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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1880)
December, 1880 THE . WEST SHORE. 313 the ocean winds, that constantly blow inland during June, July, August nnd September. It is hence a plain infer ence that this heated atmosphere is highly charged with invisible vapor. In proof of, it is the fact that the dusty and sandy stage and farm roads are moist under the wagon-tires and feet of the team in the summer mornings. The dust and sand have, like a poms sponge, absorbed the air at night, cooled it below its point of saturation, and condensed its vapors in the loose soil. The heaps of earth dug out by the badgers on hill-sides and hill-tops are moist in the summer mornings by the same mode of condensation. The well pulverized fields and gar dens on the high plains and hills and in the valleys, are also moist in the early mornings of summer from the same condensation, YKT T1IK HARD, UNIMOKKN GROUND OUTSIDK IS DKV. The blankets of the campers arc often wet after a night under the open sky, from condensed vapors within their porous fibers. Night watchmen and sentinels and scouts, in their flan nel shirts and blouses, often feel these becoming damp in the still, coot eve nings, and especially before daybrcuk, from the same cause. These facts have been stated in other articles, but they need to be repeated until all persons, especially farmers, gardncrs, orchard ists, timbcr-culturists and health-seekers see and know and profit by them. A further proof is the fact that water spouts have their origin in the heated (fir of these interior plains, and similar ones occur in Southern California, and Arizona, far away from the forest covered mountains which act as slow condensers on the western slopes of the Cascade and upper Nevadas. The cool wind from the loftier mountain peaks meet the vapor-laden ocean winds high over the heated plains, forming circles, or cyclones, which cool the air and condense its invisible vapors into storm clouds out of a clear sky, and suddenly hurl its hail-stones upon the startled traveler or herdsmen lelow, am! fol low it with sheets of rain that deluge the land, and rush 111 torrents down the ravines. Whence all this flood of waters in a dry, hot day, under a burn ing sun? The only solution of the problem is, that the heated air has been the store house of the invisible vaor. The heated atmosphere, the world over, is the storehouse of invisible waters. They flow over all regions. They constitute an aerial ocean, to !e con densed by mountains, forests and wind. They give life and health to the veg etable and animal creation. HEALTH OP TUB I'I'I'BR COI.l'MHIA BASIN. The Indians of this upiier country m noted for thsir vigorous health. The hunters and trappers of the Amer ican Fur Companies, sixty years ago, and of the Northwest mid Hudson's Hay Companies, fifty years ago, tested and found the whole region healthy for them. The missionaries for forty years have tested and proved its health fulness. The army at these interior posts have enjoyed the salubrity of the climate during twenty-five years past. Farmers and business men' and their families, have during the last twenty years, learned by experience that every portion of this vast area of 160,000 square miles, where settlements have been planted, has proved to restore and invigorate health. Animal life gener ally evinces the same fact. KKKKCT I'POV CONSl'MI'IIVKS. Dr. For !es Barclay, a thorough phy sician, from Edinburg, Scotland, and employed many years by the Hudson's Hay Company, informed the writer nearly thirty years ago, that it had be come his rule to send consumptive pa tients to the Upper Columbia; usually to old Fort Boise ; and that they very often recovered, and came back strong men. He had nreviouslv sent con sumptives to the Sandwich Islands, but almost invariably with fatal results. While the air of the tropics tended to lassitude and debility, the cool and pure mountain and sea breezes renewed the vitality and vigor of this class of pa tients. It is otten louiul now, that persons just beginning to he all'ected with a hacking coni: li ami a hectic Mush signs of thedisease get relief by chang nig to the Upper Columbia. :onie defer it or try the warmer regions of California or the tropics, only to learn too late of their error. If the valleys seem too hot or too chilly, resort con be made to the hills. Some go too lato and tail ol cure. Others win relief by a prompt change to that region. ASTMAII. This disease yields almost the in stant the patient whether old or young, breathes the air of those hsghcr plains and mountains. Many who cannot live west of the Cascades, become free from this dilliculty utid gain strength quickly, for work or business there. KFFKCT Ol' TIIK (MANOR OK I.I MAT K No doubt many find benefit from t mere chunge of abode. Weary and worn out persons recover strength on iourneys, eseciully from the good ef fect of sun and air. The trip from the sea sho e or western valleys to the eastern, usually proves 11 means of health. Doubtless the live of many overtasked and closely-housed women would lie saved Iron) sickness and death by this change. Very p'obahly change from the interior to the seaside might have a like restorative edict. When railroadi are completed Mi that hours either wav, it will become no doubt a habit to make more such health trips and with success. The diseases that occur then, like typhoid, moun tain fever or diphtheria, arc no doubt due to local causes as in other regions. The usual mildness and purity of air and water and sunlight, with food in abundance, surely invite and confer health. "Meteorological observations at Lap- win or Kooskookic, Ie t'erces Mis sion, Oregon Territory, now within the limits of Idaho Territory, I. at. .160 in a direct line) from the mouth of the Columbia river, kept by Rev. II. II. Spalding and furnished Lieut. It. IS. ohnson, ol the like exploring ex- pedition, in uue 18.11. The tables were kept in lull and the following re suits lound : MiSi7, Mean temperature, f a'; fair tliiys, 1 59 ; cloudy days, 77 j rainy lays, 05; snowy days, "18.10, Mean temperature, 6'i fair da vs. 171: cloudy davs. 01 rainy days, f8; snowy days, 1 j. "1341. .Six month. Average mean temperature, fio" y ; fair days, 70 ; cloudy days, 4;; rainy days, .S; snowy days, 14." These averages still hold true over the eastern portion ol the Upper Co lumbia basin, so far as we are able to collate the testimony. "They prove by so many rainy and snowy days tho large degree of saturation of the air of the interior. Commander Wilks, U. S. N., relates "that Mr. Spalding, (lin ing his resilience of live years, kept a register of the weather, and that lie regarded the cli mate as n rainy one, notwithstanding the appearance of aridity on tho vege tation. 1 here Is on doubt ol Its being so In winter, and even during summer there is much wet. A good deal of rain bad fallen the month Id-fore our visit. The niglils were always cool. The temper. dure falls at limes to a low Hint. On the loth of December, iRyi, it felt to 10, and subsequently was not so low till the 16th of January, 1841, then it felt to 26", and on the loth of February it was as low as ., The greatest beat experienced (lur ing his residence was in 1837. On the fV' r J ily of that year, the thermom eter was loSu In the shade. In iSjo it was u7" and In the sun It reached 1 1 1". The extreme variations of th thermometer are more remarkable, tho ' greatest monthly change being "J2" ; while the greatest daily range was 58". Mr. Spalding remarked that since his residence no two years have been alike. The grass rcmuins green all the year round. Mr. Spalding's station at I.np- wai, on the river U-twecn very high bluff's accounts for these very extreme ranges of the thermometer, which would not be the average for th higher h fxchinge nny ht mad in few I plain few milts distant.
