Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-10-15


raauasr<Ssorms--ThriIlsas Facts. 7 4
tosS wrsE. The EnosAur g
The following thrilling account of. the
formation ana wonderful working of thun-
storns- by one who has seen and felt them
from within. above. aud arountl. as well as
hslow thcfn. can not fail to interest every
reader This is not theory, hut fact, and
as goat DIAL has been written about
storms--nuch from Theoretical deiuctions.
as.i some from fact Mvperpose, i'm sthis!
tyea,ise,is to relao tlis physical aspect of
thrnfeF-stornls as Niswet from above-the
clouds. from tho surface Of the Garth, from
tiisi< sidcsin mid-ai... and from the middle
nj their lcaidroIis-a L have ma.ls1 diligent
observations On these me,eors for ten years
psst. ands haze read some theories concerns.
ing them; but as my object is mainly to
give facts "a the student Of meteorology.
viii conins my relation az present 10 that
which viii develop itsaf to tho senses Of
sesipss hesring. feeling. aand smalling Of
thlss pheaoinans.
Asrcilx vISwzp rnou .rovn rrs CLOUDS
has ths appearances II ebulitioa- Ths up
Per surface vi tha cloudais bulged and OUT
ward. and has ths resemblance OF vast
SEA ofisuew boiling and .upheaving from
internal ,eaayulsion. This view Is from
44o;ntssVheTe The atmosphere is clear. around
and above. Immediately above the storm
the STR Is not so cold as IN q place where
thsrs sSro cloud nor storm beneath
ms fslling Oft the rain can be heard above
the cloud making noise like a waterfall
over plecipice. The thunder heard above
the cloud /. not loud, and the flashes of
lishtninS APPEAR IKE streaks of intensely
white tire on surface OF whito vapor.
SIDE VIEW OF STORM
-ohssr~sd when it is milo or two OF,
ami some what lowey than the point OF OBJ
ssrva,ion--pTescnts IN form the shape Of
an hoursgIcss: the picture Of a watsrspout
also gives a goo,t outline OF its shape. In
tbislwell defined form il moves along over
the earth. When the storm is SO small
tha. YOU can-embrace its whole bulk at
single glsnoe-whicn you can do when you
are several miles of and little more el-
eva;ed than the meteor--it looks as though
IT ,~ere trailing its lowes base along on the
surface of the Garth. aad it has an individ-
ualitY which can not be recognized when
-iewod fom7 tito ground Although tho
storm Is being moved along by the same
current Of wind that is drifting along the
observeT. il viii be detected from that
course BY It's rncountering a mountain ri..ge
on . deep yalley, inst in proportion to the
amount OF lateral force of obstruction il
sustains 10 sucn cases ani then the observ-
sf IN balloon may continue onward, wbils
the storm may Us moving off at right an
gles with his route. These lateral views
are ve.v grand anil imposing as they rush
along by an elevated observer. \ grand
army Of flying artillery at full gallop in al
the pano2ly Of war conld not proince so
imposing sight: over city, forest. river.
anf plain it goes with unlannted march
A-cIosER VIEW FROM TIE SIDE OF A STORM,
and partly in it, reveals very interesting
physical pect The one now described
occurred on the 81 of June, 1852, during
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
sout., while was sailing from west to
east Moving at nearly right angles with
the storm soon brought ms together, and
the country below being dense forest. the
meseor's company was preferred to a re-
eeptioh in ths woods. Itwas easy to keep
ont Of the vortex Of the storm from an
abundant supply of ballast aboard Of the
air-ship; hence point in its wake was the
station OF observing It's action. and having
learned that the shape of storms was like
t~o cones with their ends ioinel, with q
wind driving in below and rushing out
again at top, you might sail with Inn
punity IN It's wake, provided you kept
midway between the upper and lower
clozd. When getting /, low in its wake
-hers.was, a tendency to rock the balloon
into vortex, but this was countervailed
bygeing up hear the outspreading Cloud
In this, position the air is cold, and you
are in the shadow of the upper cloud. IN
less you sink low enough where the sun
may reach you under the Overlapping cloud.
Although the sun was shining on me. the
rain. and small hail were rafting on the
balloon. a rainbow was standing in and
against the body of the meteor, or rather o
prisnlatieally celored arch the shape of a
horse-shoa was reflected against it, and as
the point OF observation changed laterally
aud perpendicularly, the perspective ofthis
golden grotto changed it hues and forms.
Above and behind this arch there was 60
ing on the most terrific thunder, but no
zig-zag lightning was pcrceptible. only
bright flashes like explosions of "Roman
candles IN fireworks. Occasionally
there would bea zig-zag explosion in the
cloudIirnmsdiateiy below, and the thunder
thsrefrom sounded like '..feu de joe" Of
a rifle corse. Once an o,gan-colored
wave Of light seemed to fall from the upper
10 the lower cloud, and right over the bal
loon, but - sensible effect was produced
BIZ its co1fscts This wAs still lightning. 1"
There appeared ali = the time while in the
storm &c ,srical action going on the bal
LOOM sHcho As expansion. tremulous tea
sio1ts Attraction b. lifting papers out Of the
car ten feet below the balloon, and hug
ging thcr, to It's body for moment and
thea}sttins sheml drop off again. hutas !
lad no Instruments / can, only relate the
manifestations ~ a1a~tr:r;f,. ~ this casa -