The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-03-26
From the New York Tribune.
THUNDER STORMS.

THUNDER STORMS.
SR A great deal has been written about
storns-much from the theoretical deductions and
some fact. My purpose in this treatise is to re.
late the physical aspect of thunder-storms as view
ed from above the clouds, from the surface of the
earth, from their sides in midair and from the
middle of their cauldrons have made diligent
observations on these meteors for ten years past,
and have read some theories concerning them !;
but as my object is mainly to give facts 10 The
student Of meteorology, will confne my relation
at present to that which developed itself to the
sense of seeing, hearing feeling and smelling of these
phenomena.
A Storm Viewed from above the Clouds has the
appearance Of ebution The upper surface of
the cloud is bulged upward and outward, and hes
the resemblance of vast sea of snow boiling and
upheaving from internal CONFUSION. This view
is FROM point where the atmosphere is clear,
around and above. Immediately abo the storm
the air is not SO cold as in place where there is
no cloud nor storm beneath. The falling OF the
rain can be heard above the cloud, making noise
like a waterfall over precpicc The thunder
heard above the cloud is not loud, aud the flashes
of lightning appear like streaks of intensely white
fire surface Of white vapor.
4 Side View Of a Storm-observed when il is a
mile or two off and somewhat lower than the point
of acknowledgements in form the shape Of an
hour-glass the picture of waterspout also give.
good outline Of its shape. In this well-definei
form it moves along over the earth. Wien the
storm is 50 small that you can embrace lis whole
bulk at single glance-which you can do when
you are several miles off and little more elevated
than the metcor-it looks as though it were trail
ing its lower base along on the surface Of the
earth, and it has an individuality which cannot be
recognized when yewel from the ground. Al
though the storm is being moved a,ong by the
same current of wind that is drifting along tht
observer, it will be DETECTED from that course by
its encountcrins mountain ridge or deep valley
Just in proportion TO the amount Of lateral forct
of obstruction it sustains in such cases and ther
the observer in a balloon may continue onward
while the storm may be moving off al right angle
with his route. These lateral views of storms arr
very grand and imposing as they rush along b,
IN elevated observer. grand army of flying
artillery at full gallop in all the pa-opy Of wa
could not produce so imposing sight over city
forest, river and plain it goes with undaunte,
march.
A Closer View from the Side OF Storm ant
partly in it, reveals very interesting physical as
pect The one now described occurred on tn
Sd of June, 1852, during balloon excursion from
Portsmouth, Ohio. The storm was kcdging up tn
Ohio River, about fifty miles above Portsmouth
and where the river courses nearly north aud south
while was sailing from west and east Movin
at nearly right angles with the storm soon brough
US together, and the country below being dens
forest, the mcteors company was preferred to a re
ception in the woods. It was easy to keep out O
the vortex Of the storm from ln abundant suppl,
of ballast aboard Of the airship hence point il
its wake was the station of observing its actor
and having learned that the shape of storms wa
like two cones with their ends joined with win
driving in below and rushing out again al its toI
you nigh, sail with impunity in its wake. provide
you kept midway between the upper and lowe
cloud. When getting too low in its wake ther
was tendency to rock the balloon into the vo
tex, but this was countervailed by going up nea
the outspreading cloud. In this position the air
cold, and you are in the shadow of the uppt
cloud, unless you sink low enough where the su
may reach you under the overlapping cloud A
though the sun was shining on me- the rain an
small hail were rafting on the balloon. A rail-
bow was standing in and against the body of Il
meteor or rather prismatically colored arch II
shape OF horse shoe was reflected against it, an
rs the point of observation changed laterally an
perpendicularly, the perspective of this goldC
grotto changed its hues and forms. Above al
behind this arch there was going on the most te
rife thunder, but no zig-zag lightning was perce
tible,On bright flashes like explosions OF "Romt
candles" in fireworks. Occasionally there won
be zig-zag explosion in the cloud immediate
below. and the thunder therefrom sounded like
"feu de joie" Of rife corps. Once an oranl
eolored wave of light seemed to fall from the u
per to the lower cloud, and right over the baloo
but no sensible effect was produced by its CO.
tact This was still lightning" There appear