The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-18

The peculiar weather we are exper-
fencing this winter is not only subject
Of comment but wonder, In the Ohio
valley it has been singularly variable
and mild enough to please the taste Of
the most fastidious, However pleasant
II may be for physical comforts 1t is GER
tainly not In season, The New York
Herald has very comprehensive article
on the present phenomena, remarking
that though the sun is in almost the
fourth week ofitsreturn journey from the
southern tropic Of the Equator, the
prospects OF real winter in the United
States is US distant as ever, In the Far
Northwest a few zero temperatures, 1t Is
true, have been reported, But abnor'
mally mild weather has been and ia
likely to be for the present decidedly in
the ascendant over North America,
Even on the adjacent ocean the season
is exceptionally tranquil in the tropical
and subtropical regions"
The Captain Of steamer that arrived
in New York from Costa Rica reported
that they had remarkably fine weather
and perfectly smooth sea all through
the trip. This Is said to be an extraor
binary record at this period Of the year
and tho Herald commenting on the fact
says;
1t would seem clear, therefore, that
the mild winter prevalent on the Amer
lean continents has extended tothe sub
tropical ocean. III an ordinary January
great waves OF high barometrlc pressure
sweep down from British America ovel
the United States and thence southwark
into the Gulf OF Mexico and the West
ern Atlantic, sometimes driving back
sailing vessels bound from the West In
dies u New York and delaying their ar
rival for weeks. This season however
there have been no vessels Overdue
from northwesters blowing of our Allan
tic coasts. instead OF the continent
sending its icy winds to chill the inter
tropical Atlantic, the latter has furnish
ed much OF It's surplus heat and moist
ure to temper our continental winter.
The reason for this reversal OF The
ordinary winter processes is found II
the absence Of the ordinary high wintel
pressures in North America. How Ions
this anomaly will last, to the annoyance
Of would.he ice haryesterst is the burn
ing question OF the hour, which can b.
answered only by collecting and com
pairing meteorological data from oil part
OF the globe. While, unfortunately
these data are not 10 be had, we ma!
premise some OF the effects Of the pres
emit anomalous season on the Atlantic.
The unusually high sen temperature II
the tropics, unless soon greatly modified
must shortly result in excessive cvapora
ton. This excess Of Vapor borne by tn,
winds into extra.tropiCal regions mus
also produce storms OF abnormal violence
and very heavy precipitation in the Nils
siasippi Valley. so that We may look TO
more than tue average number Of lorna
does next spring aud summer In ant
north OF the Gull States, with an early
and wet spring in the country east oftli
Mississippi.
The continental cyclone OF last week
which developed tornado storms II
Pennsylvania, and Is likely to be repeat
ed with some variations to-day and TO
morrow, may be taken as typical otthl
disturbances likely 10 ensue for SON,
time, unless there Is au early and mark
ed change in the distribution Q
barometriC pressure over the continent
But 1t is still not too lateto hope for sucl
q change.