The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-07-14 00:00:00

THE LAW OF STORMS

Mr. Espy of Philadelphia, whose investigations into the
causes of storms have attracted considerable attention in this
country, delivered the first of a course.of four lectures on
this subject in the Music Hall, Bold-street, on Friday even-
ing. The lectures were given on behalf of the Shipmasters'
Association, whose formation and progress have been repeat-
edly noticed in this journal. The attendance, we regret to
say, was not so numerous as the interesting nature of the
subject deserved.

On the motion of Mr. J. B. YATES, seconded by Mr.
ROWETT, Sir JOSHUA WALMSLEY, Mayor, was called to
the chair, and the lecturer was introduced in a suitable speech
from his worship.
The LECTURER commenced by stating, that the magnitude
of the subject he had undertaken to discuss, and the limits
by which he was bound, would absolutely preclude the pos-
sibility of giving a formal introduction ; therefore, he would
at once proceed to give the auditory a theory or the law of
storms. It was necessary, however, in the first instance, to
call their attention to a few elementary principles which he
found demonstrated by philosophers, when he commenced
the study of this subject. It was a mathematical subject,
and in its study he went upon the principle of the inductive
philosophy ; he began with facts, and concluded with facts.
The first principle in it was laid down by Dr. Dalton of
Manchester, who had done more than any man living for
chemistry, and more for meteorology, and it was that we were
able to ascertain the exact quantity of aqueous vapour in the
atmosphere. The plan he recommended was acknowledged
to be correct by all philosophers, and it was the corner-stone
of the science he (Mr. Espy) was about to explain. The
lecturer then exhibited the condensation of aqueous vapour
on the outside of a tumbler of water, in which was inserted a
lump of ice, from which it appeared that the quantity of
vapour in the air corresponded exactly to the temperature.
The point at which this vapour condensed, was called the
dew point, or the condensing point of vapour in the at-
mosphere, which meant the highest temperature at which the
moisture in the air would condense upon any body. The
lecturer then explained that it never could rain more than
nine inches deep, and the cause. If, he continued, the dew
point was taken immediately after a great rain, we found it
much lower; and if it was taken from day to day afterwards,
it would rise a little, because the heat of the sun increased
the temperatikre. The moment this principle came from
England to Atherica, he saw it was a mighty lever placed in
the hands of the meteorologist, by which he might move the
world. He, therefore, studied meteorology and all its phe-
nomena for several years, before he discovered the laws
which would be fully developed in these lectures. The next
law he found demonstrated upon this subject was this : if
atmospheric air was condensed in a smaller space, it was in-
creased
in temperature ; and if it was rarified in a wider
space, it was cooled. Mr. E. here exhibited an instru-
ment of his own invention, by which he demonstrated
this law. Nothing but heat could change water into vapour,
and nothing but cold could change it back into water. The
clouds we saw were not vapour, but small particles of water ;
and they were distinctly of the same nature as the clouds
formed within the tube of the instrument. Now, if he could
shew that nature, provided a contrivance to rarity the air in
the course of a few moments, whereby a great degree of cold
was produced, his theory was made out. It was the nature
of air, that as we diminished the pressure it would expand.
The auditory were aware that the atmosphere around the
earth was only about 45 miles high, and that as it went higher
it became thinner and thinner in consequence of the dimi-
nished pressure. If then a portion of the air, whether large
or small, should ascend 100 yards it would expand, through
the diminished pressure little more than one degree, if 200
yards, two degress, if 300 yards, three degrees, and so on.
It should be one of the principal objects of the first and se-
cond lectures, to demonstrate that nature did cause large
masses of air to go from the surface of the.earth upwards,
till it was condensed, at least a large portion of it, into va-
pour, and so formed large clouds. In other words he should
demonstrate how a cloud was formed—a fact never discovered
before. In thinking over these matters it occurred to him
that currents of air might possibly be formed, and rise to
a great height in this way. When the sun rose, and shed his
rays through a transparent atmosphere, we knew that his
heat passed through that atmosphere without much heating
it, in conseqnence of its transparency. When, however, his
rays came in contactwith the surface of the earth they heated
