The Goodland republic., 1907-01-18

Climatic changes have occurred and
are stiH occurring. Any student Of
history is aware OF this fact, and au-
thOrites on this subject are not want
ing Myers IN the Eastern Nations
and Greece" at page eight says:
The original seat OF the Aryan
peoples was II Is eonJectured, the
highlands OF central Asia, east OF the
Caspian sea and north OF the Hindu
Kush mountains. This upland. now
FOR the most part arid and uninvit-
ing, seems to have been In remote
tines a delightful region Grad
ual changes in climate, which render
ed the country inhospitable, caused
the Arysn household TO break up and
scatter
He assigns other reasons also but
especially asserts a change OF climate
as the principal cause OF this emigra-
ton as long ago as 5000 B. G.
The Boston Transcript recently had
very interesting article concerning
the recent explorations OF Ellsworth
Remington, a Boston scientist, in this
very region He confirms this desicca-
ton. Some extracts from the article,
copied and published in the Saturday
Kansas City Star, are given, in proof
OF the fact that climates and rainfall
are subject TO change.
The history OF Central Asia shows
that there has been on the whole a
diminution OF prosperity since the be-
ginning OF recorded history. HistO-
rians have surmised that the climate
has changed during historic times,
but until the present investigations
we're made this was but a guess and
had altogether lacked scientific con-
hrmatiOn- An appeal to met7OroloGy
brings an answer that seems opposed
to any such change, for meteorological
observations record practically no va
riations in the climate Of the earth.
But they reach back only about $50
years and indeed do not prove any
thing with regard to real antiquity.
Mr.. Huntington has studied the
question now for about nine years and
IS convinced that marked changes
have taken place in the climate OF the
region named, the desert country Of
Asia and that these changes have
had an important influence on history.
not only in Asia. but in Europe. He
has found his evidence in Turkey,
Persia, Asiatic Russia, Northern In
dia and western China Throughout
an area as large as the United States
various phenomena indicate that dur
ing the past two thousand years the
Rainfall has decreased and the water
supply has diminished. Thousands o.
square miles formerly capable OF Irri-
cation, to the extent at least that
would support the hocks OF nomads,
have now become an uninhabitable
desert.
Ds-o-- Tn e, D,,,E, -, 60,
The kinds Of evidence upon which
Mr.. Huntington has based his de-
dGctions are these: The rainfall Is
now so small that the rivers fail to
reach the sea Hence the whole OF g
vast region, about three thousand
miles IN extent from east to west, is
made up OF inclOsed basins with no
outlets. The rivers run nOrthWards
from the mountains and now lose
themselves in the sand or flow into
small salt lakes. Mr. Huntington has
explored more or less thoroughly q
score Of such rivers Today each one
OF them supports a few families Of
shepherds or landdllers, who 1nhabit
Gases on the river banks. Far ont in
the desert fifty or sixty miles from the
fringe OF life that now exists are the
remains OF the ancient oases, indfca-
tive OF a large population that was
once supported there. Remaining IN
such places are the relics OF former
tenancy, the rude irrigation plants, the
ruins OF ancient habftations-
Modern Niya has a population OF
perhaps 5000 today. Fifty-five miles
below the present town and four miles
beyond the present fiOw OF the river
are ruins covering about twenty-sight
square miles, a tract which in olden
times was under irrigation. It IS doubt
ful whether the present river, IL Il
could reach the lower sites, would FUR
nlsh more than one-flfth to one-Quar-
ter of the supply necessary for the
town which the ruins indicate On
the Endere, still sixty to seventy
miles east. there are eight or ten
shepherds families, as the present
population, eighty persons in all Here
are remains Of three old villages q
large, ancient town. probably OF TO-
600 inhabitants, g later smaller town
built IN A D. 500 to 500, and a small
Hohammedan village (circa A d
1900 OF perhaps $50 houses. Many
Instances OF the kind are recorded
BY this traveller. The evidence points
20 a gradual desiccatiOn OF Chinese
Turkestan for nearly 1,5O0 miles east
and west and 500 north and south
Part OF the towns apear to have
been abandoned deliberately presum-
ably because the water supply became
limited. Movements Of precisely this
kind are taking place today on a small
scale ali over the arid parts OF Asia
In the same line. but treating OF
smaller settlements, Is the evidence
OF Mr.. HundnEtoR's guide. He knew
every spring for g hundred miles In
svsry direction. "And long long ago.
sefd he, "in the days OF which neither
my. grandfathers nor their grandfath-
ers ever heard, there must have been
much mere water" In the mountains
there are the ruined huts of shepherds
ave or ten miles from the nearest
sprinz. There must have been water
beside them when they lived And
there are often reddy places where
there used to be springs OF water, and
one can sin see the paths OF the wild
camel and the antelope that came to
drink Then there were men, too at
thIs time. Tor beside ths springs are
6fd camps, '.just IKE what We make
said the guide, when We lie
3. rafs for game" These observations
we're amply substanustsd By Hr.
<sr,ntiDztoh u such places as he him
elf wss able TO visit
trfrE kind Of evidence IS found
- ths examination o. tlse beds q the
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