The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-06-28

Caused BY Friction Between Currents of
Air There Is No Hope Of Their Abate-
ment Until WindbreaEs Of Trees and
Hedges Are Generally Grown,
A valuable report upon the summer
hot winds of the great plains has lately
been prepared by Mr.. I. NJ. Cline. and
published by the Philosophical So
ciety, of Washington. In the prepare
ton of this paper Mr.. Cline has
brought together all of the obserya-
tons to be had concerning the phe-
nomena of these winds, and discusses
the explanations given by the various
writer's. The popularity assigned cause
of these hot winds is that they are
due to excessive heating of portions
of the earth's surface and adjacent
layers of air at the time of drought
This explanation, as shown by Mr..
Cline. does not accord with all of the
facts, the cause not being sufficient
for the production of most of the de-
structive hot currents of air. He
states that hot winds have occurred
when the earth was wet, and have fol
lowed seasons of excessive rainfall.
He also states that the hot currents
occur in narrow bands or belts of width
such that sometimes only portion of
a field is destroyed. Often the hot
winds have occurred at night, or at
times when it would be impossible for
the heated air to have come from dis
tricts of drought.
The explanation offered by Mr..
Cline is that the intense heat of these
winds is due to the peculiar motion of
portions of air in its general circu-
lation. It is known that the general
course of the atmosphere is from west
to east The moist atmosphere over
the Pacific ocean passing eastward is
forced TO ascend the high mountain
slopes, and in so doing loses not only
its moisture, but large part of its
heat. The dry air in descending again
on the eastern slope acquires heat
more rapidly than the moist air in ris-
ing. If the descent is always gradual
this heat is slowly given out and the
wind is not excessively warm. If, on
the contrary, a small portion Of this
light, dry air is by chance carried out
beyond the mountains and then for
any cause descends rapidly through
the atmosphere, it, according to theory,
would become intensely heated. This
is apparently what takes place, and
owing to the peculiar topography of
the plain region east of the Rocky
mountain area, under peculiar condi-
lions Of weather, such descent of dry
air appears to take place in narrow
bands through cooler atmosphere.
These reaching the surface spread out,
take up the course of the general cir
culation, and mingling with the sur
rounding air, gradually lose their
excessive heat.
The meteOrlOgic conditions under
which this effect is liable to occur are
in this article 1t is shown
that not winds usually occur when
there is an area of low pressure Of the
atmosphere remaining stationary over
the eastern slope of the Rocky noun
tains, this area then gradually moving
off toward the east. At the same time
there is a relative high pressure over /
the Pacific in the vicinity Of Oregon.
winds under like conditions
as to relative position of high and loW
pressure have been experienced over
the central portion of the United
Stases, and occasionally to the east
ward, but these, owing to the general
humidity, are far less destructive and
and noticeable than those Of the great
plains.
In conclusion, it is stated that, con
trary to popular expectation, these
winds cannot be expected to disap-
pear or even become less frequent;
neither are they likely to become more
so, and, while nothing can be done
TO prevent their occurrence, steps \
should be taken to ameliorate their
effects, if practicable. It appears that
anything that would furnish an ex-
tended surface from which these hot
and dry winds could absorb moisture.
and thus by evaporation reduce their
temperature. as veH as increase their
moisture. would lessen their gee