Wichita eagle., 1890-02-15
SHIFTING OF THE SEASONS.

|
SHIFTING OF THE SEASONS.
| Sergt. Dunn Says There Is just as Much
Heat and Gold as Ever.
Are the seasons changing?" said
Sergt. Dunn, echoing che query. "Well,
/ as TO the amount of heat and cold re-
ceived and distributed over this part of
the earth | cannot say that there is very
much difference. The seasons may vary
| somewhat, but when the end of the year
comes around, and we begin to figure on
profit and loss of heat and cold, it is not
often that they do not counterbalance
| each other or come close to it. How do
| determine on the loss of heat and cold?
| Well. by taking the means of each
months temperature for great many
years and finding normal; then for
each day and each month calculations
are made to show whether the heat re-
ceived has been deficient or in excess.
Thus we are enabled to give the changes
IN seasons. For instance, the annual
mean temperature for this city is exact
ly 501 dogs. During 1888 there was
deficiency of 1852 dogs. mean tempera-
ture, or about Il dogs. for each day, and
every one knows the winter was mild.
This year there was an excess still great
er, and it amounts to nearly 3 dogs. for
each day. By comparing records for
twenty years past find the same excess
Or deficiency taking place.
''The cold snaps during the past win
ter were of short duration, but they
were sufficiently severe to overcome the
excess of heat gained for ten or fifteen
days, and it often occurs that the tenn
perature will run down to or 10 dogs.
above zero and remain there long enough
for solid ice to form. Should that occur
early in the season and ice remain on the
ground, people would say it was cold
winter, but no matter how cold it may
be, if there is no ice or snow, then the
old cry is heard about our grandfathers
days. Now the seasons show little or no
change, except that the cold spells are
shorter, more severe and come later in
the season, thus admitting a greater
number of days of moderate cold. The
same applies to the summer months. So
that makes it imperative for people who
balance heat and cold by feeling or mem
DRY to change their methods. The high
est mean annual temperature for the
past nineteen years is 52.9 and the lowest
4S.6, making range of only 4.3. This
fully verifies the statement that the same
amount of heat and cold is received, and
that if any change has taken place it
must be at irregular intervals.
do we receive cur usual contribu-
tons Of snow:'
''For the year 1888 there was trife
short of four feet. and for 1889 to date
two feet seven inches. This shows a ma
terial shortage of snow in comparison
with previous years and decided in
crease in rainfall"
sit is said that Professor Tyndall and
others ascribe the abundance of rain and
warm weather this season to a change in
in the course of the Gulf Stream, which
brings its current nearer to our coast.
Do you consider such to be the case?'
mo. In the first place, there is moth
been any change, except of temporary
nature, in the course of the stream, and
then the only information is based on
report from one captain, who, while
crossing the Gulf Stream near latitude 33
degs., found the temperature of the
water in one place. that was about twenty
miles vest of the stream, to be the same
IL l.. Il,
stream center. Even should there be a
change and the warm current run 100
miles nearer our coast, it would not ma
terially change our climate only at such
times as the wind would blow on shore
for an indefinite period, as all the storms
pass from our shores to the northeast,
and the prevailing wind blowing from
the southwest would of itself dispose of
the theory of any change in the Gulf
Stream as affecting our climate.
"The same weather conditions that ex-
list in this section prevail everywhere
east of the Mississippi, ane can readily
be ascribed to the unusual number of
storms crossing from the southwest over
the lakes Tito Canada, cutting off cold
waves and allowing high barometric
pressures to hold full sway over the
southern states, both forces tending to
increase the heat all along the line from
the Mississippi TO the Atlantic and from
the Gulf of Mexico TO the lakes. The
mild climate of the British Isles is just
" attributed 10 the Gulf Stream; there
the prevailing winds are from the ocean,
from west 10 east, carrying with them
the warm. moist atmosphere created by
the stream. Now our prevailing winds
are off shore and the Gulf Stream can
never produce such an effect on this side
of the ocean until the earth rotates in
the opposite direction and our storms