The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-04-11
BREATH OF THE CHINOOK
Warm Winds From Mountains De-
light the Herdsman's Heart
Inited So Weather Review.

United States Weather Review.
Picture 10 yourself wild waste OF snow.
wind-beaten and blizzard furrowed. until
the vast expanse resembles biilowy white
sea The frigid air. blowing half a gale.
IS filed with needIe-like snow and ice
crystals. which sting the flesh like the
bites OF poisonous insects, and sift through
the finest crevices. The sun, low down in
the southern horizon, looks like a frozen
globe, with halves. crescents and bright
prismatic bars encircling IL.
Great herds OF range cattle. which roam
at will and thrive on the nutritious grasses
indigenous 10 the Northern slope, wander
aimlessly here and there, or more fire.
quently drift with the wind in vain at
tempts TO find food and shelter: moaning
in distress from cold and hunger. their
noses hung with bloody ieicles, their legs
CALLED and bleeding from breaking the
hard snow crust as they travel-they ap-
peal TO the hardest heart for pity. II Is
sure death for human beings 20 be caught
out in one of these awful billiards.. with
the temperature down 10 80 or 90 degrees
below zero, unless rescue is speedy. Yet
such conditions frequently exist in this
latitude. as they did for 10 days in Novem-
Der. 1886. when il seemed as If the elements
had conspired 10 bring about another ice
age, and annihilate every living thing
Would the chinook ever come? The
in derision and anon becoming calm as II
in contemplation OF the desolation on the
face Of nature. while the poor dumb AMI
mails continued their ceaselesS tramp. cry
ing with pain and starvation At last, on
December /, at about the hour or sunset,
there was change which experienced
plainsmen interpreted as favorable TO the
coming of the warm southwest wind. AT
sunset the temperature was only - de-
grees below zero, the air scarcely in mo-
ton. but occasionally seeming TO descend
from overhead. over the mountains IN the
southwest a great bank of black clouds
hung. dark and awesome. whose wide ex-
panse was unbrokeu by line or break; only
at the upper edge the curled and serrated
cloud. blown into tatters by wind, was seen
10 be the advance courier of the long
prayed for chinook" How eagerly we
watched its approach But IL was not un-
till IL 50 p. m. that the first influence was
felt. First, a puff of heat, Summertime in
comparison with what had existed for two
weeks, and we run TO our instrument shell
ter TO observe the temperature. Up goes
the mercury "a degrees in seven minutes.
Now the wind has come with a &-mile We
locity. Now the cattle stop travelling, and
with muZzles turned toward the wind, low
with satisfaction. Weary with two weeks
standing on their feet, they lie down in the
snow. for they know that their salvation
has come: that now their bodies will not
freeze to the ground.
The wind increases in strength and
warmth; it blows now in one steady roar;
the temperature has risen to 81 degrees,
the great expanse of snow, SO inches deep
on level is becoming damp and honey
oombed by the hot wind. and We are salts
fed that the chinook is a genuine and
lasting one.
Twelve hours afterward there are bare
brown hills everywhere; the plains are
covered with foods of water. In few
days the wind will evaporate the moisture,
and the roads will be dry and hard. Were
II not for the chinook" winds the North
ern slope country would not be habitable,
nor could domestic animals survive the
winters.