New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-03-20
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE
THUNDER-sTORhA

- y,c theoretical deductions and sone from fact
Nv parpose in this estse 10 to relate the physical o.
yeeS Of thunder storms as viewed from above The
desds from the surface ef the earth, from ther sdes
\ mid air and from the middle Of their oauidrors. /
Nave nsde dlgert observations on these meseors for
M yeas past and hsv. read some thsores concern
ng Aem but az my object is mainly to give facts 10
The studeIt Of ms,eorology, viii cophne my relation
Of present 10 that which developed seE 70 the sene
Of seeing, hearing, feeling sd smelling Of these
yhsDomshs.
A S,ory. Vt,ved from abore The Clouds has the sp-
DsnAnce Of ebuniton. The upper surface Of the clord
u bulged upward and outward, and has the reeenl.
blAsee Of . vast sea Of snow boiling and uphesving
rom internal oonvuson. This view lie from point
where the atmosphere is cle1, around and above.
Immediately above the storm the air 10 nH cold
place where there IL 10 cleud nor storm beneath.
The falling Of The rain cen be heard above the ciond
mailing poise Like q waterfall over precipioe The
thunder heard above the cloud 10 not loud, and the
flashes Of lightning sppear Ike sresks Of htensely
white FIRE on . surface Of white vapor.
A SIDE VisV Of Storm--obseSyed when II is
mile or two of ard somewhat lower than the point Of
ohesrv sson-presents in form the shape of an hour
glass; The picture of a waterproof also gives good
outline Of It's shape. Jn this vel-defDed form moves
Alsng over the earth When the Storm is email that
you can embrace its whole bulk a. a single glance
which you can do when you are several miles of and
q little more elevated than the meteof-t looks a.
though il were trailing its lower base along on the sur
face Of the earth, and it has an Individuality which
cannot be recognized when viewed ffem the ground
Although the storm is beng moved along by the same
current Of wind that is drifting along the observer it
viii be DETECTED from that course by it's eDeounterng
mountain ridge deep valley, just in proportion to
e amount OF lateral force obstrncton il su.tans in
such cases; and then the observer in a balloon may
continue onward, while the storm may be moving off
at night angles with his route. These lateral views OF
storms are very grand and imposing a, they ush along
BY al elevated observer. A grand army Of filing
snllery at full garOp in all the panOply Of could
not produce so imposing sight over city, forest
river and plain II goes with undaunted march
Clo,r Ven from the Side = a Storm. and partly
IN h, reveals very interesting physical aspect The
one now described occurred the 81 Of June, 1852,
daring balloon excursion from Portsmouth, Ohio.
The storm was hedging up the Ohio River about fifty
miles above Portsmouth, and where the river courses
nearly north and south while wac sailing from west
and east. Moving at nearly right ANGIE with the
storm soon brought together and the country below
being dense forest the meeors company preferred
10 q reception in the woods. II was easy 10 keep out
Of the vortex Of the storm from abundant supply Of
bas, aboard Of the arship hence point in is wake
was the station of observing it's action, and having
leaned that the shape Of storms was Like two cones
with their ends joined with wind driving in below
and rpthiDg out again at ire top, you might sal with
immunity in its wake, provided you kept midday
between the upper and lower cloud. When getting
TOO low IN its wake there tendency to rock the
LII into he but oun.a p1
going up near the outppreading cloud In this position
the air cold and you in the shadow of the upper
cloud, unless you sink low enough where the sun may
reach you under the overlapping cloud. Although the
sun wac shining me, the rein aud small hal were
YstIng ON the balloon. a rainbow standing in
and against the body Of the meteor, rather prs
uAsicay oolored arch the shape Of horseshoe was
reflected against it, and the point OF observation
char ged LATERAL and perpendiculay, the perspective
Of this golden grotto changed its hues and forms
Above and behind this arch there was going on the
most terrific thunder, bat no zig gag Lightning was
perceptble, only bright fashee like explosions OF
"Rsmsn candles" in fireworks. Ocsas'onsny there
would be zig.zag explosion IN the cloud immediately
below, and the ,hunder theretfon sounded IKE
"feu de joie" Of iift corps. Onee an orange
col<ed wave light seera 10 IA! ron the upper 10
the lower cloud, and night over the balloon, but no
ssnfible effect was produced by 1T contact. Tins was
"sin lightning" There appeared all the time while
N the storm electrical action going on in the balloon,
sueh a. expansion, remulous tension, attraction by
hing papers ont OF the ten feet below the balloon
and buggipg them to its body for moment and then
letting them drop of again; but as had no instruments
can only relate the manifestations OF electricity in this
oase While, as stated above, distant view of
storms Is imposing and grand eloeer view OF great
Storm such as this Ohio meteor is truly sublime; al
though the rushing noise below and 70 ito midst like
The tumuk of a Thousand chaTiots OF war, is almost
appalling.
The Qsastity oad Quality Of Tander seem to be
IN proportion 10 the magnitude 0f tie storm. storm
my be so limited in size as that there viii be DO cleo
tca explosions In this case the developed electricity
can be disspated and taken yp by the immediately
surrounding cloud formation. April snd May blowers
are an exemplfeston of this fact When the storm is
Of great magnitude the central portion Of ts top be-
comes smcharged with electricity, because the sur
rpuding cloud formed vapor cannot conduct away 81
seny as fast il Is developed, and hence EXPLOSIONS
must ensue such noticed in the Ohio meteor, with
terrific and rapid discharges Of thunder and moreover
Ahe drops OF rain that formed from this surchaged
vapor of the spper cloud also become redundsntly
electrified and although they fall quietly down through
the intervening dear air which ia noRconductor. as
eoon ~ they reach the lower cloud which negatively
electrified, they give up their surpus-slently if the
sApscty Of Ibis cloud lie sufficient to take up but e1'
plosvely If the cIoxd "a Insufficient and it may fly OF
lAaerapy mtl dssipsted or may glance downward
90 the earth rendng whatever encounters before It's
shfpson n The earth. The physical facts here stated
are a. saw them the rationale Of explosion is con-
Armed from the known play Of electricity a. divulgsd