North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-03-25

Our Scicntlnc Ae"uSS = ss.e =,
vcrv interesting. Prof. Shaw is an oso
English gentleman Of fine attachments s:
EASTMAN, March 90, 1868.
En,roRs OF THE T,nEs:-My late severe
sickness prevented me from noticing inc
very handsome remarks made o" my
weather predictions by the editor OF inc
Lansing Chronicle, wherein he is p'easea
to say, if "yuesses,' they are very S"rewea.
bec to tell him they are not guesses, but
of close scientific calculations,
having their basi. in Astronomy. SIT
nm much pleased to sec that the people
of the United States are beginning to turn
tbo;r attention to so beautiful study. In
England it has for many years been ia
xor;te science, though in that old country
there are but few who are proficient,
expect, from its exceeding abstruseness.-
l began to study its difficulties when quite
n young man.. 1t then fortunately bappei-
ed that was residing with my father in
the city Of Bath, England, not FAR from the
residence of the justly celebrated Doctor
Herschel, who was not only great astro-
homer, but great Acknowledgements,
and there from him got my first rudiments
and it was also ut that time tho learned
Doctor gave notice through the newspapers
Of the day that frost would set in on
Christmas eve, 1913, ard last 3 months,
and it did to the astonishment of every
body; indeed, l never knew so cold win
ter in England. But to return, it was a
long time ere, overcome the difficulties
of it's study-in fact, 1 threw it up twice,
thinking it was beyond my capacity. AS
soon as l began to understand it we'll l
made two discoveries--the first was, the
extraordinary effect on our atmosphere
when those two ponderous planets, Satu, n
and Jupiter, have their great conjunction,
which happens once in 20 years-their
influence is an extreme of weathe", some
time previous to the onjunction and last
ing sometime afterwards, in consequence
Of the hardness Of their motions. 1t either
causes great dryness by increasing the heat
in summer, and mitigates the cold in win.
ter but for the most part they bring forth
impetuous storms of rain and hail. If in
the spring time, a turbulent air. In sum
mcr, hail and much thunder in autumn
winds AMI wet In wintei, obscure and
thick clouds and dark air. The next par
tial or exact conjunction occurs in the
year 1881, when some Of your readers nc
doubt will have an opportunity of seeing
the effect, and then be able to say if an
not correct. 1t was from the great con
junction of these two planets on the 26tl
of January, 1912, that made me predic
so correctly, in England, month before
the great storm tina! ragged all over Europe
and from which was made an honorary
mcmber of the London Metcorol sical So
ciety, then under the presidency of Lore
Grosycnor, now the Marquis of Westmin
ster. think named all this in a forme
communication in the TINES. l trust there
! is no harm in naming it again. My mex
discovery was the Cycle Of 10 years bein;
very similar, because the situation of tn
Moon in regard to the Sun and the Earth
are again found in the same points-thi
is considered great discovery.
should not 90 so much into the histor.
Of these circumstances only with the hop
that it may be the means afinducing som
of our intelligent young men to undertak
the study as did. 5 "'. @...
l fear this rambling epistle will onl
receive snecrs from the skeptical, for it Is
alas, melancholy fact, that even in TIL
enlightened age, there are still, unhappl
for the progress Of science, many person
TO Ne found, who not only cast slnr upo
every thing they find it difficult to attain
but also imagine that whatever they hav
not themselves been able to acquire
whether from want of natural ability
inclination, or the lack of the requlslt
facilities, must be beyond the reach OF hr
man understanding. Others will a.
consider as useless any branch of science
of which they may once have known tn
first principles, but have failed to preserv
them, either from neglect, or from tn
want of retentive memory.
And thus the fool to wisd m makes pretenson,
Conforming all beyond his comprehend ~
THo's 5. SHAW.
NorE.-I think it proper to remark tbs
O, the oh OF May, the Planets Saturn an
Ju, tier are in Urine asl ec-mucl ice
powerful thana onjunction--neverthsle
i predict that for some days previous tn
atmosphere will be very warm, if not ho
and we may expect hot summer to TO
low, attended ut times with much heav
thunder, lightning, wind and hail.
McCLELLAN.-A few days ago the Ne
York World observed that Zen. Grant WI
not a man of great deal OF culture. Th
.0rEbuac answered that General McClella
was no better educated than General Gran
both having pursued their studies at We,
Point. We think that the education
two men in the same academy is Il rattle
doubtful measure Of their requirements
and though we do not intend in the lea
to compare The degrees Of culture of tt
two officers named, we believe the ia
that General Mcclellan is one of the be
scholars the Military Academy ever pr
duced is generally Admitted. He spcal
nearly all the modern languages, and is. !
studious man that, when some years az
he was on commission to Europe to loo
into the military organization of forei@
armies, he learned to read the Russian an
Turkish languages, because he could nj
find English translations Of certain milit
nv works and statistics which he needed
complete his report. We have heard fro
friends who met the General on his la
;nnrnnu in Eurnre that he informed lii