The times., 1897-07-30
Vigorous Defense of a Much
Maligned Northern Climate.
OPPRESSIVE ARCTIC HEAT
A Gulf Stream in the Pacific as
the Chill of Higher Latiindes-
Fertility OF tile INLAND Valleys
of Alaska.

Climate of Alaska he cannot speak OF the
climate OF the Yukon valley, because he
never was in that part OF Alaska. but he
can speak from personal experience Of the
clilnate OF Alaska in general. All Alaska,
from the early days when the Russian
American Trading Company discouraged
exploration and immigration by circulating
all manner OF reports about the horrcrs
ar the climate and the hostility oI the
tive Alaskans. has been pictured as a
land OF starvation and frost bite Mr. Yea.
mons saws:
The recent statements concerning the
Climate OF Alaska are absurd to those who
know anything of the temperature of that
country. These ideas have been, in a
measure, eXhumed from tie accounts of
early voyagers, whose befogged and cum-
brous volumes are consulted. The whole
Pacific coast, from California To the Arctic.
is al times enyeloped in dense fogs, last
ing, sometimes. several weeks, and long
and chilling rains as well as snow storms.
in winter are frequent In summer, the
extraordinary contrast occurs, and the
heat is oppressive, not only at SitEa. but
across the Alaskan peninsula in the sea
OF Kamtschatka. A whaling shipnastcr
whom / knew up there, and who had
also passed many seasons in the far North,
told me that he had seldom suffered more
with the heat in the Atlantic States than
he had on the shores OF ALASKA and in
the A rctic Sea during the sumnser months
The AleHtian Islands stretching across
the Pacific nearly on the fifty-seoond paral
lei are about in the latitude OF the south
or England or Germany Most of the
settlements along the Aleutian Islands are
In a humid, but not cold climate, and
which j : generally milder than that of cur
Atlantic seaboard between the oapes OF
Delaware and New York. Thesefacts after
all that has been said in opposition TO the
climate or the Territory of Alaska may
seem incredible unless supported by reason
and proofs.
The cause OF the higher temperature of
tie Pacific coast over the same parallels
OF latitude Oh the Atlantic side is pre-
cissly the same cause which moderates the
climate OF England and Frsnce-the warm
waters Of the gulf stream. There exists in
the Pacific a gulf stream acting under
nearly similar conditions with that Of the
Atlantic side Marry, in his Sailing Direc-
tions, satisfactorily explains the moderate
Immense warm ocean current flowing from
the coasts of India and China toward Berng
Straits. This stream he says, escapes
from the Straits OF M&lacca, and being
joined by others from the Java and China
Seas pHsses out into the Pacific like an
other gulf stream between the Philippines
and the shores of A sia, whence 1t attempts
the great circle route for the Aleutian
Islands, temperins climates and flowing
toward the northwest coast of America
This Pacific stream may De traced for
thousands OF miles hy the temperature and
tic color of its waters. II sweeps over from
the japanese coast toward the north
against the bend of the continent 10
Alaska, where it is turned to the south
ward along the coasts of Oregon, Cali
fornia and Mexico. This remarkable
stream varies ia temperature, but runs as
high as 81 degrees Fahrenheit in the Indian
Seas and is about so degrees Fahrenheit at
Bering straits
The so-called rigor OF the climate was
urged as one OF the main reasons why
the country was not worth buying This
resulted from want of relia ble information
about that region and general vague idea
obtained frora old school hooks that il is
scene of frightful desolation and eternal
Ice. An impartial examination or the facts
as obtained from those who lave passed
much II their lives there might suffice TO
lay this ice ghost on the shelf 1t may
truly be observed that Alaska is not par
ticulariy anagncutural country Compared
with the rich lands of California and
Oregon, IL certainly is not
Roche, the French traveller who peue-
trated the interior OF ALASKA years ago.
gave a flattering account of the fertility
OF some of the inland valleys and great
river courses. He represents the inland
Country as being well watered with lakes
and rivers. abounding TO the Arctic Circle
with splendid forests of large pines and an
astonishing vieor OF vegetation, owing to
the huTnidity Of the atmosphere He stated
that cereals were grown as far north as
the siStieth degree Of north latitude The
soil along the coast is generally poor.
Without attempting to magnify the
Climate OF ALASKA into that of a mild
country, 1 would endeavor to dissipate
the erroneous ideas as to its terrific
severity.
1t is certain that rye and barley grow
well, even with the rude cultivation which
h Nouchsafed 60 them, and | have heard
that wheat is grown in some of the pro-
eS~ecN NeAits ldi IHlalu- 1OIaJOeS and
al the eseulents viii grow there wherever
the soil is good, or has been enriched. as
is often done with fertilizer made from
fish
Und"r the direction Of Secretary of |
agriculture Wilson, Chief Moore. of the |
weather Bureau, gives out the following |
The general conception Of Alaskan eli |
mate Is largely due to those who 20 down |
TO The sea In ships, and this Is not strange |
wh"1 we consider the vast extent OF
shore line lover 25, 900 miles. possessed nv
that Territory. The climates of the coast |
and the interior are unlike in many re- |
spects, ana the differences are intensified /
In this, as perhaps in few other countrI q. .by
exceptional physical conditions The natu-
raj contrast between land and sea is here
tremendously increased by the current of |
warm water that impinges on the coast
OF BRUSH columbia, one branch following
northward toward Sitka and thence west
ward to the adiak and Shumagfn Islands
The fringe of islands that separates the
nlalni2nd from the Pacific Ocean from |
DIXON Sound northward ana also A strin
OF the mainland for possibly twenty miles
back from the sea, following the slv cen Of
The coast as 1t curves to the north W estward /
10 the western extremity of Alaska. form
distinct climatic division, which NAV be
termed temperate Alaska.
The temperature rarely falls TO zero.