The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-13
rOR WEATHER GRUMBLERS
csUaBs OF COMFORT TO BE DE-
FIXED FROM THE RECORDS.

$780,. Present Is just About Normal Weather,
a.. Obseryers Say, and Is Remarkable
Gather for Lack of Rain Than for I'm
,ao.opnble warmth Figures show This.
n,,.ons who hope to make enough money by
sale Of commodities intended for winter
w. % enable them to take n vacation In the
S,,er and enjoy warm weather in season
"" oonsidering with alarm the present un-
"on.h,e conditions. These good people in
-. ~ mol dealers. tho directors in gas
'"..onias and such like, and. while waiting
w. hpvcrs that do not come. they are signing
W. An. vinters that used to be-winters that
W.. grin on things shortly after Thanks
,O,,o and didn't relax II until we'll into April.
n.y., ,iuhinp for such winters doesn't bring
49,, and. as a matter OF fact, the winters that
Ia N he seem to have gone out OF fashion.
"yohody ever heard OF such weather before
=, mi. senson OF the year."isn common re-
-,,t nowadays. and 1t may bring certain
80, NJ sat sfaction TO some folk to believe
,,,, such is the case but II Isn't The figures
u%I,h tho observers down at the Weather
pmreau keep on tap. largely for the purpose OF
.Sn,ounding grum blers. show thnt the kind OF
..a,,her we are having now Is Just about the
"a Wind We have been having herenbouts
..a,v Decen1 her since 1871. The figures show
cha, the lowest mean temperature Tor Decem-
bot since 1871 was % degrees. and that was
In 1874 The next lowest mean temperature
a, the month was in 1872. when II was IA
dscro.s, and the next In 1880 when II was
~ 7 degrees The average mean tempe STATURE
ior the ten years. from 1871 to 1881. was 81"
I"..oos. from 1881 to 1891. II was 35.3 de-
srces, and from 1901 to 1917. II was $40. IL
n,t no seen. therefore. that instead OF these
k.s hail nhnOFm1lly
,hov hive been a little colder than they were
teWhiis these figures show that there has been
nothing abnormal bout the mean ,S,npssasur 10
90 there are other figures when show tnat tny
minimum temperatures ot the Dccemoers OF
twenty OF yrc pi wears. On bee. II. 1872. tho
tht osIe =, temperature was II degrees.
Yesterday II was -. and The hlghest MINIMUM
day and since 1872. when the taoulatltg o.,
minimum ,emperatures began, vo wns
same date since 1872. and that was IN 1865
The mean temperature for the present De-
wsatbet men figure, was I degrees above the
FORMAL but the remaining days may even
"iI nm one particular. however. the resent
December IS a freak. II is 20 far short IN rair
that unless there Is leak IN clouds ,Toh, u
will Pass int nsu hf,Sr ihS as ranfS on ryeserday
nniy 81 inches has fallen here during thtmnnth
The normal rainfall for the month - PIT down
AZ ~ inches. What Is true OF the lack OF
rain here is also true Of all the Middle Atlantic
and New England States In most u these
states the rainfall Is below the normal from
two 10 four inches. and a drought - IN, The
eject OF this drought II being havily felt
throughout New England and the Ghf states
are also suffering. Should prolonged period
III freezing weather fall upon many l6alltics in
the Middle and New England states within a
short time. those localities would be threatened
with a water famine, ,,..
Warm Decemhers hereabouts havserious!y
interfered with the sale Of winter Try goods
before but, from what the merchars say. the
weather OF the present Decembe has more
seriously interfered with the sal ol these
goods than ever before.
Mpteorologis,s have undertaken account
for the Passing OF the old fashiOneC winter on
Practically no more winters IN the fiddle aud
Southern New England states. ecause the
forests have disappeared and heca-e the Gull
Stream has shifted in nearer fhe cast. That
their explanations are unsatisfactory even TO
themselves Is shown by n remark made by ono
o, the local weather men 10 a SN reporter
yesterday when the reporter askd the reason
for the disappearance o. the old.ime winters.
Ask somebody wiser than / aid he. I've
heard some lovely scientific rcnsns advanced
one year, which didn't seem to apply the next
year at all. and. therefore. l,vegot through
with scientific accountings II TACT IL that
the climate OF the Middle an lower New
England States has changed. II nybody wants
an o'd-faahioned winter In thes, parts now he
must move long ways nearer ne pole.