104 matured dfciracles. 



There is a peculiar wind that occurs in 

 Switzerland, often, between the months of 

 November and March. These winds last from 

 two to three days and are of great violence 

 especially near the mountains. They are 

 warm and dry and are caused by an area of 

 low barometer and an ascending current of air 

 occurring at some point north of the Alps, 

 which causes the air from Italy to flow over 

 the Alpine range, causing a tremendous pre- 

 cipitation of snow and rain, which not only 

 takes the moisture from the air, but sets free 

 in the form of heat the energy that was stored 

 in the process of evaporation, and this, to- 

 gether with the compression of the air as it 

 flows down the slope of the mountains, makes 

 it hot and dry. This wind is called the 

 " Fohn." 



There is a similar condition of things exist- 

 ing on the eastern slope of the Eocky Moun- 

 tains which has a modifying effect upon the 

 climate of parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Mon- 

 tana, also extending up into British America. 

 This wind, which is here called " chinook," 

 arises from causes similar to those that are 

 active in Switzerland that give rise to the 

 " f ohn " wind. 



There is a wind called the "blizzard" that 

 is felt most keenly in Montana and the Da- 

 kotas during the winter, which is exceedingly 

 cold and lasts sometimes for a period of 100 



