The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-06-25
Lecture on the winds.

The following sketch of Que of Prof Guy.
OTIS lectures on the " Winds ani ,heir Cour.
ses.' is both interesting and Instructive
| Nothing in nature seems more variable than
the succession Of winds: yst careful
invest cation discoses regular system OF
circulation in the atmosphere. which would
manifest itself in rigid regularity of phc-
nomena, if all dist urhing causes were retrov.
| I'd. This vnriableness exists chiefly in the
| temperate zones, while III the tropics the
| regularity of winds is remarkable. One Of
the phenomena which most strikncly i'm
pressed the companions of Columbus was the
consancy Of the east wind which blew their
ships steadily toward the west. and seemed
to prevent all possibility Of returning to
Spain. Even on the coast Of England and
france the wind blows about two-lhrdS of
the year from the outhweSt--Yerglng more
directly towards the west in the higher iati.
tudes. There is thus an approach 10 regu-
la,i'y even IN the temperate regions.
Winds result from disturbances Of the
equilibrium of the atmosphere. The atmos-
phere is composed Of successive LAYERS OF air,
Of different density. When these successive
layers are in equilibrium they produce calm
when in motion, wind. They are set in mo-
y
eicr- formed of TWO bulbs filed with air, in
which the two columns of air are separated
from communications, with each other as Il
drop Of alcoho, between-is so sensitive at
the approach Of person within two yards of
it. the heat radiatcd from the human body
will Immediately cause the drop to move -
II, III nature. an upper layer of air is of equal
or greater density than lower, there will he
a r1 mt IN orI fla, IL -,
one part ola layer the density is greater
than another part of the same layer, there
will be horizontal motion parallel to the
earth $ surface. Thus lire in a stove heats
the air inside till it becomes exceedingly
rare, when the outside air ruShcs in with a
strong draft cores ,onding in nature to the
ratification Of air in one locality, and the
rushing IN Of colder all causing gale Of
wind.
grand general cause of the unequal tenn
pcrature over the earths surface, is the
spherical form Of the planet, which causes an
! unequal distribution If the suns rays. and
gives lis the great zones Of temperature, or
the astronomical climate the turrid, the
tcmperatcs and the [rigid. TO this ncQuar.
ty other causes are to- Toe added. Thus, the
Winds would DE less variable if the sur were
OF moving. a, it does. ever the wide space be.
tween the tropics. The hottest part of the
earth S surface is that which is most directly
under the suns rays: and as this region is
continually changing from one tropic to
another, the great system Of winds Will in
Ike manner keep continually changing with
| The motion OF the sun. Another cause of dis
turbance is founded in the diff rent eifr:; of
H., |, !
Ia" land a6SorbS the sans rays more rapid
" than the vaie,, and also ,uotc rapidly
gives up the heat which it has received. -
| On summer day, if a piece of cold iron will
be put by the side Of bucket Of cold water
The iron becomes warm to touch. while TIE
water will be still cool. Land is thus sooner
heated and sooner cooled than water.
a further cause u: inequality OF tempera.
ture and variabencSs of winds in the succcs.
sion Of day aud night. For example. in o
small island lying under the tropical sun
soon after the sun rises, the island and
the atmosphere above it becomes warm, by
noon the surface is intensity heated and III,
atmosphere exceedingly rarfrG. The sur.
rounding ocean, not 81 +, adiIy absorbing
beat, remains cooler, and keeps its atmosphere
| dcAscr.
| As consequence, the lenser air begins t.
How IN currents to fill the partial vacuum
caused by the lighter: and the result is tn,
sea breeze, which is one Of the needed
c"mPrnSatons o. tropical climate Toward
evening, the land begins rapidly to give W
| The heat which it rapidly received during
the day, while the surrounding ocean aud is
atmosphere, retaining their heat longer, come
at last, about sunset or shortly after, to be o
the same temperature with the land, and tn,
result Is the almost calm whGh is so Otter
Observed at the close of the dav. After sun
set, tie land soon becomes colder shan thu
sea, and its atmosphere becoming more dens
IMAM that Of the water, regins TO flow gradu
ally into it, constituting the well known
" land breeze
-Four great cansos are thus operating t.
establish a system of winds -FnSt, tn,
spherical form Of the earth which from th
sun S position in reference to It, occasions ,
graduation Of zones of Temperature second
| the ecilpical motion of the sun, from on,
side OF the equator to the other, by whcl
continually the centre of the greatest heat j
continually changed third, the division O
the eirth'S surface into land and water caus
ing varla tions of temperature under the sam
degree Of heat; and, fourth, the succession 9
day and night, causing land and sea breezes
TIE RIGHT WASHING MACHINE Hon
Horace Greeley. in letter to lady in Ban
as follows: