Year: 1872

Iue snip canal InrouSn OenCraI Anerlca II
necessary to secure to us that great prize OF
Asiatic commerce which the maritime nations
have long contended for, and which will as
suredly fall to that country that affords thol
greatest facilities and inducements.


An Important McteorOlOgic DiscOverys


The telegraph announced on Tuesday the
tidings of heavy gale on the British coastS
and many disasters to the shipping. This
gale was doubtless the heavy part or BURDEN
of that which overlook the disabled steamship
Helveta, and but for timely assistance would
have laid her bones in shattered fragments on
the French coast. 1t was another veri1catioH
of the now almost established belief in the
annual march of an enormous wave, known az
"the November atmospheric wave," over the
shores of Britain and Western Europe.
Strange to say, at the very time when
the storm Of Tuesday was fast crowdin8
upon the Irish and English coasts the weather
reports from the Signal Bureau at Washing
ton indicate the sweep of vast aerial tide
over the Pacific States of this country. Tne
barometers in the line Of the Rocky Noun



height, having reached on Tuesday evening
the excessive figures of 80 46 inches. 1t thus
appears that our Continent is exposed equally
with Europe to the periodic and perpetuated
invasion Of this wave. which, in Europe, is
continued through December, and is known
to enter as an important factor in the china.
tology Of the Eastern Continent Mr.. Epsy,
many years ago, suggested that the storms OF
wind and rain which come to us from the West
enter our territory from the Pacific and
traverse the country in the form of long
wave, extending north and south and advanc-
ing eastwardly, SO that It is often felt by kill
|. ing frosts over thousand miles of latitude.
but not more than one or two hundred miles
of longitude. No meteorologist has as yet
solved this mysterious undulating movement
in the atmosphere, which the Signal Bureau
has now discovered to be phenomenon OF
Western America as truly as of Western
Europe. The oceanic surface of the southern
hemisphere is so much more extensive than
that of the northern, and the evaporation
from its waters so great, we may well suppose
that when, at this season, the sun is flooding
the southern half Of the globe with its heat
rays, tie air becomes laden with enormous
quantities of expansive vapor. The expansion
of this vapor must either force large bodies Of
dry air out Of the southern hemisphere into
ours, or, what is more probable, it must
itself ascend and flow above and across
the Equator, in both the great oceans,
to form the tremendous volume Of the No
vember waves. The air-masses which thus
come to our Continent over the broad expanse
of ocean are undoubtedly laden with the ele-
ments Of cyclonic agitation, and when they
impinge upon the now refrigerated land
masses Of the higher ATTITUDES give rise to ex-
cessive precipitation and violent tempests.
The fact that these waves are originated in tho
great southern seas and transmitted in the
lofty upper air currents, is made more proba-
BILE by the fact that the tropical seas are tran
quill at this period, and a hurricane in the
West Indies in the middle of November is
very rare. AS our weather Office is extended
in its researches and operation we shall un-
doubtedly learn more of this important phe-
nomenon, whose origin rs above propounded
would indicate, is extremely significant as
furnishing the key to the climatic and meteor
ologic conditions of the whole country, not
for November alone, but for the entire Winter.


The News FROM SPAN. N.-The cable telegram
from Madrid, which we print this morning,
reports that the Court physicians have
issued bulletin in which they announce that
His Majesty King Amadeus is invalided by
illness caused by an attack of rheumatism, the
disease affecting the joints. The social con-
dition of the country is not by any means
consolatory to the Crown. We have news Of
the continued existence of provincial insur-
rectionary agitation, Of Carlist outrage against
trade and property, and Of on interruption
of telegraph communication between some
portions Of the country and the capital, in
consequence of the hwless and senseless acts
of turbulent persons in cutting the wires. A
battle has just been fought between some
Carlists and royal:sts, but the result is not
stated Spain remains very unhappy, and
moralizing over the fact will not aid her
restoration to health.


SENATOR TRUMBULL has no opinions to-
express as to the future course or policy of the
republican party. He has, perhaps had
enough Of it.


EARTHQUAKES when least expected come in