The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-30

scnt economic conditions. It is not
new, nor Is IL any nearer q clear and
dcgnite solution than 1t was fifty years
ago. According to the trend of the
best thought OF to-day the climate is
not perceptibly changing. The mean
temperatures obtained by the earliest
instrumental observations, both In this
country and abroad, show no diff
icrcncCs greater than mig hit reasonably
DC duc to the character of the instru-
,mcnls useu aud thoir environment.
Inc yearly means for single station
40 not show steady increase in heat
cu''hth"tlng In period Of high tenn
peraturo and then gradually receding
toward period Of diminished heat.
out rather nn irrcgularity in the dis
trloutlon OF warm and cold years that
suggests at once tho absence of apy
sjstcm OF compensation or any gradual
progression from one extreme to the
other. Studies Of annual means.
when broadcncd to include those from
q number OF stations scattered over the
globe arc not devoid Of interest,
though perhaps they have not as yet
yielded results Of immediate practical
Importance.
" FOR the States bordering tho gulf
and south Atlantic coasts continuous
Instrumental records OF the the tenn
pcraturc previous to 1870 are lacking,
although u number OF broken series
are available. The degree Of cold ex-
pCricncCd before that date is naturally
II matter OF considerable uncertainty,
and while we may form u general idea
.; the relative severity OF the winters,
we are prevented from making rs full
an examination Of tho matter as it's
lmportancc demands.
- IakinS Florida as Il concrete illus
trntion, we find that at least four very
0istaStrOuS (rcCHCs have occurred with
in the 100 years ending with 1898. w.
arc Inclined to the opinion that tho
trSt one, VIZ, that Of 1888, was tho
most severe. The State then CscaDeG
lurthcr Visitation lOr a period Of fifty
one years, or to January, 1856. The
nrXt period Of immunity was compare
lively brief, viz, seven years, or to
De cmbcr, 1884, Within two months
OF the last named date, u second dis
astrous freeze occurred and there have
ocrn number OF dangerously low
| temperatures since.
| Inc Impression that the climate ia
changing Is partly due to the fact that
| III recent times an account OF every
severe irost and freeze that occurs in
! tI" South i" sent brOadcnst to all parts
OF the country, whereas, during earlier
times no record was preserved except
VI VIC very severe lrCCXcS. 1llS very
lack OF Information respecting tho
earlier minor freezes prevents US ma
inchsurc from asserting in more posi-
1--WE manner IL rule Of climate that ap-
pears TO be common to all parts of tho
United States, viz, that periods OF
grGat refrigeration generally extend
over S@Eer! yea"5. IL support OF this
assertion, AS affecting Florida, re-
| terence Is made TO the fact that the
great freeze OF 1888 wns preceded by
| Two severe winters, lS;jU.3i anu 1851 80,
and was immediately followed by
winter OF more than average severity,
1886. The frccZo Of 1856 was preceded
by cold spcli in January 1881 (miui-
mum at Ju Jk&OnvI.lu ~ ucgru, ), and
tnc temperature fell ~ % degrees at
Jacksonville in January Of 1887. The
two freezes OF the winter Of 1894 95
were preceded by cold wave in 1893,
in which the temperature fell to "a de-
grcr5 at jacksonville. All of this
would seem To Indicate, as above
stated, that cold years are likely to be
followed by years Of similar character,
separated by one or more warm years,
the complete cycle OF events extending
over from four 10 seven years ; but we
should not forget that this conclusion
Is pot based on sufficient date to csta-
biSh it irmly.'