Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1839-06-26
June as /, 1889.
PROFESSOR EsPY.

Lectures upon hlS ne" s'ANo'y Va 5soiu'os I
and kindred atmospheric phenomena
having been present only during the !
delivery of parts of two of the lectures.
We heard enough, however, to convince
ne that the high recommendations brought I
bv the lecturer from learned gentlemen in !,
philadelphia, had not been unworthily |
bestowed. The following general notice
If the lectures from the Express. with
the addition of two para graphs which
we have inserted from the Whig,) is in
harmony with our own views upon the |
subject. IN. YSpec.
The Law OF storms.
It's pretty satisfactorily demonstrated
BY Professor Espy that there are certain
laws regulating storms, tornadoes, hurri-
canes. &c, almost as regular as those
which control the motion of the earth
or the celestial bodies. The t,aoels of
these storms, he thinks, can be portrayed
nnon a chart, as are the motions of the
nIanets,-and thus results can be deduced
Of vast service 10 the farmer, the mariner,
n the world. If 1t be fact even that
the time Of storms coming could be
calculated-ils distance--its locus in quo
its orbit, if we may so express ourselves,
the worlds navigation, its agriculture,
It's pleasures-can be revolutioniZed.-
But Professor Espy processes to 60 furth-
er-and TO prove that in certain states Of
the atmosphere he can make storm, or
operate upon this atmosphere, so as to
create an artificial rain. We are ready
TO credit much to the studies of so scien-
tifc man as Professor Espy, for there
are no doubt fixed laws to regulate storms;
and his proposition is not more startling
than that OF Dr. Franklin was when first
promulgated Certainly no study is more
interesting or important. Mr.. Red6eld's
observations are attracting the attention OF
the world and this country seems 10 be
peculiarly the field for observation. first
because one language is spoken over the
whole field, next on account of the rapid
ily Of inter-communication, and lastly, for
the violence OF its storms.
-
The design Of last evenings lecture
was 10 show the method of ascertaining
the height Of the base of forming clouds
by the thermometer; to lay down rules,
and explain how any careful observer
may know at any time in what direction
a great storm is raging, while it is We
four or five hundred, or even greater
number of miles distant; and TO show BY
deductions from admitted facts, that rain
may be produced by artificial means, in
time of drought In the effort the lee
turer was eminenhy successful; and if
all who heard him were not thoroughly
convinced of the truth of his doctrines
they were certainly impressed with the
belief that he possessed rare amount o
knowledge, and that he was believer in
the verify Of his discoveries.
The absence Of rain in Egypt and In
Peru, and many other interesting phenom
ena, which scholars have spent lives il
fruitless endeavors to explain, are, by the
theory of Mr.. Espy, satisfactorily account
ed for, and every mystery, In any wa,
connected with the law OF storms, hnds Il
it KEY. There is about him none OF tn
quackery which obtains so UNIVERSAL
nowadays; he is nan of profoun
learning; and, maugre all the opinion
10 the contrary, as sane as was ever an
teacher of new science.
Upon this subject of sIorm-makins
Mr. Espy dlscoursed last night, and hi
lecture was one of high interest. HI
beautiful theory, that storm is the focu
Of converging winds, as for example,
there is storm in New Y ork, the wind
from all points of the compass begin t
blow to New Y orl, from Albany, Bostol
Philadelphia, &C., the winds. as il wer
divergmg from this city, he pursues wit
the facts, admitted we believe, that vo
canoes at times create raiEs,-also pra
res on fire, even heavy discharges
cannon. In time of drought, he argu
that the air is most charged with vapo
ana nature best fitted for artificial oper
tons, and then he proposes by means
fire so TO rarity the air, as to produ
ascending columns, which, as they mour
become clouds, subject TO all the laws
demonstrates to be the regulators OF storm
lie does not assume 10 say he can crea
rain at will,-but he believes that in
drought, when the upper stratum Of &
is favorable for artificial experiments,
can, by means Of intense heat, create
ascending column Of rari6ed air to
evolved in aqueous clouds, which sn
take the easterly motion OF all storr
and finally cover country Thus
New York he thinks he can make
storm for Boston, or on the Ohio ere
rain for all the middle States and Ne
England too.
These extraordinary ideas would am;
usflf we had not been powerfully in
enced BY lheorcms apparently demonstr
ed, from which these differences of "
can be done are hnt cnrnliar;o.