Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-03-31
FRosr-MARKED IN THE TROPICS.
From tho San Antorio Daliy TX ,res.

that cause It, You know what we
call a pf shomenon is nothing but ,he
result Of some extraordinary combina-
tion o unusual circumstances. Now
such combination exists in certain
parts of the slope. You've been to
Monterey and must remember the
cloud-piercing pinnacles that rise alb
ruptly to the west, and whose ser
rated outline is lost in the horizon.
"These pinnacles are the eastern
battlements of the great table land of
Mexico, thousands Of miles in extent
and six to ten thousand feet above
the sea. A few miles to the east,
with deep valley intervening, is an
outer defence, long, narrow, but
lofty upheaval, of which the majestic
Saddle Mountain that overhangs
Monterey is the northern buttress.
On its eastern side this range drops
down to the almost dead sea level
that stretches sheer to the Gulf Of
Mexico, while through it are OCCASION
al riffs to drain the narrow valley be-
tween it and the great table land Of
the westward.
"It is in the neighborhood of these
riffs, that give exit not only to water
but to pent up air, that the phenome-
non that am telling you about oc-
ours. You see, when one Of the great
waves OF air that with almost fixed
periodicity sweep, from west to east,
even this part of the earth, reaches
the titanic tuuets that guard the
eastern limit Of the table land, it is
piled up in great masses that roll
down through breaks in the battle
ments and then whirl with storm-like
force through the few riffs in the out
er barrier.
"Now in the late winter months
this huge mass of air, that tumbles
down into the warm valley below, is
intensely cold, not only because Of the
great elevation from which it comes,
but because of its extreme dryness.
Anybody that has travelled in that
part of Mexico must have noticed
that if writing in the epen air, and
his letter happened to be long one,
before he could finish he would dir
his pen into mud instead Of ink. The
water would have all evaporated into
the thirsty air, leaving nothing but
the inky extracts.
"Here again several conditions com.
bine to produce the phenomenal dry.
ness. During the winter time the all
on the table land is colder and heavier
than the same strata overlying the
sea, so that no moisture-ladcn current
can reach it, consequently the same
air drifts about for months oyel
thirsty plains and against ice-cold
peaks, becoming from day to day dry.
er and dryer. Then another factor
, helps to deprive this air Of every YES
tige of water. These table lands are
not barren wastes as many suppose
but are usually covered with a thick
growth of different species of cactu:
and other plants that by wonderful
provision of nature possess to an extra
ordinary degree the power Of absorb
ing water directly from the air
While your ink is disappearing from
the bottle and your skin is being abso
lutely tanned upon you, prick one o.
these plants and water will ooze from
it. Indeed, Indians made long jour
neys over waterless regions assuaginl
their thirst with the liquid pressed
from certain varieties Of these hydro
genie plants. Naturally where th'
earth is so deprived Of its aqueou
blanket radiation has full sway dissi
pating in the winter nights the littl
heat gathered from the sun durinl
! the day.
"But before l come to the point
. must tell you something else abou
!. dry air that may be you have no
thought Of. You see what l am gein
to tell you is somewhat incredible, bu
+. if you thoroughly understand tn
causes you won't doubt it. Vel
. then, if you will fire stove up to
white heat, and then thrust you
finger into the red-hot but almos
chemically dry air within, the imm'
diate sensation will be not one Of hea
but coldness, induced by the rapi
evaporation of the natural moisture
the skin.
"Though within cannon shot of I'll
cold, dry table land, the valley that
have spoken Of, being at a low lev
and within the tropics, is always mis-
and would, Of itself, know no winte
In winter it does get frlgid winte
and in the twlnkling of an eye when
huge breaker Of air drops down on