Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-12
rsprozAL rrIrenAm TO run DrsPAroH.,

nces OF the olgnal service, the hyorograpnlc
and meteorological divisions of the Navy
Department, and other places where the
phases of the weather are supposed to be in
telligently studied. But SO. far as can be
ascertained, these bureaus are unable to fur
nish any satisfactory explanation of the
phenomena.
1t is safe to say that General Greely, the
chief Of the Signal Service, is at loss to
accountfor the unusual state Of things upon
any basis of ordinary calculation. That is,
he cannot point to any one reason or set of
reasons that will explain the matter, al
though he can show in a thousand different
ways what are the local causes that have
brought about the very warm December.
NOT A RADICAL CHANGE.
It can be stated at the outset that General
Greely denies the proposition that has be-
come so popular of late, that the climate of
either the Atlantic or Pacific coast is under
going a permanent radical change. The
much mooted question of the course of the
Gulf Stream, he says, has nothing whatever
to do with the matter, as the most careful
observations and Investigations of
the scientific bureaus of the
Government fail to show that
the Gulf stream is undergoing any unusual
change. The only cause that would be apt
to drive the Gulf Stream inward would be
strong sea winds for period Of time, and
the tact ls'that for some time past the pre-
vailing winds have been off shore. It is
also true that in Mississippi the increase in
temperature has been even more marked
than on the Atlantic coast.
AGREE WITH GREELY.
The officers of the Hydrogrsphic Bureau
of the Navy Department agree with Gen
eral Greedy in the opinion on this subject.
Mr.. Hayden, who has devoted years to q
profound and conscientious study of the
subject, assured The DISPATCH reporter
to-day that there is not the slightest
foundation for the claim so per-
sistently put forth in some quarters
that the Gulf Stream is rapidly changing
its course. Mr.. Hayden says that the more
the matter is investigated the more the
fact becomes apparent that what are re-
garded as permanent changes IN the Gulf
Stream are but the effect of temporary local
causes, and that some totally different rea-
son must be found for the unusual mild
temperature along the coast at present.
- In conversation with q DISPATCH re-
porter to-day, on the general subject of
climatic changes General Greely, the chief
signal officer said:
NOT A NEW QUESTION.
This question of change in climate is not a
new one, it having received careful attention
in this country and Europe in past years. The
tendency of the human mind is to believe that
local conditions are general, and that several
weeks or more Of very warm or cold weather
are unprecedented. In Europe the idea
of change in climate has been promi-
nently brought forward in late years,
and number Of the most distin-
carefully examined the subject and have
unanimously arrived at the conclusion that the
climate of Europe is not changing perma-
nently. 1t may safely be said that this also ap-
plies to the United States. AS illustrating the |
fact that excesses Of temperature and rainfall |
are largely local it may be stated that dur |
ing the present year. up to the first Of Decem- |
ber, the following local excesses in tempera-
ture have occurred.
CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE.
New England. IL; Upper Lake region, II;
extreme Northwest including Dakota and |
Montana, 80; the Missouri Valley, middle and |
lower. 8; the north slope Of the Rocky Mount |
aims, Is; the Southern plateau districts, sAri- |
zona and New Mexico. 10; Utah and Wyoming, |
5; Idaho and Western Montana. 2l; Oregon
and Washington, p; Northern Cali
fornia, fS Il and nd Southern Cali California,
deticieneies E Of temnerasure pe'aTO amounsed ted
in the Middle States to 5: in the South |
Atlantic States to Il; in Florida %; in Ala.
Northern Texas and the Rio Grande Valley
49, the east Ohio Valley and Tennessee. Is; the
lower lake region, s; the Upper Mississippi
Valley. 0, and the southern slope Of the Rocky
Mountains, 8.
The excesses Of rainfalls have been as fol-
lows: In New England, inches; the Middle
inches; the West Gulf States, 2< inches; Mid
die Rocky Mountain slope, inches; Northern
California inches; Southern California, 11S
inches. The rainfall has been deficient in the.l
z inches; the Ohio Valley, inches;
the Lower Lake region, inches: the Upper
west west and Upper Mississippi valley, 61< inches;
Missouri Valley, 81 inches; North Rocky
Mountain slope, inches; Utah, 3inches; Idaho
and SS SsgGn sps
occurred in the Rio Grande Valley and West
ern Texas.
CONTRASTING CONDITIONS.
"These figures show, in short," continued
General Greely, "That while California has
had an excess of rain, Oregon has very
large deficiency. Similar contrasting con-
ditions may be noted in other parts of the
as shown by the above figures"
General Greely is equally emphatic in
the belief that climatic changes are not due
to sun spots, as many people contend. The
theory mas Deeu duNduCcu py many, He says, |
that the deficiencies and excesses of tenn
perature and rainfall depend upon the num-
Der of spots observable on the face of the
sun, and that the maximum and minimum
of temperature and rainfall occur over the
earth ss coincident periods with the maxima
and minimi Of sun spots.
B1andford, the meteorological reporter of
India, General Greedy says, has examined
he rainfall of that country for % consecu-
i've years, and finally concludes that the
iotal rainfall of India affords no evidence !
whatever that the excess or deficiency is CO
Incident with the sun spots.
SUN SPOTS AND DRoUGHTs.
A similar examination was made by Cen {
raj Greely regarding droughts, by which it q
appears that despite the theory that the most (
ainfall should come in the years of maxi /:
mum sun spots, some of the most severe !
lroughts have occurred in that year.
General Greely sums up all these obeerVa. Z
ions in the conclusion that the peculiar
Weather conditions of the past few months
re not due to any Of the causes named,
md that they are not in any way dependent
lpon the sun-spots, but due to the existence {
f storms passing over the country in high
# the Gulf Of St. Lawrence caused g =
tendy current Of air from the south and
outhwest across the continent toward the =
disturbed areas in Canada. The December B
Winds blow usually from the north and &
northwest, and are much colder, Of course, B
han currents from lower latitudes. Gen
raj Greedy also states, as the results of his q
observations and study. that the weather t