The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-01-12
From the Cacinn'a esraits.

From the Ciucinnsd esrstts.
The Cold storm of January :, 1866.
One of the most remarkable barome-
tric waves ever noticed here passed
over this region, and il the West gem
orally, from Saturday evening, the 9th,
to Monday morning, the Sth inst
The barometer stands higher at the
present moment january Sth, 9 am. }
than the writer has before recorded
since his connection with the Univer.
sity.
Though the elevation of Oxford can
not be much if any lees thsn 500 feet
above the Gulf, yet the mercury now
indicates pressure of 30ljS inches
The range during the year will be
about IS inches.
There is another singular fact con-
nected with the present cold storm,
which might escape a casual observer,
but which has a very important bear
ing upon the question of atmospheric
currents in the West The remaT kab
rise in the barometer has occurred du.
ring the prevalence of a northeast ,cild
Why the barometer should fall, IS it
does with scarcely an exception, with q
northeast wind, is readily understood
when it is known that these winds here
are the outlines of the great cyclonic
storms which sweep with such violence
from the Gulf and the West Indies in
3 north and noTthessteFiy direction,
and usually along the Atlantic coast
A low barometer must necessarily take
place along the track Of such storm.
But the present case cannot be in.
cluded in this class Its peculiar fea-
lures, l. e, extreme cold, northeast
wind, and yet great atmospheric press
ure, admit Of two explanations
lst That the present storm is really
the great Arctic current which is con
stantly moving, either oa or above the
surface of the earth, toward the equa-
tor, and Is detected by the motion Of
the earth on It's axis, gradually from =
north into q northeast wind
I'd That q very cold northwest storm
has been in progress, the axis Of which
lies in the States east Of the Allegha-
MES, and perhaps out in the Atlantic
ocean. Along such current there
would be- marked condensation Of the
atmosphere, from the extreme cold.
This cold current being thus reduced
in hight, the air from each side would
flow in upon il as into q valley, while
below the cold air must be driven out
right and left from the track Of the
storm. An east wind must prevail
along the western border OF such cold
current, and its Increased weight Is the
necessary result Of the extreme cold,
and the inhowing Of the upper strata
In other words, the hight Of the Rtmos-
phere first diminished By condemnation
Is finally restored; but, having become
denssr at the same time, iis weight is
Of course increased Ihe present
storm differs from that Of January, 1864.
mainly in this respect The axis Of
the present passes to the east OF Ohio,
while that OF 1854 passed 20 the west
crossing southern lows, Illinois, aud
the northern paris Of Kentucky. They
both present some peculiar and remark
able features and though seemingly
different, are substantially alike, and
worthy Of the eareful study Of meteor
ologisiz
lis but Just that the writer should
state that the above was written before
the reception of the morning papers.
The telegrsphie dispatches but confirm
the second explanation IS
AAxl UNTEEsITT, January s.