Litchfield enquirer., 1846-11-12
Indian Sumner.

Indian Summer.
A paper read before the National Insti-
,ute, by Professor Jacobs, of Pennsylvania
College, says the Baltimore American, treats
Of those atmospheric phenomena so Gharac
teristic OF our autumnal skies, during the
ccntinuarce Of what's called Iudi0n Sum
mer. The learned essayist says ,fat this
autumnal season is only one Of class OF
similar phenomena, occurring at various
times during the year. He deSignates these
several seasons as follows. giving il as his
opinion that they when either the temper
AZURE or the pressure Of the atmosphere, or
both together, have attained their highest
degree or their lowest, and are about 10 pass
to the opposite:
Seasons of comparative rest in the atmos-
phere are of frequent occurrence, and the
sky ia scarcely ever free from matter, what
ever that may be, which destroys its trans
parency. A...-
Four periods occur, however. during the
year, with considerable regularity, at which
are to be witnessed the grand distinguish
ing characteristics just named.
The first occurs, with bu, little variation
as to time, at about the close of October or
the beginning of November. tits scarcely
ever as late as the 18th or 18th of the latter
named month. This is the period Of the
Indian Summer" properly so called. In
its duration il is not perfectly UNIFORM
Sometimes it lasts two or three weeks, and
at others only a few days. During the an-
trmn of lS43, it continued only for FIVE days,
viz: from the 29th Of October to the I'd of
November, and was then so family marked
as to have led many persons to suppose that
for thar year there was no Indian summer,
and was therefore, scarcely distingushable
from the rest Of the season.
The second occurs about the middle or
close of April. Though not in general as
we'll characterised as the period just named,
it is sometimes so distinctly marked as to
arrest the attention of even the casual OBJ
servers. A remarkable instance of this
kind occurred during the spring of 1885
From the 18th or 18th of April 10 the 9Th
of may, period Of three weeks, the atmos-
phere was subject to but little disturbance.
The winds were gentle-but few clouds
were TO be seen, no rain fell to water the earlh
and the sky was darkened by what had the
appearance of smoke which was afterwards
enforced by real smoke, arising from exten
sive fires then prevailing in our 1no"asain
forests. But during every year, perhaps
without exception, this peculiar state OF
weather kmay be noticed at this period,
sometimes more and at others less distinct
ly.
The third period occurs from about the
middle of January 10 the first OF February
and continues from five or six days TO
weeks. During this season it not unire-
uuenlly happens that the farmers in Penn
sylvania and Maryland pillow the grounds
destined for the reception OF their spring
crops Among the most remarkable exam
pies of this kind might be named the win
,ers Of 1917 and 1918, and those of le42
aud l943. Every yea: as might be expect
ed, is no, alike in this respect, just as in the
case with the " Indian Summer"
A fourth period of similar atmospheric
condition exists during the month of August.
The atmosphere has then sunk into state
of almost perfect 1epose. The breezes from
the soHtn and southwest, which had ainn"
daily during The months Of June and July,
refreshed us, and thus rendered the heat less
oppressive. have died away. The stagnant
and sultfy air has its transparency destroyed
by thin haze of smoke through which dls.
liant objects appear of whitish blue color
Thunder clouds have diminished 10 frequen-
cy and ex.eut, and hence except during ex-
.raordinary seasons, the month OF August
is deficient in rain The W ,dely extended
rain cloud does, indeed, come with its re-
freshing and cheering showers, but these j.
dis,ils rather gently and quietly, and after it
has passed away, il leaves dusky asmos'
phere. 1t is about The middle OF the moi Tn
when this state of weather mostly occurs
Agreeably to these views, theie are there
fore four grand periods at which smoky
or hazy atmosphere pre-eminently prevails,
Wig: Two Of greater intensity, occurring
about month or six weeks after the autuna-
nal and vernal equinOxes, and two OF less
| intensity, or less distinctly marked, occur
ring about the same length Of time after the
summer and winter solstices. The aul UNI
nal is of the greatest intensity, particularly
| 20 as the immense volumes of actual smoke,
are thrown into the air from ten thousand
fires kindied by Indians and hunters among
the western forests, strewec with the recent
fallen foliage, add their :ombre hue 10 the
ALREADY existing vapor smoke. The Indian
summer is, therefore. only one Of these four
periods, and subject, like the rest, TO vary
exceedingly in character AMI duration, du-
ring different years.