The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-15
MILDER WINTERS.
A Grad unt ModIlcati0n of Cold for the
Next Nine Thousand Years.

A Gradual ModIlcation Of Cold for the
Next Nine Thousand Years.
Every now and then some weather sage
predicts extremely cold winters. and
another ventures to say that the sun IL
gradually losing heat, and in time arctic
cold will prevail over the globe. Whatever
may have been the changes during the vuat
cycles OF timo prior to the advent Of man,
or whatever may be the changes in the
time to come, one thing is quite certain,
says Joseph Wallace in the Popular Science
News, thu our climate has been much
modified within the last 2s,0M or 3,0OO. years.
"There have been fifteen climatic dhanGea
since the beginning of the glacial age. each
change lasting 1880 years. and each
change reversing the season III the TWO
hemispherss. the people which had enjoyed
perpetual summer being doomed TO under
go perpetual winter for 10000 years, ana
then passing to its former state Tor an
equal term. Tho physical changes nponn
the oarthss surface during the PAST so.uuo
years modified the change of climate even
in tho arctic regions, SO that the intense
cold of the former epochs was much mod1-
fed during the latter epochs.
Reckoning these climatic changes in their
order, We had entered the epoch OF q moro
genial temperature about LOU years neoi
and ii no disturbing change takes place
during the present epoch. We may ronsona-
bly, expect u gradual modification OF our
winters for 5000 years to come. Inc
changes to intense cold from porpetuai
summer during the greater part OF tho gla,.
cial period are Suppressed to nave been cAusso
by the high temperature of the north pole
ts compared 10 that of the south pole, ow-
ing to the distribution of land around ths
two. the south having almost none. Cr.
Croll thinks it was caused by tho varying
inclination of the earth's axis. which pro-
duced the relative position OF the W poles
toward the sun to be periodically reversed
at distant periods. pr. James Gsike agrees
with Croll on the reverse of seasonA every
10, 500 wears during certain periods OF high
ellipticioy of the earth's orbit. But it may
be asked: How could the fauna and tors
propagate themselves under such condl-
tions?'' The flora itself at the quatsrnary
age was of extreme vigor. We know this
from the little that ia left as, but more
especially from the presence Of Il large
number of herbivorous animals-stags,
horses. elephants. rhinoceri, etc.-whlch
animated the plains and valleys Of Europe
and America Mt that time. Evidently
aRated themselves without abundant
vegetation for nourlshment and develop
ment.
That which has deceived the adherents Of
the glacial theory, as understood in It's
absolute sense. is, they have generally
placed Il 100 llGn eSGlluato Ou AVS oAUoAe
and intensity. 1t needs but 4 little effort
Of the reasoning powers to come to the CON
clusion that the earth had cooled to the de-
gree that all animal and vegetable life
could exist upon it, and that a portion OF
the earth's surface permanently covered
with snow and ice was absolutely indispsn.
sable to the existence, perpetuity and we'll
being of animal and vegetable life. Ihere
is everything to show a modification of
climate i'll our own days. If this goes on
in the future as it has in the past there will
be 4 marked difference in the temperature
200 or 800 years from now. Even a degree
in 1000 years would effect a great change in
the course of time. The lowering of Q
degrees established the ancient extension
of glaciers, though it did not interrupt
animal or vegetable life. FiftT-four of the
fitty-seven species Of mollusca haye out
lived the glacial age, and all our savage
animals-even q certain number which
have disappeared-date equally from the
quaternary. and we're contemporary with
the GREAT extensions of the glaciers,