Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-01-25


Through the husbed air the whitening show
er desCends,
At first thin ring; till, at last, the makes
Fall broad, and wide, and fest, dimm'ns Tue
day
With continual snow.
Snow i, formed by the freezing OF the wa
ter in clouds. 1t differs from the particles
of boar frost, in being crystalized; tor II we
examine fake of snow by magnifyins
glass. the whole of it will seem composed o.
fine shining .pieula, or points, dlvergIne
like rays from the centre. As The flakes lali
down through the atmosphere they are con,
tinually joined by more OF these rad'a'eo
spicua; and thus increase in bulk, ike the
drops Of rain or hail stones. Snow aitho
il seems to be soft, is really hard, because
il is true ice. II seems soft, because at the
first touch Of the finger, upon its sharp edges
or points, they melt; or. they would pierce
the finger like so many lancets. The white
ness of snow is owing to the small particles
into which it is divided; for ice, when poun-
ded, will become equally white.
But snow is rot to he considered mercy
as curious and beautiful phenomenon. BE-
sides defending vegetables from the intense
cold of the air, and piercing winds, 1t mos
tens and pulyenses the soil which has been
bound up by The frost; and. as its water has
a tendency to putreiaction, it seems, on ma
ny accounts, to be admirably fitted to pro-
mote vegetation. Another reason for the
usefulness of snow has been suggested BY
MIR. Pzrkes. Fur and down afford warm
clothing. in consequence Of the air they IN
fold within them; atmospheric air being a
nou- conductor of heat. "Hence it is, that
the carpet which covers the earth in winter,
is.spread out by nature with so slight hand
that it might hold an abundance of atmos-
pheric air within lis inteI stice,, to preserve
the warmth Of those innumerable tribes
of vegetables which it is destined TO pro-
tect."
Ice is composed OF number OF needle
like crystals, united TO each other; and,
the space between this being greater than
between the particles of water, this liquid,
when frozen, though not heavier, yet it &C.
cupies more space than before. From this
principle OF expansion, water-pipes often
burst, and hoops hy of from barrels, duriog
intense frost. To this cause may be attribu-
ted the annual diminution OF the bulk and
height of lofty mountains. The different
crevices being filled with water in the SUM-
mer, this water becomes frozen in the win
ter; and, by the power of expansion. rolls
down vast masses of rock or earth into the
neigbboring valleys. By the same opera
ton, the clods of ploughed fields are loosen
ed, and rendered it tor the work of the hus-
bandmsn.
The flowers of the rosemary tsosmnrinus
ofcinuiis) begin TO open. This shrub has
ever been treated with great respect, for lis
efficacy in comforting the brain and strength
ening the memory; which has made rosema
ry an emblem of fidelity in lovers. Ii was,
accordingly, worn at weddings; and, per-
baps. on tha same principle, at funerals; on
which latter occasions in some parts OF Eng
land, it is still distributed among the CON-
pany, who frequently thlow the sprigs into
the grave along with the corpse. Rosemary
is principal ingredient in what is know n
by the name of Hungary water and the
herb is taken as tea by many persons, tol
the head ache, and disorders called ner.
vous,
The ice hills of St Petersburg, during the
carnival, are well deserving of notice. Eve.
~ ice hill is composed of a scafold, having
steps on one side for ascending it; and or
the opposite side, a steep inclined plane co.
vered with large blocks of ice, consolidated
together by pouring water repeatedly from
the top to the bottom. Men, as well as wo.
men. (the latter, however, only of the lower
orders, in little low sledges, descend with
amazing velocity, this steep hill; and, by
the momentum acquired by this descent, ARE
impeIed, to great distance, along large
field OF ice carefully swept clear OF snow to
that purpose, which brings them to second
bill; by the side Of which they aIigh,, take
their sledge on their back, and noun, it By
the steps behind, as they bad done the for
mer. Some young people venture 10 sscent
the dangerous precipice on skates.