The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-12-13
COUNTY OFFICIAL, PAPER
Our Coast Climate.

Hary. w lLnOut pure air we Can
not enjoy perfect health, and to
prepare or obtain pure air is
less within the reach of man than
to prepare or obtain pure or prop
er water or food. Hence. any To-
cality, ,where nature has prepared
the purest kind Of air is a favored
locality. Extreme heat or extreme
cold are both uncomfortable and
to man. A tempera-
ture ranging from 40 degrees to 70
degrees confers the greatest COM
fort to inhabitants of the temper
ate zone, and the localities that
vary the least from that range Of
temperature are the localities
most to be desired to live in.
In no part Of the globe is there
a less range OF temperature during
the year, for a period of say TWEEN
ty years, than in the western por-
ton of the state of Washington.
Why is this? There must be a
cause. 1t is caused by our winds
and by the topography of our
country. Some persons claim that
the equability of our climate on
the west coast Of North America
is produced by ocean currents in
the same manner as the mild eli
mate Of the west coast of Europe
is produced. / do not agree with
item, and will speak only from
personal observation and exper.
fence. | was born in Scotland, on
lhe west coast Of Europe, where [
lived until old enough to go to
sea. Having followed the sea for
ten years, during which period |
was in each quarter of the globe,
and thaving been forty years on
the west coast Of North America ;
and having taken some interest in
natural geography aud in ocean
winds and currents, | long ago ar
rived at what | considered to be a
reasonable solution of our equable
climate.
Navigators all know that on the
ocean near the equator the wind
blows forever from east to west
supposed to be caused by the mo-
ton of the earth on its own axis
from west to east. These winds
are called the trade winds. North
of the equator they vary to the
northeast, and south Of the equa-
tor they vary toward the south
east, and are named the northeast
trades and the southeast trades
AS the southern hemisphere is
nearly all water, therej Isl less OBJ
struction to the southeast trades
than there is to the northeast
hence the southeast; trades blow
over larger area and with q
stronger and steadier force than dc
the northeast trades. The effect
of these winds on the ocean is t.
produce a current to the west
ward. Now by looking on tie
map of the globe, l!ani starting at
the equator on the west coast OF
Africa; we can imagine a current
flowing westward to South Amer
ida, but it can't go through South
America, nor it can't 60 southeast
against the strong southeast trades
to get around Cape St. Rogue, but
forced onward by the constantly
arriving volume of water and
forced to the northward by the
strong southeast wind, it flows
along the northern shore of South
America into the Caribbean sea
and the Gulf of Mexico. This is
its western limit, but forced on
ward it passes between Florida and
the Bahama banks, where, being
confined to comparatively mar.
row space, its velocity is increased
until it spreads in the waters OF
the north Atlantic where, being
carried by the prevailing westerly
winds to the shores of Europe, i,
flows along the coasts of Europe and
Africa, to be again reheated in the
tropics, and again carried west
ward by the equatorial winds
This water, brought from the
tropics to the shores Of Europe, is
what causes the mild climate O
France and England.
Now, view the Pacific ocean
The same trade winds blow Their,
and the same equatorial cnrren
flows to the west, but after cross
ing the Pacific it meets no impen
etrable barrier to obstruct its on
ward course as is met on the At
lantic, and instead OF being forcet
to the north and carried hacl
across the Pacific to the coast O
North America, it continues it
westward course through the thous
ands of islands lying between tn
Pacific and Indian oceans, until
reaches the coast Of Africa. 1t il
therefore, apparent that if there
Japan current crossing the Mort
Pacific, that some people claim,
cannot possibly be composed OF a
warm water as flows from the eul
stream, and that it is not to tn
ocean currents that we are indebte
for 0ur Onnia1 olipooto for Wild