Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-03-11
Is THE CLIMATE CHANGING.
In the Opinion OF a we.,h~r Bar.au Es.
pert lt .. Not.

IN the opfuluu of n Weather RQreau a.
pert 10 0. Not.
Prof. "A. A. Hsz~n in she Engineering N.g,yi,a
From the 4th TO the Goth 81 January the tenn
per.ture in Washington city was Is degrees
below the normal. and the maximum. which ON
the average goes below freezing but three times,
went above Il but once, and then 20 only "A de-
grees, during the same time. At Bismarck \.
d.. the temperature was degrees nboy. the
normal Thus the Washington temperature
relative TO that at Bismarck was % degrees
lower than usual Many hold TO the theory
that our cold comes from the extreme north
west. but this could hardly have been true in
the case quoted. A singular fact is that Usually
storms going to the hward draw in tho
warm sonth wind aud beat up the air, hut tina,
condition has apparently had the opposite "a -
this year. and this j. dine to In. souihward trend
of the high areas. which has given All abnormal
cold season 10 the south aud cold south wind-
TO the north
IL is probable that orr upper atmosphere Ia.
been greatly cooled to enormous heights Jan
nary and February, 1875. the coolest
months experienced on Mount Washington
$500 feet high aud they were also the cold
est months at Burlington. Vermont. near the
base of the mountain. There has been no eN-
tensive and intense cold wave this SEASON. ~ we
have had in one or two wears before but there
storms have had great velocity. and ~ seems
reasonable Ia conclude that his has tended 20
prevent heating from convection currents set
up at the earths surface. aud also the rapli
motion has set up worthless which have caused q
SURFING up OF the warmer lower air with tho
colder above. IL Is the general opinion that of
lste our winters have greatly moderated
though some believe To the contrary. The rec
ords do not show any very great change the
average temperature In ten-year periods having
remained constant We are more likely 10 re-
member the great blizzard of March. lsss. than
the great warmth Of 1880
SONG have Thought that the rainfall Of our
western country has gradually increased since
Its settlement was begun. Fine crops nov grow
where II Is thought that none could have been
produced fifty wears ago. In this case how
ever, II seems more than probable that the
rainfall has been kept in the ground bv the
ulling OF the soil, instead Of running OF at
once TO the rivers; also, that the growth of paut
has kept the air more humid. which has been
favorable TO vegetation. Ii has been suggested
that the extension Of railroads Las permitted a
distribution of electricity and has attracted
thunder and other violent storms TO tue west.
ern country. One person who held this theory
visited a town two years after "a tornado and.
seeing the railroad. promulgated this view. In
fortunately. however. il was shown subsequently
that the railroad was there at the time of the
tornado. The opinion has been expressed that
the building up Of blocks and the great qlan-
uty of heat from chimneys in large cities must
moderate the cold. liz l. evident that the wind.
would be much broken up in a large city. but
II Is not probable that a well-exposad Their
momefer would show any appreciable differences
between the city and country