Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-10-29
wha, Causes Indian Summeri


end o! October, bordering closely on the
chilly blasts aud darkIing clouds OF Novem.
hcr. Yet IL is 80. Indian summer is upon
US. the last warm kiss OF the waning year.
But whence come these halmy days and
this smoky aimosphcre9 Are they the re.
suit OF our "red brethren " in the Wes,
burning their prairies9 10 oar boyish mind
this was sufficient explanation, vet W.
confess that a stray doubt would at times
cross our minds when we reflected on tho
vast distance which the heat and smoke had
20 travel, aud the vast fires necessary to pro.
duco such quantitic. Of these materials.
And when We grew 10 riper years and learn.
Cd from Parley-that wonderful man-that
the Indians burn the prairie, in the spring
instead of the fall. We became further skep-
ticul gn tho subject. our fathers ipsc d,IR
90 the contrary notwithstanding. Upon
iur,hcrtnvcsiigation We alsl learned that
the aboriginal summcr.mnkers were rapidly
disappearing, aud the rratiss becoming
cultivated gran fields, which needed no
burning; We, the Indian summer decreased
not with these changes. And now We were
fairly puzzled. What caused Indian sum
mer was ~ down among the unsolved prob.
lens OF our cruuium, till our college days
(lllmy and soit as the prc-cui-liic's real
Indian summcr) dawncd upon as. ana then
We uskci the Professor Of Mstcorolosy, who
ol c,ur,e knew The result Of our inquiry
We will cndravor to give 30 ar as We r..
member Il,
n, name Indian summer no toub, was
given to ,hi. period from the fact that it n.
ilgIci the Indians OF our continent. from
time immrmurial. favorable Opportunity
Tor gathering their corn, which was their
harvest ltwas therefore their summer in
iti. peculiar sense, and h,ncc the name.
Aud nov iur the cause:
Two phenomena here meet us which a-c
9 De accounted Tor fr,,, the mild temper.
a,urs - late On the season, aud secondly,
tho unusual amount OF haze ia thc a,m,,-
phcrc. They both dspcul upon the same
cause. via, the ahseucc of aerial current. OF
wind, OF any account, and The consequent
cllmuc,. ot the atmosphere. And thi. state
of thing. results from tie gradual diminu.
ton OF hea, In the surface Of the earth.
which has hccn going on since tie fr.t Of
August. DARN; ihe spin: aud carly SUM
mrr mouth. thc earth receive, and a'.5r's
more heat through thr lay than ,lc radhtrs
during thc day aul night. Tho consequence
is tia, the surface acquire, a high ,empsia.
lurc Ahuu, the last ol July. by the short.
cuIus % Oh, day, the amount of heat 70.
J,,yl ha, diminished ~ a. y only equal
rat rllia,el. Ai,cr this period the nadia.
ton during the l'ns,heuius nights exceeds
tie absorption through the iay and reduces
,hc elevated temperature Of 10. surface down
10 ID, medium. Thi. D, reached about the
last or Oci,bsr, or the fret of November.
The earth ha. then Lecomc to COL % give
ri., % lscgu,ioual or local horizontal eur.
rents, and as a Consequence no cold air from
higher ATTITUDES reach vs., IN the shape of
chilling winds, nor are clouds and showers
formed ia the atmosphere, by the aimiI,urc
iol cold and warm air. IIerce therc results
a period Of mild day. ia which the sun
plurs down his still vigorous rays with no
cold winds 10 counteract tholr ciTcSi, while
tha moisture which exists constantly in the
form OF invisible ,apor in the atmosphere,
uot being carried Up by ascyusional currents
20 form showers, or swept away by horizon.
tal gales, TO be diGdscI elsewhere, becomes
visible to the eye, in the form Of blush
glurr.like hare, such as We see at present.
The popular notion that TIL. haze &. smoke,
is Of course erroneous. No conhasra,ion
could produce such quantities, nor would
Il. when produced, be- carried 70 Us from
distance when there are no winds. Bat
While We assert that /, is no, smoke caused
hy combustion, we admit that i, par,akcs
Of the general nature Of smoke, which is
nothing more than waiery yapor arising
from burning wood aud made visblo 10y
passing into cool air. We also admit that
the smoke from chlmueys. etc., intermin.
cls- with the haz, Of this season, and being
OF the same specific gravity instead of rising,
come, to the earth as in damp, fossy wealth.
or, thus bringing TO our senses the odor Of
burning wood. II wall he perceived, there
fore, that the smell Of smoke which confirms
the unreaecting in their opinion that the
atmosphere is filled with this substance, ar
isins from some burning material, admits
Of a ready explanation, without tie unten-
able theory to which they feel compelled to
resort. watcry vapor is lighter than the
air, at the earth's surface. Hence when it
becomes difIuscd or formed in It, it dimin.
ishe, the specific gravity Of the whole at
mosphere. The smoke, therefore, from
ehimneys with ITS sooty odor, comes to the
surface, not being able to risa in an atmos-
phere Of its own weight.
There are many collateral points connect.
% with this subject; some Of which may bO
necessary to proper understanding Of the
above explanations. Butwe cannot discuss
the whole related ground in newspaper
article. Hoping that what We have said
NAY throw some light on this ho:y subject,
we remain, JUNIus.
Germantown Telegraph.