The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-08
FAR EAST WEATHER
Climatic Conditions as They
Effect the War.
COMPARED WITH STATES
Boston and VIadivostock Great
Deal Alike.

In View Of the interest in the theater of
war In the far East. and in the clinat tic
conditions which have been such sig
nal feature Of the dispatches. the Watcher
bureau has prepared a brief memoran-
dum on the subject Of the climate Of the
region involved which possesses a very
timely interest. 1t runs as follows:
The present seat Of war in the East
may be compared in area and latitude
with the group of Atlantic states OF the
United States which extends from North
Carolina to Massachusetts,. The climate
OF Korea and Manchuria, which has an
| important bearing on military operations.
| differs materially, however, from that OF
the eastern part of the United States. In
Eastern Asia the summers are short with
warm days and cool nights, the spring
| and autumn seasons are transitory, and
| the winters are long and cold
| Meteorological records at VladivNstok,
which has about the same latitude as
| Boston. fairly represent the climate of
Northern Korea and adjacent parts of
| Manchuria. In those regions the monthly
mean temperature remains below freez-
| ing from October to April. and the sur
| faces of the rivers serve as highways of
| travel FIVE and six months in the year.
| At Vladivostok the annual mean tempera-
ture is 40.2. as compared with 4S.6 at Bos-
fton. At Boston. however, the monthly
mean temperature Is below freezing only
during December, January and February,
with the lowest mean. q, in January, as
| compared with "A at Vladivostok for the
same month.
In Siberia along the line of the trans
Siberian railway, which is the direct line
of communication between Russia and her
forces in the East, the climate Is very Sc
we're. Great mountains shut of this re-
sion from the moderating influences of
the eastern and southern oceans, and
from October until late in the spring 1t IS
exposed to the sweep OF cold winds from
the Arctic ocean. -
Lake Raikal. which cuts the line of the
railway. and the region thereabouts, is
subject to heavy falls Of snow. and the
monthly mean temperature is above freez-
ing only during July. August, and Sep
tember. During the three winter months
the monthly mean temperature at Lake
Baikal is below zero. with the lowest
mean. 6s below zero. in January. AS
result Of the low temperature. Lake
Baikal is usually frozen to a great deptl.
by January and remains In that condi-
ton three or four months.
The maximum temperatures Of the short
summer seasons in Siberia, Northern
Manchuria. and Northern Korea are quite
high, and frequently range above 80. even
as far north as Verkhoyansk, wheer the
Jar fep,D 60 hall
zero. and the lowest absolute minimum
temperature noted on the earth's surface,
904 below zero. has been recorded. Over
a great part of Siberia, in fact. mercury
often freezes in November, while in De
cember. January and February mercury
remains frozen for weeks together In
Southern Siberia.
Mancbura, as a whole, possesses many
fertile valleys that are watered by the
rains of the southwest monsoon. In the
plains region Of Southern Manchuria ex-
tremes of heat and cold are marked, al
though not so great as in the more north
ern parts of the country. The tempera-
ture rises above 80 in summer and falls
10 or more below zero in winter rivers are
frozen during four winter months and
which is separated from the severe winter
by an autumn of about six weeks dura-
ton.
Newchwang. Manchuria, which has
about the same latitude as New York,
has an annual mea ntemperature OF 41.2
degrees, as compared with SIS at New
York. The monthly mean temperature
continues below freezing at Newchwang
during December, January, February, and
March, and at New York during January
and February only. In July and August
the mean temperature at Newchwang. ~
degrees and 74.4 degrees. is Al degrees and
20 degrees, respectively. higher than the
means of the corresponding months for
New York.
Korea is a mountainous well-watered
country with practically no plain regions
over the northern part of the peninsula.
winter temperatures fall 10 degrees to Is
degrees below zero and the rivers are
frozen for several months. In Southern
Korea temperatures fall nearly to zero
during the winter months and snow falls
during n considerable part of the winter
as far as the southern part OF the penin-
sula.
Wonson the main port on the, north
eastern coast, near the latitude of Wash
ington, D. c.. ha san annual mean tenn
perature of 5o.2 degrees. as compared with
$40 degrees at Washington. and its July
mean is higher than that of Washington
Owing 20 the proximity Of WoHsan to the
sea and its sheltered position to the east
ward of the principal mountain range of
Korea. its temperatures month by month
correspond closely with the Washington
record. an each place presents but two
months. Januaryan February. with
mean Temperatures below freezing ard in
February the Wosan temperature aver
ahes about two degrees higher than that
of Washington.
Ft.san. in extreme southern Korea. has
about the latitude Of North Carolina. and
its annual mean temperature 54-5 degrees,
being shown for January, as compared
with 4s.4 degrees at Norfolk. The August
mean temperature at Fusan. 1s-s degrees.
Norfolk
Chemulpo. on the west central coast OF
the Korean peninsula. and Seoul the capi-
tai have about the same latitude as cen
;ral Virginiz Seoul has the same annual
mean temperature as Washington. with
lower winter snd higher summer tsnpers-
lures In January the r1cnihly mean for
Seoul is 24s degrees. as compared with
rs A, washington. and in July the Seoul
mean IS N-S and the Washington raean
severty-Seven degrees. Shemui7o tenn
perat,Ir-s average several degrees he,o~
those q. wsshingta- IN winter. hEl cor
respond very oioseIy ~tin those Of the
same latitude On oUd Atlantic coast dur
ing tne balance Of the year