The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-02-11
THE BALMY CHINOOK.
How II Banishes Winter From
the Pacific Northwest.
wAaM saEArH or kUao s'wo.


shores OF Puget sound, ana tne fHtHS
region has stepped gladly into the de-
lights Of spring time On all sides are 70
- xe4u the evidences OF the change
bright sunshine, shFubbery putting
forth leaves. treas sesaing out shoots
ri living green. and birds twitfer1ng In
4ne branches, ard the braeing. baiIny
s.ss--s.,spl,cre. the gift OF salt water and
4fas fragrant chinook, all point urs'ens-
ably 10 the fact that nature has awak-
ruasf from her trfef sseep during De-
cernlser and January.
The "a use Of this renewed life rs the
wafrn breath Of the Kuyo sswo. the
beuefieent agent that banisfses snow and
Zee from the Pacific northwest From
The time OF the ssariy Hudson bay trap
rers this wind has been known as the
s'ciknook,'' a name IL has retained. al
though the beaver and the bear. the
trsppers. the Indians, and the 1argon
itself have faded away until they are
now scaresIy known save IN rfnseni-
br4nce OF the hardy pioneers sr their
oldest Sons. The Chinook seems 20 have
achieved Immortality. Is Is the Ariel
that sets al liberty the good spirfts that
sail into the clutches " the Caiiban cf
winter.
Ex-Governor Eugene sempie writes
- follows Of the winds Of the Ncrtn-
west:
winds coming from different quar-
ters, and possessing various character
tstiex. we're named by the Indians after
the countries from whence they APP
SCARED to coule The tribes that formerly
lived about the Middle Columbia exer-
eIsed q great influence upon the nom-s
ef1slasure Of the country. probably be-
cause they lived In immediate contact
with the Hudson bay colony at VAN
couver. and with the earliest American
settlers along the lower Willamette and
On the Tuaatin plains and the Cowlitz
prairie
'The east wind. that drying or chill
ling wind. according to the season. that
blows down the Columbia river With
force sometimes. was called By them
tbs Walia walia wind. because 1T came
from the direction ~ the walla Walisa
country. In the winter this wind brings
freezing weather and sometimes will
close the streams with Ice. In the sum
EIier n Ii q parching wind. and its APP
preach can be noted for long distances
AZ It lifts dust and debris high In the
air. 1t Is an adious wind, and no one
witches # 10 blow upon him. Fortu-
nateiy It's reign Is always short. 1t
rarely prevails for more than two hours,
but sometimes Will continue for three
or four days
Its enemy Il the Chinook wind, SO
called by the Indians alluded to above,
because 1t came to them from the diree-
ton Of the country OF the Ehinooks.
This is q baiuly wind. coming from the
KasO Siwo. or great japanese current.
pf the Pacific ocean. In the summer Ii
- cool wind. and 6>mpers the heat
uf tho summer so that nowhere In
Washington do people fab Of sun
strokes. In the winter IL Is a warm.
moist wind, and Is sometimes slightly
osauiferous. as IL spice-laden frutst the
tropics. II Is 80 gentle upon ordinary
occasions that its presence could not be
noticed by its motion. and IL is almost
miraculous In its effects. Snow and ice
disappear before 1t with rapidly, and
IL seems 10 be able 10 blow for long
distances between walls OF colder abr
without parting with Its heat. some
times IL constitutes m upper current
from the mountain tops, while the Their
moneters In the valleys register far
below the freezing point. At other times
II ss the surface current and follows the
valleys as a fio-od might follow them.
IL seems 10 bear hsaling upoa its wings.
Ike Sansiaiphpu. the Angel of PRAYER.
and IL is not difficult to conceive that
the Indians would wish Co pcrsonify Ii
isi order to fix upon IL their devofions.
The wind sometimes peaefrates as
far as the upper stretches of the Mis-
souri,. and even telnperg the afr OF la
kota beyond the Rocky mountains.
Wherever II goes the chains OF winter
are tssslooxcd. and the i->e~bouna rivers
are set free. The Chinook is the nat
hFsli enemy OF the odious east wind.
and. while ordinarily II wieiis It's infiu-
eucs as gently as The xenhyrs that wafc
the thistle downs In autumn. sun there
are times when the two winds engage
IN giant conflicts. and light fer suprern-
neg. row IN the upper, then In the low
er strata. on THE mountains and I'm the
Valleys. alternately driving each other
back and forth, swayisls the trees. toss
Ing the leaves. ard swiriln. the rain
drops. or the crystals of snow. as the
one or the ether advances But the
combat is never long, and the victory
Is always with the chinoos The ithab-
itasis east OF the Cascade mountains.
when the winter has seized them. and
the east wind daxhes saow In their
faces. pray for tho Chinook 20 come.
They took hy day for It's moist front
and listen by uighi Ter the noise OF IT'S
combat with the east wind. and when
1t reaches them ;laex asjals.e.
.snch l. the Chinook winti, the blessed
wind. Of the far Northwest.
The vast basin ~ the Columbia IN
Washington AMI Oregon sast OF the
Cascades. known as "T'he Inland En-
rirse.a Is the region where the bare
Geent Effects of the ShsnssaS may best
b. marked rNr Instance. AZ T7-e
Dat3es. seated almost under the tower
Ing SHE 81 Mount Hood. during the
severity ~ winter thu swalla waiia
Chinook sweeps alnng che majestic
river and finally locks Ii In ley en-
brave In the cd steamboat DAYS a
fleaekade 80 the river rue<sns Isolation
from the aassfie World g@ssharss for
weeks. and the people would watch
snStoussy for the first snsIcaisan ~ the
coming chiaoeS-scr 81 always came.
Finally. ssuse one wSssid see III "a the
North al the summit ~ the lofts snow
clad ksfSSilss hits a faiat dark streak.
nsasAIisy the first snFsxsst - shs warm
Wind. Although the town was snaw-
eoaad and there appeared nothing to
su1sase change tee ssessage rscgsa tht.
hillside conveyed silr ssssss..<lisgen,,e that
was snfalnhse
The Chinook. the Chinook" was the
Eissss exclamation ecaoesi feetn all sides.