The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-03-18

The Great ST. Pafrick's snow Storm-Thc
Herald Weather Prophet.
In our issue Of Friday morning last among
the items of our city intelligence was this
brief and positive prediction
TIE wEArHER.-H will snow rain within the next
forty-eight hours.
Most Of our readers, we dare say, at the time
thought this bold and hazardous prediction.
Friday was bright day, and we had just
emerged from such an extraordinary succession
of SHOWS and rains that there were good reasons
for the belief that, the skies having cleared up
at last, we were to have the change ofperhaps
week or two of dry, cold March winds and
clouds of dust But our meteorologist was
correct Within his limit of forty-eight hours
this great St Patrick's snow storm was ushered
in upon us. II was regular Worcester, and
came up under the general law Of these
storms, from the southwark, riding over the
under current from the northeast, the storm pro-
dncing this under current as passing railway
train creates suction on both sides to fill up
the vacuum behind it. A traveller from the
South says that as he left Wilmington, n c.,
on Friday morning last at six, it was sleeting
and showing there, and that he came up to
New York with the storm, but that it had
evidently been gaining on the locomotive all the
way. From its Southern limit, therefore,
somewhere in South Carolina, to its terminal
ing point in Canada, and from its apparent
breadth between New York and ST. Louis,
this storm has covered an immense extent of
country. Reduced to water the volume it has
discharged would probably be equal to a foot
in depth over the entire area of the State of
New York
This may, indeed, be called a remarkable
visitation after winter unprecedented in this
country in the number and volume of its
storms Of snow and rain. Between Mexico
and Canada and from ocean to ocean accounts
of heavy rains or SHOWS and disastrous floods
and freshets have made up our Western reports
of the last shree or four months, and we have
had similar reports from the British islands and
The European continent. Some great and gene
raj disturbing cause, covering tide northern cir
cult Of the globe, must have produced these re-
suits. What has it been Our weather prophet,
young and enthusiastic street astronomer, thinks
that the cause may be found in the meteoric
showers of last November; that such was their
effect upon tile earths atmos phese north of the
equator as to result in the extraordinary sea-
son of storms that has followed ,-and he thinks,
too, that in the restoration of the atmospheric
equilibrium a reaction will follow which will
probably bring us remarkably dry summer
and autumn, if not general and disastrous
drought.
Now, we are inclined to believe that there is
some truth in the theory thus suggested. If SO
what magnificent field for invaluable scien-
tifc- investigation is this! We.might call the
attention of Professor LOOMS to the subject had
he not so signally failed in his meteoric calcula-
tons of November last; but we have man Of
science who can be relied upon-Professor
Agassiz, and as we believe. there is some
thing in it we should like his opinion upon
this meteorological theory Of our scientific
street astronomer and clerk Of the weather.