The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-07-22
Hail and TEaIIstol.ms.

Hail and HaiIstOrms.
Our exchanges give accounts OF sew
eral hailstorms which have occurred in
various parts of the United States, and
we are in receipt of several communi-
cations concerning the principles which
govern the formation Of hail, and con-
tanning some inquiries in regard to them.
Among these a fair correspondent
from Otsego Co., N. Y, has asked us
whether genuine hailstorm was ever
known to occur in the night. Several
others write US in a way that shows a
confusion in their minds as to what is
to be considered hailstorm and what
is not.
We will answer several of these to-
gether by saying that the sleet which
falls in cold weather, and, in some re-
CARDS, resembles hail, if not genuine
hail. If granule or globule of sleet
be examined, it will be found to be
generally Of uniform texture through
out, being simply an lee globuls. A
hailstone, on the contrary, is formed,
generally, of alternate layers of ice and
snow arranged something like the layers
of an onion, around white nucleus of
snow.
1t is stated in the books, that hail
rarely occurs in the night. In our own
experience, a hailstorm has never, to
our knowledge, occurred at night Our
numerous correspondents, who reside
in regions liable to the occurrence of
hailstorms, will confer favor by in
forming US if they have seen gen uine
hail between sunset and sunrise.
These storms usually occur during
the hottest weather, and In the day
time, generally, if not universally, ac-
companied by electrical displays of
great activity. 1t is quite certain.
therefore, that electricity is, either as a
cause, or effect, or conCOmitant, con-
nected intimately with the production
ofhail.
During the occurrence of two hail
storms, which occurred at this point
this season, we examined some of the
stones which fell, and, whether owing
to the warmth of the pavement, acting
to speedily melt them, or some other
cause, the form of the stones did not
present the usual pear-shaped form very
distinctly.
The Transactions of the American
Institute, for 1864, contain an account
of hailstorm which occurred in Paris
OIL the 29th of March, of that year, in
which the stones had an absolute con-
ical form. The base of the cone was
slightly concave, and the sides were
roughened by minute, six-sided, trans
parent pyramids, inclined toward the
base. Some pyramids, also, emerged
from the base. The weight of these
cones varied from 180 to $50 milli-
grammes-about from 20 to 38 gr.,-
and the diameters of the bases varied
from 8 to 10 millimeters, or from about
$40 to 4-10 of an inch; while the
hight was from 10 to 13 millimeters, or
from 40 to $40 of an inch. The
hail, was, therefore, remarkable in no.
thing except the form of the stones.
The combination of causes which
produce hail are very imperfectly un.
derstood. There must however, be
contact Of cold air with warm, moist
air, but how the intense degree of cold
necessary to change tho condensed
watery vapor into ice, SO rapidly, is
produced, is yet mystery. All the
theories yet put forth are based upon
hypothesis, and it is difficult to see how
facts can be obtained which will give a
reasonable solution of the phenomenon.
The freezing takes place at points
inaccessible to man and the Jumps OF
ice are preCipitated upon the earth,
frequently in such a manner, and Of
such size, as to show that they must
have fallen from high attitudes.
The theories alluded to are so fsmil-
liar to most of our readers, that we will
not dwell upon them, but will say
in conclusion, that the most plausible
of them appears to us to be that Of
Red6eld, which supposeS the hot and
cold airs to be mingled and carried to
high and intensely cold regions by the
action of vortex or whirlwind, from
whence the congealed moisture is pre-
cipitated in the form of hail. Scientific
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