Evening star., 1923-05-15

Washington scientists. measuring
the heat of the sun, have found that
for the past eighteen months or so
we have received an average of three
degrees less than normal.
That accounts largely, they say, for
the remarkable weather we have re-
Gently experienced. The difference
from normal of a single degree of
heat at this time of the year. ac-
cording to DR.. Humphreys of the
weather bureau, moves the frost line
about eighty miles.
If the difference brings an excess
of heat, the frost line moves north.
If we receive a degree less than nor
NAL, the frost line moves south. The
variation in our sun-heat must be
sustained, of course, for period of
time to be felt. 1t has been sustained
for an unusually long period at pres
ent. hence the unreasonable cold.
In other words, according to these
findings, the frost line has moved
down about 240 miles. and Washing
ton today is experiencing the climate
that might normally be expected by
the inhabitants of a city 24O miles
to the north. The same condition
presumabl applies to all other cities
north of the equator.
But. speaking of weather, we
haven't yet seen anything to COM
pare with the weather that visited the
world about 100 years ago.
Did you ever hear of the year with
out a summer? There was such a
year in 1916. We do not have to rely
on the uncertain memory of old in
habitants for the facts. either; they
are recorded by reliable observers.
living at the time, but now all dead.
come down to us in old books.
One such volume. entitled "Peirce
on the Weather. etc. published in
1847 in Philadelphia, has been lent
me by Herbert J. Browne, a Washing
ton writer. who is one of the best
informed amateur meteorologists of
the country. I have it before me-;
here are some of the entries concern
ing that fateful year of 1916 c'Efgh-
teen Hundred and Freeze to Death,
it was called at the time). as recorded
by Mr.. Peirce.
May. 1916. The medium tempera-
ture Of this month was 81, and she
was really frosty jade. Her frowns
were many and her smiles few.
"Northerly winds with cold frosty
nights prevailed until every green
thing was either killed or withered.
Buds and small fruit froze upon the
trees.
"On some mornings there was ice
from one-quarter to one-half inch
thick in exposed situations. Corn
was replanted two or three times and
very little ever came to perfection. :"
Some month of May that was. and
in no wise so sweet and balmy as this
May of 1928, even though she brought
blizzard. But read on:
".T1Yne 1916 The medium tempera-
ture of this month was only 64. There
were not only severe frosts on several
mornings, but on one morning there
was said to be ice. Every green herb
was killed. All kinds of fruit had
been previously destroyed.
From six to ten inches of snow
fell in various parts of Vermont:
three inches in the interior of New
York and several inches in the inte-
rior of New Hampshire and Maine"
Oh, what is so rare-
On the morning Of July S. 1916, this
authority states, there was ice as
thick as window glass in Pennsyl-
vania, New York and throughout New
England" OF that July we also are
told:
"There were not only heavy frosts.
but ice, so that very few vegetables
came to perfection. Indian corn was
chilled sad withered and the grass