyed by the latitude
Of northern Indiana. You can easily figure
the result when you know that In Iudiana
the presence OF sunshine raises the tempera-
ture City degrees in objects exposed to its d.
rect RAYS, and am told by Mr.. II. $. Fair
child, Of your own city, thst actual expert
rnent shows that the difference In Minnesota
under the same conditions, such Is the in
creased brilliapcy and dryuess of your at
mospbrre. reaches eighty degrees.
II was not in Miunesois, but in central
Nebraska. two hundred miles to the south
ward, that two men travelling we're recently
fruzen TO death in their buggy. 1t was not
in Minnesota but in Indiana, three hundred
miles to the southwarl. that In a temperature
Of only four below zero a few dsys ago men
on foot were beuumbed aud frozen 10 death
on the highways. The sunshine Of Mime
sofa would have saved them. but the more
southern atmosphere is humid, the more
active processes Of evaporation aud con-
drpsstiOn shorten the periods Of sunshine
and add an exquisite bitterness 70 the cold.
This morning. for instance, the temperature
on the Wabash is thirteen below aud no sun
shine. With you il Il probably twenty below
with abundant sunshine. Tue conditions
with you. then, are greatly preferable; and IL
the increased beat Of the direct RAYS Of the
sun are taken Into account, the tenn erssure
so modified with you is from fifty to eighty
degrees higher than the temperature not
modified with rs. As 4 single instance
among the thousand; Every winter
reveals that OmAho. two hun
drrd niles 10 ths southwark,
has days wherein the temperature Is as low
as. or lover than, that Of the corresponding
day in S. Paul. without the Modification Af-
fOried oy YOUR sunshine
In our day the word climate" in is
original sense Of slope or bel. Of the globe,
between exact parallels OF latitude. Is g mis-
nOmer. AZ least IN It's ATTEMPTED practical az
plicariuu 10 the QUESTIONS 81 temperature,
moissnrr, wind. weizAs Of air. amount aud
degree % sunshine and Atmospheric phe-
rorsena- Il Is bot little over ffry years
since Humboldt concluded and Published bis