Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-09-27
RICHMOND WING.

ssass ov ruK wrArusx.-sc.rceiy . century ago a
popular signs Of the weather laughed ss~ur
By the learned and cultivated II shepherd said tha
his black ram could tell wheo it about storm. h
was Get doup . simple and credaoas Tool. II oil,
predicted c.iu uhea her chimney smeit she wa
met With pahonrng smile at her rustic ignorance Sci
then Ia IL infancy little known of tbs
laws Of nature. though not much; but that little sui
cen 20 make its professors conce,ted. aud accordingl,
they denied impossible everything which they could
not explain
Since that day. however the study OF natural phenome
M has made grea, advances IL nov kno~n that the
absence Of positive electricity In the atmosphere IL sign
Of and that therefore aunt betty Is not to be
laughed ut when she that Is going to rain because
her shoot her rheumatic joints rack. IL Is also
known that the blunt appear OF Of tho
moon Indicate condensation likewise; while II they
sharp aud d-tinct It's proof OF clear atmosphere, and
therefore OF dry spell Indications Afforded by animals
or by insects be dsregsrded either The
woodcock builds low, by unsrrng instinct u
tho l. be dry; but high the be
and snzs veil and other dcspiscd lit
tie indicate by their habits the approach of rain
Learned have taken lcsson from the ignorant skept
Of their predece-sor and Wisely do dcspise
popular signs of the weather when nexphcsble
Yet of these tokens be accounted for sccnt
hcaiy For example there two classes OF indications
OF approaching To oe class elongs the signs u
condensation. familiar example Of this il hen the
shines clearly through opening In the Clouds, when the
condenng vapor revealed by slantng streaks of ght
The popular phrase at such times Is, Its going rain
though the explanation 'the sun IL drawing WATER
falacioas. circle around the moon is another
indcst of condensation. One less ordinarily known.
phenomenon
occasiooed by condensation the East Of the specta.
tor, him. IRON which the Is reflected
When the sets redy, however, il is sign OF tair
weather, for " condensation existed behind him. from
which quarter only storm be expected, il would
obscure his disc the sky would be grey. The faint
ness Of the Is another indication OF approaching
rain. When Clouds in summer, rise about ten o'clock la
the morning with a white heecy aspect, aud pile
up thrc ,tcnugy this is sgu Of shower. is often
supposed; for, generally such clouds disappear about
three four o'clock. But clouds banked up in the
northwe prognostcae rain at all Low, heavy
stratake clouds in the vest also foreshadow storms.
rod sun with smoky air. points 10 dry weather Tor three
Eur DAYS. at least An easteriy wind Is not always
sign ran for there Gy north casters the phrase
goes the Storm in such cases, passing south of and
the easerly wind and scud being drawn iuto It's
from outside OF the tempest proper.
These few OF the indications OF approaching rain
hch condensation supplies Another class Of signs is fur
nshod by electricity. The presence OF the negative
electricity which precedes shower is betrayed by in
nunerabin tokens Smoke descends into chimnies.
falls heavily the earth being attracted downward by
IN. negative electricity bitches smell do Gre places
used since winter shoot rheumatic joint
rackd that have been broken ache, aud persons
complain OF feeling sleepy, dull Walls also damD
often, the fire crsckles aud candle
out will not re.Rghi with a puff OF breath, clear
cold wnter flights when the air charged with positive
electricity. Many Of these popular indications old
as the time the Romans and doubtless older Virgil
has noticed especially the OF the surf lee SHORE
which every familiar with the coasts has heard
The rain OF the 4th aud 5th inst, long needed and
which, when t at last. extended over 50 vide tract
OF country, foreshadowed from thrysix 10 forty
eight hous beior. approach by both classes of the
signs which have alluded The absence OF positive
electricity particularly remarked for everybody
the 81 and 81 complained oil feeling dull and heavy The
sun in bank OF cloud which the outer edge
OF the approaching from the vest and SOUTH ami in
fact t sas then raining in that direction, three
hundred miles OIL the telegraph subsequently, informed
us.-Bdh Sun.