The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-08
Remarkable Heat Re cord in
Australia.

&
Australia.
Some remarkable facts ir regard to
the heat record Of January last in Aus.
traia have recently been published 10
the New York Tribune
Au accurate record Of Fareuhelt
readings observed 10 the shade on a
verauda overlooking the Darling River,
in New South Wales. in January last,
is as follows 90 New Years Day,
1920; on January 2. lO7; thence
steadily rising to 1913 on JaDucry
falling to ia On the 10th, only to rise
to l24 on the 11tb and then, with
some fluctuations as low as III, but not
lower, scoring 12S 90 the 18th and
10th, .aud 129 on the 18th Such
temperatures 10 the shade seem incredi-
BILE. But the record is true. From
January 1 to January 19 the range Of
heat vas from 107-the lowest-,o
1890 iu the shade. What it was 10 the
suo one hesitates to think. At Adel-
aide ou January % the mercury regis
tered in the sun the appalling height Of
172o. Nor was there sny apprecia-
Bile relief from the heat at night For
the first three weeks Of January at 90
time in the twenty-four hours did the
mercury fall below 100. aud in many
places 105 was the loves, point re-
corded.
This Nspell of weather" was excep-
tional, no doubt. Just what caused
it is one of the mysteries of nature thus
far inscru,able to mortal ken. The
ories are plentiful as blackbeerles, but
uoue of them convincing. Perhaps
the most significant scientific fact con-
nected with the case is that in the
Southern Hemisphere summer occurs
when the earth is nearest to, and winter
wher it is turtbest from. the sun ;
exactly the reverse Of the conditions
prevailing in the Northern Hemisphere
We may naturally expect. therefore, to
find the extremes of heat and cold more
marked there than mere, and such is
Indeed the case. Let us compare, for
example, Grafton, in New South Wales,
near the coast, with New Orleans.
They are about equidistao, from the
equator, Grafton being in 26o 49,
south aud New Orleans 10 800 north
latitude. The mean temperature OF
the former is a little cooler than that of
the latter-68.5o and SO 50 respect
lively. The mean summer temperature
of Grafton ia the cooler-77 10 against
82o-and the mean winter warmer
SO 10 against $3.50. From these fig.
urss Que would say Grafton has more
temperate climate than New Orleans.
But the record of extremes makes a
different showing for the highest read
iog of the thermometer at Grafton is
1l80 in the shade, while at New Or
leans it is only $40, and the lowest at
Grafton is 2O9 against 80 at New
Orleans. The conclusion is, therefore,
that while 90 the average shz Southern
Hemisphere is fully as temperate as
the Northern. and perhaps even more
80, it is subject occasionally TO far
greater extremes of heat aud colo
But whatever the cause of this hot
wave of last January, tie results of it
are scarcely to be described People
died by thousands. Birds dropped
dead from the trees. Rabbits and
other animals. though hidden 10 the
shadiest recesses Of the forests. perish
ed wholesale. Those that survived
we're dazsd and stupe6ed, so that the
wildessand shyest could be anywhere ap'
proached and picked up Even iasec'
life succumbed, and perhaps the most
impressive record Of all was that furn-
ished from a place called Nyugan, t'
the effect that mosquitoes are being
killed by the heat" And all this it,
must be Remembered, was in a 80
called temperate zone. in latitude 300
to $50 south, corresponding 10 situa.
sioa With South Carolina aud Georgia
Surely. in the face of such record
With the mercury in the nineties we
may keep cool and take courage
Seientifie American.