New-York tribune., 1903-02-15
QUEER CHANGEOF CLIMATE
A ONCE HABITABLE PART OF TURKES-
TAN NOW DESERTED.

ago were discovered by Sven Hedin, the Swedish
explorer, in Central Asia during his last jour-
ney through that region. He told the Royal
Geographical Society about it the other day in
London, and thus raised puzzling ques-
tions about the changes which drove away the
people who once fiourished there.
Off to the eastward f the Russian possessions
which have lately been disturbed by earth
quakes, lies district known as Eastern Turkes-
tan In this the maps show wide area desig-
mated as the Tamir Basin. This is a sandy
desert, with small distributed about
through it. the latter being fertilzed either by
small streams from mountains or by the larger
river whose has been attached to the
whole depression. The general course of the
Tarim is northeastward, and it terminates in
the shallow remains of lake, Lob-nob, whose
waters are said to be fresh at one end and
salt at the other. 1t was the immediate vicinity
Of Lob-nob to which DR.. Hedin referred, and
ne found evidences of other lakes which had
formerly existed. but are now utterly dry.
He associated with that discovery two others
Forests that have long been dead were found in
the Lob-nob region. There were also traces of
a road, ruined villages, coins, manuscripts and
other relics of fairly civilized race, which has
since completely disappeared From clews which
are not indicated in Natures brief summary
patton of the region terminated about ! 500 or
16OO years ago. Just when it began it was of
course a hard thing to say. The culture of the
inha abitants was not advanced, perhaps, as
that of Greece and Rome, nor SO ancient as
Chaldea and Egypt, but it constituted hither-
to unknown chapter in human history
One phase of the subject which has impressed
T. G. Bonney, prominent BRUSH eeolosiS1
is the evidence afforded that some permanent
change of climate has been effected IN the
Tamir Pasin. In individual cases shortness
of water supply in some places has been causeu
bv tanning the river further upstream for pur-
poses Of irrigation, but a number OF clrcuih
stances suggest the possibility that there was
formerly greater rainfall in Eastern Iurkes-
tan than now Climatologists are familiar with
great differences in precipitation during short
periods. Even where rain is abundant II Is
easy to detect such eccentricities. Some au-
tho,ities believe that drouths, separated oy
compensating excesses, occur at comparatively
regular intervals of thirty-fve years. But, tax
ing a whole century through, it is believed that
the annual average t the beginning ana emu
is practically the same. Ii SLOW seherA
change sufficient to render once prosperous
region uninha bitable, has taken place IN the
Tamir Basin therefore the phenomenon Is
curious and almost unique Parallel cases VIII
DrObably be found Wnen IL IL poSoioAo W OoAi-
the data To-day however, records OF close
resemblances are scarce
Professor Bonney, in discussing the matter'
is reminded of climatic changes which have oc-
Cured on q far grander scale The glaclal age
left its marks over Europe and North America,
and was not local affair. Moreover, from lts
first development to its close, it lasted many
nerhaps a hundred thousand, years So, too, the
early Tertiary period, possibly a million or TWO
wears ago. was marked by abnormal heat Trop-
ical vegetation and animals then thrived In
what are now temperate zones" Biologists
and astronomers have speculated as to the
couees Of those wonderful thermal oscillations
None of the explanations which have been sug-
rested. though, seem to clear up the mystery
Of a cessation of rain within few hundred
zears In an extremely limited district. His
torica1Iv the destruction Of the forests men
tioned by Dr. Hedin appears to have followed,
not preceded, the drouth. Moreover, few
American meteoroogists now believe that trees
nromote rainfall Soil which is covered by an
extensive forest retains the water of precipita-
+ion like a sponge and releases it more slowly
into adjacent streams than do hillsides which
have been cleared. Some check is thus put on
Goods Rnt the theory that the total amount
or rain received in a .ocality in the course Of a
wear ia Influenced by forests is less strongly
held now than it was forty or fifty years ago.
At present the change described by DIR. Hedin
is q hard nut to crack.
INCCULATION AGAINST TYPHOID