The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-06-13
CLIMATIC CHANGES.
ProE Cleveland Able Discourses on This
Interesting Subject.

Prof Cleveland Able DiscourseS on This
Interesting Subject.
An article in the Forum is upon the
subject Of the much-talked-of change in
our climate. The writer. Prof Clevc-
land Abbc, says that the notion that it
is possible for climate to change is a
modern one. Our ancestors lived in q
region subject to but slight climatic
changes, and on this account perhaps
presumed that climate was absolutely
Interchangeable. In 1872 Cuvicr pub
lished his discourse on the Kevolu-
tions Of tho Surface OF the Globe and
Changes Thereby Produced in the AMI
NAL Kingdom" This was at that day
considered rs contradicting ancient ira
ditions and the evidences OF tho senses.
Cuvicr had in mind slow changes which
were In progress through long ages and
resulting from geological alterations.
But after the publication OF Cuvier's
discourse people got used to the idea
that climatic changes were possible.
Many writer's have since endeavored to
demonstrate that climatic changes have
taken place within historical times.
Nowadays it is indeed common to meet
with persons who believe that climatic
changes may occur within a generation.
The distinction between climate and
weather is that weather ia the condi-
ton OF the atmosphere at my one time.
while climate is the general condition
Of the important features OF the
weather during q considerable time
Every body knows that the averages
and extremes OF temperature, rainfall
and other atmospheric phenomena
differ from year TO year. One or two
abnormal years may greatly affect the
average OF any short terms in which
they occur.
IT the observation Of temperature af-
ford little hope Of demonstrating per-
manent change OF climate the observa-
tons OF rainfall afford no better.
The difficulty is that there are no
ancient records with which to compare
our modern observations We know
nothing Of the temperature and rain
fall Of distant epochs, Of the duties OF
early and late frosts, the freezing OF
rivers. cold winters and hot summers,
the opening Of navigation, and the
temperature OF the earth. In our per
plexity to know what ancient climates
were, recourse has been had to the
periodic phenomena OF animal and
vegetable life, the flight Of birds
and tho ripening Of plants. But there
is no evidence of any sensible change
in the climate at any point Of the
earth's surface during the last 1000
years The fact that Chaldea, Egypt
and Arizona contain deserts, where
there was formerly cultivation. is no
evidence Of o change Of climate. The
ancient fertility of these countries may
have been duo to skillful irrigation
rather than to moro abundant rains.
The fault, 1t seems, lies with tho me-
tcorologist Of ancient times, who neg
lectcd to make, or at any rate to pre-
serve. his records. There is ono nat,l-
raj phenomenon which was observed as
carefully in ancient rs in modern times.
This was the rise and fall Of the Nile.
If we should at any time discover upon
Egyptian monuments any records Of
these observations we shall have some
data upon which to compare the ancient
and the modern climate Of the Nile
Valley. The upshot of the writer's
conclusions is that not only is it impos.
sible for us TO know whether any
change Is taking place in our climate,
but that IL will require some hundreds
OF years of observation before we can
know what our climate is