The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-11-19

from the interior to the coast in order
to save their lives. Tto temperature in
Sydney ran up TO such record heights
ns 1o6 and 1os degrees; and even in New
Zealand, except at the extreme south
ern end, the famous hot northwestors
Of the Canterbury district dried up the
crops, while the North island, especial
~ near Auckland, looked a. though it
had been toasted in front of some
Titanic fire. In contrast, but evidently
in correspondence with these abnormal
features, the North Pacific was up-
usually stormy, Honolulu receiving
quite an unusual supply Of "Koua" or
winter storms; while California, at tho
boundary Of the oceanic area, came IN
for q similar excess Of its curiously
marked winter rains. Elsewleredrough
seems to have been the rule. The '1ow
Nile" was recently q formidable OBJ
stacle to the Soudan expedition. and the
violent resumption Of rain over its
basin, in common with the similar
change which now secms to be every
where terminating this world hnd
drought, is creating fresh sceurge by
promoting the conditions favorable to
the spread of cholera.
It is not easy to discover even tho
proximats causes for such a wide
spread anomaly, or TO draw practical
moral; but general survey would ap-
pear to show that the equatorial rain
belt has been less developed than usual.
and that the atmosphere over the con-
unents on either side of It he's been less
heaped up into narrow belts OF high
pressure and more uniformly spread
over large surfaces.
Where this occurs IN summer we have
the conditions which ere favorable TO
drought, merging suboequently-when
the lower air remains stationary, as 1t
did over the United State ID the spring,
and gradually becomes charged with
excessive heat and hunidity-into those
favorable TO the production Of local
storms and tornadoes. Tha storm at
Paris was due to such conditions, and
the result Of stagnntion rather than
an increase il the ordinary movements
Of tho atmosphere.
When the circulation over the North
Atlantic 10 more than ordinarily vigor-
GUS the energy Is expended IN the larger
horizontal moveEents, termed cyclones,
which frequently embrace an area a.
large IS Russia. II is only when these
motions are so reduced as TO allow the
warm lower air TO penetrate the upper
layers IN places, like water flowing
through q sink. end ike IL 10 draw In
the surrounding cir in rapidly rotating
whirls, that torpadoes are generated.
Such conditions, though common
enough over q large lard area Ike the
United States, are, fortunately, rem
dered rare IN Europe by virtue OF its
latitude and geography; so that we
need not conclude that the tornado cpl
,enic viii ever fnd a favorable breed
ing ground over here
On the other hand. IL Is plain that the
occurrence o. periods OF abnormal
weather are common 10 the whole
world. and are OF much greater econ
oraical importance than the daily
charges which az present form the sole
subject OF prediction by Tire European
.sureau. Not 80 prominently marked.
ard thus 70 large extent masked by
tie latter. these long waves nese-the-
less dominate the variation IN our sra
.ors. regulate ocr crops and n many
WAYS affect our general welfare In
ird.a, where TIE daily chzrgss-owiry
80 the comparative absence OF frequent
minor disturbanees-er- Ira prom
:acaf. predictions are officially made o.
the average weather OF each haif-yeariy
monsoon or season. snd with Hrch Sue
cess TIA: the government .hcre hes re-
Gently sanctioned al cr.-nEson Of The
means for constructing szeh tor-czsts-
81 lanes Caze.-e