The morning news., 1897-08-29
REMARK ABLE alaska WEATHER.
Midsummer Days That Have no
Nights Worth Speaking Of
From the AUGUST Century.

From the August Century.
The climate of all that portion of the
coast that is bathed by the Japan current.
extending from the southern boundary Of
the territory northward and westward %
the island Of Atoo, a distance of nearly
$500 miles, Is remarkably bland and free
from extremes of heat and cold through
out the year. 1t is rainy, however; but
the rain is of good quality, gentle in its
fall, filling the fountains of the streams.
and keeping the whole land fresh and
fruitful, while anything more delightful
than the shining weather after the rain
the great, round sundays of June, July
and August-can hardly be found else
where. An Alaska midsummer day is a
day without night. In the extreme north
ern portion of the territory the sun does
not set for weeks, and even as far south
as Sitka and Fort Wrangel it sinks only
few degrees below the horizon. SO that
the rosy colors of the evening blend with
those Of the morning. leaving no gap OF
darkness between. Nevertheless, the full
day opens slowly. Al midnight. from the
middle point between the cleaning and
the dawn. low arc of light is seen steal
ing along the horizon, with gradual In
crease of hight and span and intensity
OF tone, accompanied usually by r5l
clouds, which make a striking advertise
ment of the suns progress long before
ne appears above the mountain tops.
For several hours after sunrise every
thing in the landscape seems duh and
uncommunicative. The clouds fade tle
islands and the mountains. with ruffs u
mist about them, cast ill-deined shadows,
and the whole armament changes to pale
pearl-gray with just trace of purple hn
It. But toward noon there Is a glorious
awakening The cool haziness Of the air
Vanishes. and the richer sunbeams, pour
ing from on high, make all the bays and
channels shine. Brightly now play 90.
round d-topped ripples about the edges OF
the Islands, and over many a plume-shap-
ed streak between them, where the wafer
is stirred by some passing breeze.
on The mountains of the mainland, ana
In the high walled fords that fringe The
coast still finer is the work of the sun
shine The broard white bosoms OF lae
glaciers glow like silver, and their eryshl
fronts, and the multitude Of icChorss lnat
linger about them. drifting. swirling. tufA-
ing their myriad angles 10 the sun ~
klndied into perfect blaze Of irised Agts
The warm air throbs and wavers. fAi
makes itself felt as a life-gving, enfIee-
ed with ozone, our pulses bound, apd "e
are warmed and quickened into symh'F
with everything. taken back into thf near
or nature, whence we came. We Zee. no
life and motion about us. and the uuiN"
sal beauty; the tides marching BACK aDu
forth with weariless industry. leavius Ue
beautiful shores, and swaying the puips
dulse OF the broad meadows OF me
where the fishes are fed; the Wild streams
In rows white with waterfalls, ever ~
bloom and ever I'm song. spreadins 'l,n
branches over a thousand mountains W
vast forests feeding on the drenchlht '''
beams every cell In a whlrl OF cnloum,
misty fiocks OF insects stirring all inc ''
the Wild sheep and goats on the tI'''
ridges above the woods. bears in the berry
tangles, mink and beaver and OF,
back on many a river and lake lI'.''
and adventures pursuing their
ways; birds tending their youne
where. everywhere. beauty and lii'' '
glad, rejoicing actton. ,
Through the afternoon all the way N'
20 the west the air seems 90 tnlchr"
becomes soft, without losing 80 hn''
The breeze dies away, and evcrlthiI-
ties into n deep conscious repoat.
comes the sunset with its purple itI
not narrow arch of color, ~. 'lE.
times flling more than half no shi
horizontal clouds that usually Nai
horizon are fired on the edges af.
spaces of clear nky between them or
- in with Rrenish yellow am
while the focks ~ thin, oifiii'
clOudlefn are mostly touched VIII
aou. lhe thr outlfHniug sprays of "a
RroHe ln the beginnlng of Indian fi.
ana lliur later "a smooth. mellow ~
bushes fhe skV 80 the Erulfl, ahl ~
air fairly stepping al'd ifnnaNflii
Islands and mountains an1 chaisi't
ilf water " Hlne.