Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-11
HOT AND COLD
"The Change In Our Climate and
Its Cause"
Address By Sergt. Dunno, of
the Signal Service.


Those Regions.
NEW YORK, June 11.-Sergt e. B
Dunno, who sits up aloft in the Equita
BILE building and dispenses New York,
supply of weather in the namt
of the United States signal ser
vice, talked scientifically to the Academy
of Sciences in Hamilton hall, Columbis
college, on the subject, "The Change ir
Our Climate and Its Cause"
1T is the general belief" said the
speaker, "that our climate is undergoing
a change. Scientifically, little has been
done to prove the extent of the change
but the question is not new one. 1t
has been discussed in this country and
in Europe in past years without any
definite conclusions being reached.
Notable Changes.
"The most notable change that has
occurred in this vicinity has been the
warm winter months of 1888, 1889 and
1890. According to the figures Of the
signal Office in this city, the highest
mean temperature in the past nineteen
years was 53.5 degrees in 1889, and the
lowest 4o6 degrees in 1875, confining
the annual range of mean temperature
to 40 degrees and making the annual
mean temperature 52.3 degrees.
"The records show that since 1875
there has been an increase of heat in this
city, except in the years 1885, 1886 and
1888. These years show slight de-
crease; in not single year up to 1882
did we receive our full amount of heat.
Tn, In 4
severe. In 1882 the mean temperature
just equaled the normal. Since then,
except in the three years mentioned,
there has been surplus of heat and in
the past two years the surplus has been
most marked.
Co1dest Year on Record.
"The year 1875 was the coolest on rec
ord, and showed deficiency of ,029 de-
grees, while the year 1889 was the warm
est on record and had an excess of forty
five degrees. The most noticeable change
and increase of heat began with the
month of November, 1888. The greatest
excess took place in the winter months.
The month of August shows a defci-
ency, and, strange to say, the mean tenn
perature in that month during the past
eight years has been below the normal.
"The months of July and September
show a loss OF heat during the past two
years. brlt not as great loss as the
month of August. Since Jan. /, 1890,
we find the same excess, only to a
greater extent, than in 1889. The great
increase in heat enables us to determine
beyond doubt that change has taken
place in our climate, and assures us of
two things:
First, that the greatest excess of heat
occurs in our coolest months, modifying
them to such an extent as to make them
favorably with our southern
and second, that the months Of
July, August and September have q
to be cooler than the mean. 1t
Is believed that the summer months will
greatly reduce the surplus heat already
recorded.
"If not, the coming winter must be
decidedly colder than usual, to bring
the mean temperature for the year with
In the range of the past nineteen years.
Otherwise, the theory that our climate
Is changing will be strengthened. Now,
the question arises, what has been the
cause of the changer
Within the past year or so, most
storms have hveled across the country
north of the city, and have followed
in such rapid succession that it
was only on such rare occasions that an
area of high pressure with cold wave
could slip down from the northwest and
0verspread this part of the country.
During the months of December,
1889, and January and February, 1890,
only one storm center passed south Of
this city, which is one fact in account
ing for a scarcity of cold weather. These
months embrace twenty-eight well de-
fined storm centers which passed north
Of this city, each in turn causing
steady flow of warm air from the south
over the central valleys and this section.
"In former years, while q majority Of
the storms passed north Of this city, the
interval of time between their passage
was longer and they were generally fol-
Owed by an area OF high pressure which
extended over greater part of the
and their severity was partly
,pent before reaching the Atlantic coast.
The number OF storms that passed off
he coast south of New York averaged
lbout one-third the number that passed
north of the city. Each of the former
irew cold wave over the city.
Irrigation Does 1t.
an my research found that many Of
he storms originated in the great inter-
or plateau of the Rocky mountains.
These Estorms invariably passed over the
irrigated lands of either Colorado or
Wyoming and sometimes Nebraska and
Kansas.
storms from the northwest and south
vest, with few exceptions. took the
iame course across some of the states
mentioned where irrigation existed.
Some appeared to be drawn hundreds of
niles out of their natural course into
he irrigated region. During 1885 sixty
,wo storms passed directly over or into
he irrigated region, while in 1889 the
number was sixty-seven.
"All storms. like electric currents,
follow a path of the least atmospheric
resistance. An increase of mois ture
ltfers extra attraction. The immense
lrea of country surrounding the irrf-
gated lands offers resistance to a storms
Movement ON account of its dryness.
1In my opinion the further change in
our climate depends entirely upon irri-
cation. If the lands in the northwest
are first reclaimed the effect would be
% have a continuance of storm tracts
,ver the higher latitudes.
sOn the other hand. should lands in
he southwest be first reclaimed the
storms would take their former course
and greater number would pass off the
coast south Of New York, thus drawing
1pon the city cold waves, as in previous
years.
Sergt. Donne illustrated his remarks
by means of maps showing hepaths and
extent 0f storms.
u. j. Doornink, OF Grand Rapids, Mich.
wears on his watch chain a seal which has
. raao,,i of ,,ver a1O vpsFs