The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-08
The GULF STREAM.
1t Is Not Responsible For Changes In Our
Climate.

NOT Responsible For Changes In Our
Climate.
Because the weather affects every
body, everybody is interested in it.,
whether we get it hot or cold. or wet
or dry. There are affected people in
the world who pretend to despise dis
cussions of the weather. Such as these
say that fondness for weather talk
indicates an unfurnished mind. But
such critics do not mean what they say.
They are only fooling. There is not
mothers son or daughter in the world
who does not think about the weather,
like to talk about it, and, more than
that, hold opinions as TO what produces
q cold season and what hot one Con-
sidering these facts, it is one of the
strangest things in the world that the
science OF meteorology should be less
advanced than any other. Indeed, not
much progress has been made in it
since the days when the priests made
sacrifices to appease the anger of heath
en- gods, or since, under a newer and
gentler dispensation. men prayed for
rain, 1t is true that we gather weather
reports and telegraph them from place
to place so that, using the course of the
winds as factors in the problem. the
weather clerks can estimate what
the weather will be for twelve hours
or so in advance with possibly
a little more accuracy than the
old-time farmer could foretell it by
glance at the skies. But this is an adj
vance not worthy to be conceitcd about
We can neither make it rain nor cause
the rain TO stop But some day, when
we understand things better, we win
be able, maybe, 10 do these very things.
For dozen years or so there has
been an effort 10 account for cooler
summers and warmer winters than
those that were usual when our grand
fathers were young One theory was
that the gulf stream had changed It's
course and now flowed much nearer the
American shores. No scientist os repu-
tation ever advanced this theory, but
when che weather was chilly in sum-
mer or balmy in winter one heard this
theory discussed on every side. These
amateur meteorologists did not pretend
to tell how the gulf stream happened 10
get switched off from its old course, bnt
they seemed To believe il all the same ,
They seemed, also. to take il as well
proven that the American climate had
changed, and that we were never
going to have again either extrem-
ity OF heat or cold We wonder what /
they think now? Last summer there (
was week after week of weather 50 hot I
that those in cities pent gasped for +
breath like fish out OF water. That I
must have shaken the faith of some Of .
the weather-sharps. And the remnant I
OF the faith of those who held TO the i
gulf-strcam theory must now be aban- /
doned, for has not this been Il winter i
enough 70 please tho most !
hardened reactionary?
The truth appears 70 be that the eli /
ma tc has not changed. II does not dif- I
fer much from the climate of fifty or
hundred years ago II IS the people
who have changed They are more seu-
sitive 70 heat and cold. because they are
more nervous and hiyk-sfruBe Then,
OF the ofhcr hand. they live di 9ferently.
They are better housed, better fed. bet
ter clothed, and. above all. they have
better habits. They perceive the
cha uges in temperature. but are not 80
much incommoded by them There
tore. some think that the gulf-stream
has chauged its course. and 50 made tho
,lirnate different But the guif-streagn
5 right where il always has been,
and probably il wil cOatinue . do
business az the same old stand FRANK
Les!ie's Weekly.