Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-08-25
NO land TOO HOT
OR COLD FOR MAN
go Degrees Below Zero in Siberia,
l24 Above in Algeria, the
Extremes


Plants and animals cannot exist
temperatures far higher or lower
than those to which they have be-
come accustomed, while man moves
from one extreme to the other with,
for the most part, but little physical
discomfort. Explorers will visit the
sands of Africa and the bleakness OF
the Attic Circle and return to nor
NAL environments even improved in
physical condition.
Man inhabits about every part OF
the earth except few island regions
in the interior of continents and i'm
mediate vicinity of the poles. 1t is
from dread of climatic conditions
that his tent has found no more than
a temporary resting place in some
of these far spots. 1t is not thought
that the heat or cold of any of the
unexplored regions of the globe has
a greater range of temperature than
many regions now inhabited.
Science reasons that the lowest
Temperatures at the earth's surface
are not found directly at the poles
but at some distance to the south OF
the north pole and to the north OF
the south pole. Likewise the great
est degree of heat is not, as might
be supposed, to be found at the equa-
tor, but prevails at some distance to
the north and to the south of that
imaginary line.
The coolest place on the earth's
surface of which there is authentic
record is in Siberia. The lowest
temperature ever recorded in the
open air was 80 degrees below zero
(Fahrenheit) at Werchajansk, CEN
trail Siberia, on January Is, 1885.
The highest temperature of which
there is an authenticated record is
1874 degrees abouve zero (Fahren-
heit) in Algeria, northern Africa, on
July II, 1879. These places of ex-
IRENE heat and extreme cold give a
range of temperature covering the
whole inhabitable world of PA de-
grees, or two degrees more than from
zero to the boiling point.
In the United States the lowest
temperature ever recorded in winter
is Ga degrees below zero in North
Dakota, and 115 degrees above zero
in Arizona. This gives total range
of 179 degrees within about 1000
miles.
There is an unauthenticated re-
port from Aumale, an outpost of
the Algerian bad lands, which gives
temperature record in the open air
of 172 degrees above zero (Fahren-
heit). This if correct exceeds by
4S degrees that of the highest on re-
cord. 1t is also stated that the tenn
perature at this place gets down to
40 degrees. On one or two Occas-
ions it dropped to 120 degrees and
the natives shivered with the cold.
Strange as it may seem, the death
rate of French soldiers stationed at
this post is lower than that at more
northerly places having equable tenn
peratures.
| People who inahbit these places
of extreme heat and cold are found
to be exceptionally healthy and live
to a ripe old age.
| While men in all parts of the
world make their homes in these ex-
ceptionally hot or cold places and
move from one to the other without
any apparent physical discomfort, it
| is found that animals or plants which
wouldfourish in one could not sur
| vive in the other.
The greatest of the extremes of
heat and cold in this country are
found in the Western States, from
the Dakota and Montana southwark
| to Texas and Arizona. The tenn
perature in the Northwest during the
winter months frequently drops to 80
or 40 degrees below zero and occas-
ionally runs below so degrees, while
the heat of summer in the central
West and Southwest touches 100 de-
degrees or higher. Regardless of such
| extremes the climatic conditions
| throughout the entire Rocky Noun
tain range are delightful for ten
months of the year.
The most equable temperature
throughout the year in the United
States is found along the seacoast.
Nearly two-thirds of the entire pop
ulation lives in seacoast cities. Peo-
pie may complain of few blustery
and unusually cold days in winter
and of few swelteringly hot and
humid days in summer, but with all
things considered the Atlantic sea-
coat from Florida to Maine is about
as desirable a place of residence as
any part of the world.