The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-05-02

in particular; as regards tempersture Wind, moiss
ture {including rainfall and hridftl sunshine and
the Typographical features ofkh6 ropntEI
.TopoaRApgx.
The Appalaehian Mountains tisidine hear the
North Carolina fine, In Virginia. and two ranges
through North Carolina with South-westMafdly
trend to South Carolina and Georgia. The country
between these ranges, tthe Blue Ridge on the East
and the AHeghanies on the West} called by courtesy
Western North Carolina, with area over that of
the State of Massachusetts, aad . population ofI1
of that of Massachusetts,, is convoluted by trans
verse ridges of mountains, solitary peaks, valHes,1
narrow and wide. table-ands, and ridges. The gen.
era level of this region is over 1000 feet above tide
water with peaks, by the rising above 6ooo
feet. These, high peaks are not found only in the
main ranges but in the transverse well. The
mountains being wooded to their very tops influence
the temperature and hold moisture which is precip-
itated in showers in the summer months.
For each goo feet of elevation above level the
mercury in the thermometersis lowered one degree.
This is PercePtible in summer than in winter.
1t is conceded that in elevated regions the air is
purer than at lower levels; contains fan
active germicide) and is stimulating to the surface
circulation thereby tending to relieve internal organs
of congestion, well as causing increased transpr
alton from the skinthrowing off impurities from the
system in greater quantities than at sea level
SUNSHINE.
Sir w. Temple thought that was the best climate
where he could be abroad in the air with pleasure,
at least without Inconvenience the most DAYS of the
year and the most hours of the day..
1t is sufficient to say that, there is an average of
z59 clear days in the year at Asheve the only point
in the region from which information is obtainabe
The writer knew of 2SI cloudless days at Colorado
Springs, Col, in year. But one tires of the
stant down-pouring rays of the sun with seldom
intercep;ing medium. DR.. Huntington Richards, of
New York, says, in writing of Asheville: "Short of
the often inconveniently distant Rocky Mountain
plateau no better elevated winter and summer resort
for physical patients exists within the territory of
the United States, probably none 50 good"
F, TEMPERATURE
Your committee canret give better information on
that point than to quote from pamphlet written by
the late Prof. H. P Gatchen II years ago, which has
been depended upon to great extent for facts and
quoted by most writer's on onr climate siHt
The climate of the entire this side of the
Sierra Nevada, and more especially this side of the
Rocky Mountains, is climate of extremes, compat-
ing in this respect with Asia rather than with Eur
ope. The mercury rises to one hundred degrees and
upward at ST. Paul and Quebec and the orange trees
of Louisiana and Florida occasionally. perish with
cold. We must not look anywhere on this broad
for equabe climate such characterizes the coast
of California or that of Western Europe. We can
only expect climate relatively mild; and that We5-
tern North Carolina offers.
at is, for our country, remarkably exempt from
great extremes especially those of heat. The aver
age of the extremes of heat three successive years
at Ashevle exceeds by only three degrees the aver
age of Mackinac famed for the coolness of its sum-
mers, for the same number of years. Yet the mean
summer temperature of AshevilIe is eleven degrees
to perfect the grape; and the peach And while its
extremes of heat little above those of Mack
mac, its extreme cold is nearly thirty degrees less
"Among tive hundred andeighty-six points east Of
the Rocky Mountains only three reported as low a
maximum during the hot summer of 1868 did Ashe
vlile Of eleven points in the State of Wisconsin,
cooled by the great lakes only three reported low
mean for July; and of these three, one Bayfield,
Lake Superior, while it afforded 4 mean slightly
lower, gave maximum ten degrees higher.
"While Asheville has mean summer temperature
but one degree higher than that of St Paul. its maA-
mum is from twelve to fifteen degrees less. Its win
tremes from thirty toforty degrees above those
of St. Paul Asheville has nearly the summer mean of
st. Paul. with a winter mean of Fayette-
vile, in Northwestern Arkansas two places
that differ nine degrees in latitude. Those who have
summered on Lake Superior impressed with the
similarity of the summer atmosphere of this mountain
region. They find the climate equally invigorating,
and the country comparatively exempt from insect.
pests. =:
"The climate of Asheville is no EdenEclirnate 1t:
partakes less of the variableness thAt per-
tains the of our territory. has
winter days and some clustering March weather;
but it is on the whole, the best clmateHe have. If
1t lacks the uniform mildnesS of potion OF Cali
fornia it does not ON the other hand heget that e
cessive sensitiveness which is engende9ed lin Cali
fornia. 1t develops more robust constitution. 1t
seems to afford favorable medium between the en-
ervating influence of the warm or uniformly mild
regions and the overpowering cold of high northern
latitudes. The snow seldom remains many days at
time, on the highest mountansS and its stay
in the valleys generally be measured by hours,
.sTo aid the reader in judging of the merits of the
climate of Asheville, append the following table,
comparing it with that of Geneva in Switzerland
Turin and Milan in Italy, and Vienne in the Valley
of the Rhone, East France. Turin and Vienne are
situated in famous vine districts, and all of them
noted for pleasantness of climate. ~ esss.s -
Spring. Summer. Autumn. Winter. Year