Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-01-24

CndnCe. In GnlS respect IL resembles
some other creatures. But it knows
when it has enough, and won't take
any more; and that's wherein it diff
fers from the other creatures aforesaid.
The amount of water which the air
may contain depends always upon its
temperatures AS it warns up its ca.
zero it can hold only about one half a
degrees, or at freezing point, it can
hold a little more than two grains. |
At 80 degrees. q cubic foot of air may
contain a little over grains of water!
at 60 degrees about ST. grains; at so
degrees nearly twice as much as at 60,
and at 9S.5 degrees it may hold about
10 grains or % drops of water in form
of vapor to each cubic foot.
When the heated air has taken up
all the moisture it can hold there is
but one way to make it let go por-
ton of its watery burden and that is
by squeezing it-or in other words, by
dynamite cooling, or condensation.
If the air is full or saturated at so de-
grees, and is suddenly cooled down to
GO degrees, it will part with one half
its moisture in form of rain or dew.
Ii the cooling process goes on below
that point, the rain will continue to
fall until the surplus moisture is
squeezed out.
Bearing these points in mind we may
be able to discover what was the mat
ter in 1894. The warm winds of the
Gulf started out with full freightage
of vapor for the watering of the upper
Mississippi Valley. But by some
counter currents they were DETECTED
and partially cooled, and thereby COM
PEELED to unload a portion of their
watery cargo before they got here.
Continuing on their course, after be-
ing squeezed out they passed over arid
and super heated fields, and were thus
transformed into hot winds, almost
wholly destitute of moisture. For
weeks and weeks the southerly winds
came to this region SO thoroughly dry
that no amount of churning or con-
densing could have brought shower.
You might as we'll attempt to get a
bucket of milk from dry COW.
The same thing happens when the
humid winds from the ocean strike
tho mountain range. On the wind
ward side there is a surplus and on the
leeward but little rainfall. On the
Atlantic face of the mountain range
I III 4NOl way Az ldlAS t1lAlObU COAUAIAuOuo-
ly, the total average precipitation
q little distance beyond the ridge, on
the east slope, the yearly average is
about 81 inches.
If there were high mountain range
between this region and the Gulf Of
Mexico this entire upper Mississippi
Valley would be desert. Nearly all
deserts are caused thus by the in
fluenoe of mountains upon the yapor
laden winds from the oceans.
An old saying, Coming events
cast their shadows BEFORE is espec-
tally applicable to the weather. Near
ly all notable changes are foreshad-
owed in various ways. A good ba-
rometer will give an infallible indica
ton Of an approaching cyclone, but
it will not tell you whether or not it
will bring rain to this locality. But
even without barometer the sfudious
observer may note the indications of
coming storms. All animal nature is
sensible Of the difference between high
and low atmospheric pressure. The
total air pressure. at its normal stage,
upon the body of an average man is
about IA tons. We are not conscious
of the external pressure because there
is air of equal density in the tissues
and other portions of the body. The
outside air pressure is counterbalanced
by inside air braces. But change
in the outer pressure causes an expan-
sion of the air within, and this gives
rise to unpleasant or peculiar sensa-
tions, which are experienced by rheu-
matics or extremely nervous people.
A fall of two inches in the mercury
of the barometer is equivalent to the
removal Of one ton of pressure from
the outside of the body. So we fee
the effects and note the difference be.
tween high and low pressure. And
the wind is also good indicator.
When the wind blows freshly and per
sistently from southerly point the
storm center is in the west or north.
west. Place your back to the wind
and the lowest pressure will be at youl
! left hand, and the highest at your
right. By this rule you can always
locate the storm and determine wheth.
er it is coming or receding.
In closing will say though the
weather is exceedingly variable, an6
seemingly tickle and cratic, YET
there is nothing more permanent il
, this world than climate. But it is ex,
ceedingly difficult to obtain genera
/ acceptance of that fact. Owing tt
the Inconsistency and variability of the
, elements during short periods, the
, idea has become deeply rooted in the
mind of the people that the climate ii
undergoing a radical change. The
, memory is very unreliable and tricky
in such matters, and it is only by al
appeal to reliable records that the rea
facts NAV be ascertained.
|. In matter of fact, all the records o.
all countries in all ages bear witness
to the absolute fixedness of the mali
elements of climate. In meteorology
every table of averages and extreme.
is prophecy Of what is to be in the
future. That which has been viii
be. Given the correct figures rs tt
the rainfall Of this section for the
past twenty-five years, it is easy tt
, forecast what it will be for the mex,
quarter of century.
We modify our condition as affected
! by the climate. We may construc,
wind breaks and thereby conserve
moisture, but we cannot by taking
. thought add one inch to our average
rainfall. In other words. it is no.
in the power of man to control the
gigantic forces Of nature which are
concerned in the production OF eli
mate.
The climate of this region is the
result of the general topography Of
the continent, and of the direction
and sweep of the great currents of thu
atmosphere and the oceans. So we
are justified in the conclusion that the
climatic conditions will remain prac
tically unchanged SO long as the ever
lasting mountains and hills remain il
place, and so long as the winds blow
and the waters flow in obedience tt
the eternal laws of nature.
This is today, and probably will be
in all time to come, the best watereG
and most productive mid-continent
valley on the globe. The Gulf is the
inexhaustible fountain of humidity,
and the boreal regions send down the
cooling breezes that wiring fertilizine
. moisture from the vapor- laden south
winds. So the Gulf and the Arctic
sea are the positive and negative poles
of the dynamic battery which propelt
the life currents through this favored