it. The air in contact with this surface necessarily became
heated by the contact; and it then expanded 1,448 th of its
bulk at zero. Now it was the nature of all fluid, that it
would not lie still under a heavier one. Now if there was hot
air underneath it would gather itself into masses above the
surface of the earth and rise up ; thus, then, clouds began to
form and to rise by the up-moving current of air underneath.
If therefore the air that went up under all forming clouds
became one degree colder for every 100 yards in consequense
of diminished pressure, we could ascertain precisely how high
a column of air would have to ascend before it would begin to
form a cloud. Suppose the dew point to be fifty, and to re-
main at sixty degrees as it was to-day, as soon as the air rose
1,000 yards high, it began to form clouds ; if it went up fur-
ther it became colder, and formed more clouds,; and as soon
as it was 20 degrees below dew poiut the tops of the clouds
could be measured, by the instruments before him. To-
wards evening, especially in his country, as the air be-
came cold at the surface of the earth, it increased its
radiation, throwing out the caloric of the earth into
free space; the supply thus cut off, the air became thinner,
and the clouds disappeared. But another question occurred
immediately. Suppose we imagined clouds to be formed in
this way, that there was this moving of the clouds, increasing
the heat of the atmosphere at the surface of the earth, the
moment the cloud became of less bulk, what effect could that
have upon the up-moving current ? He should shew that the
principle that caused the clouds to begin to fall, caused an
expansion of air, independent of diminished pressure, which
also caused an expansion. This principle—which he should
shew more fully hereafter—was what chemists knew well as
latent caloric. It could be accurately measured, and its ef-
fects in expanding the air were also known, as might be seen
in the works of Gay Lussac, Humboldt, and others. This
being understood, we could ascertain how much lighter a
column of air might be than the surrounding columns, and
how much the barometer would fall under one of these clouds.
If we could tell the increased levity of a cloud, we could tell
also with what velocity the air would run in upon all sides,
in consequence of the diminished pressure indicated by the
barometer. By the laws of dynamics we knew that air would
rush 240 feet in a second. So that this subject was actually
under the power of mathematics. Having shewn that phi-
losophers were enabled to astertain the temperature of a
cloud, to the top of it, he mentioned that the barometer
under one of these great clouds would fall just as much as it
was known to fall in the midst of storms, and the air would
rush in from all sides of the circumference to the centre. On
this principle he should show how some distant storms had
reached this island. When the subject had proceeded thus
far he communicated the result of his observations to a few
of the most distinguished philosophers in Philadelphia, and
it appeared so important to them, that communications were
made with the American Philosophical Society, and with the
Franklin Institute. Those learned bodies formed a joint
committee, which was instructed to examine the subject,
and to ascertain if it were true, in fact, that the air did rush
in upon all sides towards the centre of storms. The com-
mittee did not say a word about any theory till on the occa-
sion of the ninth storm, when they used these remarkable
words, " This is the ninth storm the committee have inves-
tigated, in all of which it has been found that the wind blows
from the outside towards a centre." It might be oblong and
more sideways, so as to scatter water over a vast extent of
country. A series of interesting experiments with kites also
confirmed his views respecting the uprising current
of air under clouds of no great density or magnitude, but
merely such as are formed every day in North America. The
works of nature were regulated by such fixed laws, Mr. Epsy
said, that the mariner might foresee the storm ; lie might be
able to see the direction from which it would come and the
course which it would take, and he might hover on its verge
and sail round it. In conclusion, Mr. Espy said, he had not
come to this country merely to teach but to learn, and he
should feel deeply grateful to those who would give him in-
formation. He wished particularly to have all the informa-
tion he could collect relative to the great storm of the 6th
and 7th January, 1839.
In reply to a gentleman who expressed a wish to communi-
cate with the lecturer, he stated, that his address was at
Misses Perkins', 70, Duke-street.
The MAYOR, after speaking in warm terms of the interest-
ing nature of the lecture, hoped to see a more worthy attend-
ance on_the next evening.

