The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-07-27
ENTIRE WORLD
SWELTERS, HOT
WAVE PUZZLES
Science Unable to Under
stand Wide Extension
of Heat
CONDITIONS
MUCH LIKE OURS
One Previous Years Rec
ord Exceeds This in
Great Valley


Washington, July 2o.-Uncle Sans
weather experts are stumped.
The hot wave 1evailing not rnly
throughout the United States, but tie
whole Of the north and south tenn
perate IONS is, they declare, withut
rhyme, rule or reason.
While the United States has been
in the grip of a heat wave not equal
ed since 1901, England and Europe
have been sweltering in temperatures
greater than have been known for 50
years.
Alpine glaciers. dissoIving under
the abnormal heat, have swollen
mountain streams to raging torrents
In other sections, stream have
dried up, wells gone dry and crops
are parched.
Grazing lands are burned dry and
stock raisers, without forage and with
little water for their animals, are des-
perate.
Fires have caused large damage in
many European forests. Inhabitants
Of villages scattered through the ia
mus forest Of Fontainbleau. nea-
Paris, refuse 10 go to bed for fear OF
fires, many Of which have been put
out by desparte effort win sweep the
great wood.
1--WE have not been able to identify
any exact cause for the conditions,
says Dr.. Charles F. Marvin. chief Of
the government weather bureau.
There is no provable relation be-
tween the weather and sunspots, al
though sunspots are blamed by some.
Sunspots occur and recur at inter
walls but it never has been possible to
identify them as exerting a definite
influence on weather.
THE most exact measurements OF
solar radiation reveal little il any
change in temperature due to them
As a matter of fact, however, We ar,
now passing through a period wheE
sunspots are at the minimum.
Neither is there any basis 70,
ascribfng unusual conditions of wealth
er TO earthquakes 1t would be jus
as logical to ascribe earthquakes tt
unusual weather influences. There il
/, no established proof either way"
One of the most unusual features 0
present world weather condition
I Marvin said, is the similarity Of Goa
/ ditious in America and Europe.
Unusually" he said. they do no
u parallel. When we have a no
summer in the United States, It gene
rally is cool in Europe. When it
hot in Europe. it is normally is COG
: here. But the present hot tempera
: lure seems general throughout tn
tmperats oRes.
j what it is due to, no 4 4 sa,
with any degree OF assurance"
Dr.. z. D. Day, chief Of the chma
telogical division Of the bureau, say.
an the temperate zones. we normal
c expect cooler weather when the su
+ is hottest. That sounds paraeaxica
0 but it is a fact.
: THE reason is that the suns ray
{ shine most intensely on me equator
a in the tropic zone. The hotter tn
Z suns rays at the s9dator. the nor
rapidly the air theys is heated and tn
d greater its rush Upward.
I THE ~greateESthe current Of this u
q ward-movsngAir at ths equator. Ii
greater ths amount Of cool air th1
? must be drawn down from the mort
4 across the temperate zones, and Il
. cooler it is in the temperate region
9 .Now as to sunspots. All observer
:. agree that the spots frequently q
gearing On the sun do not -adiate L
the sane amount Of haat Is the r
mainder Of that body. Therefore whe
d the suaspots r At a minimum
; now, the sun should be hottest an
the temperature. in the tempera'
Z zones, should be below rather tha
q above normal
IS Al examination Of weather buTaa
: charts covering the past fsw week
2 shows a temperature averaging u
u degrees above normal n The Gre.
Lakes region, the Dakotas and Ai
nes0ta and from ) TO S degrees ab0'
for the remainder Of the central stat
: and the Atlanta and Pacific coasts
Compared 70 Ii summer Of ~