Evening star., 1911-05-31
EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE.
Exhaustion of Oxygen Given q the
Causes of Atmospheric Troubles.

10 tne Editor OF The Star:
In reading Mr.. e. T. NauIty's article
in The Star last week / was surprised
to hear repetition OF his astronomical
views given at the Raleigh Hotel lecture
room something over a year since. Mr..
Naulty attributes the drought we are ex-
periencing and the many fires we have
had throughout the country to the efrect
or Halley's comet. But now that the
comet has gone he falls back upon the
disturbances in the sun. Mr.. Naulty'a
views are not scientific and have no
basis in the economy Of the cosmos. The
real cause of the prolonged heated term
we are enduring and also Of extremes IN
other ways Of the weather are OF q more
far reaching affair than either the COM
cts or their gaseous tails OF light. The
real cause is in our abnormal consump-
ton OF the atmosphere, including partio-
ulariy its oxygen. There Is in progrens
iessening of the atmosphere from thio
world.
If this consumption were measured by
a w1ndometer 1t would surprise men 70
learn of the millions Of cubic feet con-
sumed every twenty-four hours. ana
what. may I ask, recoups the atmosphero
for this loss? Nothing but the exhaiatiou
OF oxygen from shrubs and trees, flower
and blossom. But some will say. How
DO We know that the atmosphere Is less.
enlng! Why. because twenty years ago
high-pressure barometric areas ran up
to 81. 20 inches and 31-30 inches, and now Il
doesn't get higher in those areas than 30 70
inches. showing condition that cannot b
refuted by any sophistry, and. besides this,
.he ar that is consumed in our furnaces
Is the surface air Of our wood and fields.
the balmy air that in the past permeatod
the atmosphere all around US with its
odor and aroma What have we In its
place? The cold. attenuated strata from
above. that makes foods; the strata that
will not hold vapor long, but either carry
IL on lar north or mass II to furnish
cioudbursts. which twenty-five years aRo
were seldom heard of except in the
mountains or contiguous thereto.
III man wants to remedy this condition
he had better face the music at once and
lessen this consumption before II IL too
late Some time ago I read of q man
climbing to the top of Mont Blanc and
it proved fatal to him on account of the
lack OF oxygen. Man looks up at the sky
and imagines the atmosphere is iilim-
liable. But England's great astronomer,
Herschel, says of 1t that IL the atmos-
phere above mile was as dense as the
first mile from the earth's surface II
could be all held within FIVE miles OF said
surface. which ought to show US plainly
that it is not illimitable.
And this difference OF atmospheric proo-
sure l have given shows q lessening, Of
one-sixteenth of our atmosphere small
quantity to be sure. but suf1cient to
warn us of what we may expect in the
future II We continue in our commercial
pursuits to waste the oxygen as we are
doing today. A hundred years ago we
only consumed what we utilized to cook
our food and keep our houses warm IN
winter. How different today I know
that some will say matter is indestruct-
lble, admittedly so, but we are sending
the debris Of our consumed atmosphere to
the streams. and then. to the ocean.
where il will lie for ages I'm silent repose
This debris goes up with the smoke and
ries it. as have said. away from us for
ages. THOS MccABk