The lecture lasted from a quarter past seven till nearly
nine o'clock.

The second lecture was delivered on Saturday night, when
the auditory was rather more numerous than on the preceding
evening ; still, the attendance was not by any means so great
as the talented lecturer had a right to expect, considering his
eminence as a philosopher, and the interesting nature of the
subject which he undertook to elucidate. The Mayor was
not present; and, after waiting some time for his arrival, Mr.
Espy proceeded to business without a chairman, whose
services, however, were not required. The lecture was ex-
ceedingly interesting, and it elicited much applause. The
remaining lecture of the course will be delivered this evening
(Tuesday) and to. morrow.

IRREGULARITY IN FORWARDING AMERICAN
CORRESPONDENCE.

TO THE EDITOR-OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

SIR,-1 observe in your paper of yesterday, a paragraph
respecting the irregularity with which a part of the American
correspondence is now torwarded by the New York Post-
office.

I believe I can explain the cause of the disappointments
which are thus so frequently occurring, and think benefit
may arise from its being more generally known than it ap-
pears now to be.

-When the steam-ships commenced running between this and
the United States, their agents found that there was no law
there (such as I believe exists in England) to prevent their
making a charge for the receipts of letters, and they
accordingly refused to carry any but on payment of a tax of
25 cents per single letter, or one dollar an ounce ; the Post-
offices throughout the country collect this for the ship along
with their own inland rate.

The sailing packets, which bad previously received letters
free, soon followed the example, but charge only one-half
the rate taken by the steamers.

The New York postmaster is under these circumstances
obliged to forward by any transient vessel that will bring
them, such letters as reach him without the ship tax being
paid, and I presume those of the delay of which we now have
such complaints, have been so situated.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
AN AMERICAN MERCHANT.
Liverpool, 11th July, 1840.

LIVERPOOL DOCK AND WAREHOUSE BILL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ALBION

SlR,—Observing, in the Morning Chronicle, of this
morning, a statement which appears to me to convey a very
erroneous impression of the decision of the Parliamentary
Committee yesterday on this bill, I take the liberty of en-
closing yon a copy of the Resolutions then adopted, not
doubting that correct information upon such a subject will
be interesting to your readers. Differing as we, probably,
do in our views of this contest, I will not presume to make
any comment thereon, but, without either impugning yours,
or betraying my own opinion, I may be allowed to whisper
in your ear, let those laugh who win.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
London, Saturday, 11th July. JOHN NORTH.

PRESERVATION OF THE HAIR.—In order that the pub-
lic may avoid the disappointments so frequently complained
of in the use of oils sold avowedly for promoting the growth
of hair, we beg to submit the following statements to those
desirous of preserving the hair:—From 1820 to 1830 J. Mid-
dlewood's genuine Botanic Oil was interdicted by govern-
ment on the ground that it possessed properties, and per-
formed such cures of baldness, as brought it within the mean-
ing of the patent medicine act, and not until its great utility
in preserving the hair was submitted to parliament, could a
legal sale be effected. The petition presented met with the
kindest attention, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer ex-
empted it from the medicine duty, to be sold under the de-
nomination of hair oil. The petition was presented by
the late Right Hon. W. Huskisson, on the 10th April, 1830,
while Mr. Goulburn was Chancellor of the Exchequer.--
See Advt.

The railway companies haVe offered to convey passengers
from Leeds, York, Sheffield, &c, to London, for £2 7s in
first class, and for £1 11s 6d in second class carriages. As
there are no fees allowed to guards, the terms must be ad-
mitted to be very moderate.