The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1860-01-12
WEaTHER-wIsDOM.

pest nave actually brought the science of
Meteoroiogy into request, and, as the first
instinct Of HI Englisl,man under any novel
impulse is to write to the Times, we have
been favored with considerable correspon.
dence OH storms, cyclones, squalls, hnrr-
canes, and other colaterul phenomena. As
1t happens that certain practical conclu
sion can be drawn from all these observa.
tlo1s, and certain moral pointed to very
good purpose, we address ourselves to the
s"tftct while it is yet fresh, and while the
public mind is still open to inpression.-
When The winds have ceased and the sun
Is shining again it is but too sure thai,
storms and their porten:s will he thought
Of no longer.
The fact to be noticed is this-tl,at, not,
%thstandng considerable improvement,
of late years there is still no sufficient re-
gard paid to the means of protection nc.
tually within our reach. The barometer,
like the safety lamp and fifty other bcne
fetal intentions, is still but partially and
imrerlsstly employed. Most people un-
derstand that certain scientific instrument
foretels the character of tile weather NJ
hand, and that rs the glass falls or rises
rain or sunshine may be anticipated In
reality, however, the barometer will do
much more than this. If it is carefully
studied according to proper rules, and in
terpreted in com junction with other in,lica.
tions its warnings are circumstantial in .he
extreme, and all but infaliblc. In these
ATTITUDES and on our own coasts it NAV be
said that no bad weather ever comes on
without timely notice. Such gales as we
have recently experienced are predicted
with as much plainness as if they had been
advertised or placarded on the walls of Il
place for days before Even the direction
of the coming Wind can, to some extent, he
prognosticated, as also its probable dura-
ton.
For these purposes, however, it is neces-
sary to combine several kinds of evidence,
to observe the thermometer as the barome
ter, to study the asrcc, Of the sky, and to
look back TO the actual state Of the wealth
er for some timespreviousIv. 1t is exceed
'ngly interesting to remark that the old
sayings Of our wea,hcrwisc ancestors, and
their short naxims, founded on the appear
ance Of the heavens, are recognized as
sound hy modern science. All the philos-
ophy OF the age fails 10 explain these phc-
nomena satisfactorily, but the rules thew
have suggested are nevertheless true. The
colors Of the sky at particular times afford
wonderfully good guidance. Not only does
rosy sunset pre.age fine weather, and ~
rndly sunrise bad weather, rs every
child recoIlects, but there are other ,i,.s
which speak with equal clearncss and ac-
curaey. A bright yellow sky in the even
ing indicates wind; pale yellow, wet i; a
neutral gray color constitutes favorable
sign in the evening, and unfavorahIe or G it,
the morning. The clouds are full Of mean
ing III themselves. If their forms arc soft
underlined, and feathcry, the weather will
be fine; if their edgcsare hard. sharp, and
definite, it will be foul. Generally speak
ing. unusual l'ues beloken wind or rain.
while the more quiet and delicate tints be-
speak fa;fzwea;hcr. These are rot SO sim
pie but what the i ,ard Of Trade has
thought fit TO publish them for the use O.
seafaring men. If, however, the evidence
thus within every mans reach be combined
Will Tia: derivable from good Instruments
we may say of British sailors, as Vcrgi
long ago said of Italian farmers, that Il
storm can never take them unawares.
The late gales, as a letter from Admira
Fitzroy explains, were distinctly foretold
Not only the storms themselves, but the
quarters from which they would proceed
were plainly indicated by the baromete,
and tlermometer. The formerSo Of thes,
instruments was low on both occasions, bu
the latter was low before the gale on the
25ib. and ybigt before that of the 3lst-
Ihadeduc.ionsfrom this difference was, that
il,es fIst storm would come sfrom genera
northeSlE or Polar direction, and the sec
ondsfigM a,southeriy or Equatorial direc-
iehsas occurred. sE. @%s
AgAip. when theindications of bad wealth
or ataeiYen q long lime beforehand, it may
beeoasIdded that the gale will be Of som,
du.siiptf when they appear suddenly and
etshot snotice the storm will be short also
ThefssaH Hereford ofall these calculations
If lllsyEars carefully instituted, will be al
moss complete forekapNleage Of the
weatIsss md il is'n5t toosmuch to say, as
a gshssaiYule, flat this can be obtained
Itiss ssaaisite, however, for such purpose
all H. J.