The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-04-07
StOrms-.TheRr Laws and Phe.
nOmeD0

To the Editors If the Pins6urgk CAronic1e !:
Many persons have very vague i.leas in
| regard to storms. merely imagining that
they are permitted to wander unrestrained,
either 20 water and fructify the earth. or TO
| deyastate and destroy in their fury /; but he
who sends the rain has given shem laws as
immutable as those which govern the con-
| stellatious iu their orbits. Modern science.
by the aid of the telegraph, is beginning to
systematze facts tending to establish the
character of those laws, and set them in
order. Much has already been done, and
much more remains to be done, before the
great and beautiful system of latr and o' der
ordained for the government of those benii
cent or destructive demonstrations Of the
power Of the elements is fully known.
The following are the leading features Of
the Ian Of storms SO far as yet developed.
The general progress of storms through the
United States. in the latitude of Pennsy1va-
MIA, is from West to East. This may have
local notifications, especially IN the Sum-
mer, bat the general rnie holds good.
Storms are generally longest. and frequently
of unknown length, from North to South,
and generally of very limited extent from
East to West, moving from West to East at
the rate of from thirty to thirty-six miles an
hour.
Storms are accompanied by depressions
of the barometer near the centre of the storm,
and rise in front and rear.
In all rains and storms there is an upward
current of air within the bounds of the rain
clouds or storm which causes the wind to
! blow in all directions towards the centre, car
ryiug upwards numerous. PARTICLES OF ruois-
! ture, which, ascending to colder atmos-
| pbere. condense and return to the earth in
rain, hail, or snow, as the temperature Of
! the season may indicate. These upward
| currents of air are the great source OF supply
| for all our rains and SHOWS, otherwise would
soon be exhausted and the rain cease. This
will be more readily understood by the fact
that cubic foot of air at the temperature of
ninety degrees, is capable Of containing in
| vapor fourteen aud one-half grains of water,
| and at the temperature Of thirty-two degrees
! it will hold two and one-thrd grains. Thus
| the surcharged air Of the lower and warmer
/ region as il ascends 20 the higher and cooler
atmosphere. is deprived Of its moisture by
| condensation, and returns to the earth in
! rain and snow.
| Whoever has read the Pittsburg EUening
! Chronicle for some time past. has no doubt
! noticed telegraphic dispatches of the wealth
| er, daily. from ST. Louis. Omaha. Cheyenne.
and other places in the West. giving the
! state of the weather, each day at certain
| hour at these places. From these we are
enabled to form data for estimating the
weather at least one day in advance. Thus.
| if on any day, although clear here. we find
a storm at Cheyenne, Omaha, or st. Louis
| we may expect it here in the night or next
| day. By observing the dispatches and rec
! ollecting that the wind blows toward the
centre of the storm. we can tell whether the
| storm is passing on either side of those places.
! IF at Cheyenne the wind is south or south
west, then the storm is approaching Cheyen-
! ne, and If west. it IS past. 1t west at Chey
| eune and suuYh or southeast at St. Louis
the storm is between those places. BY re-
! ferring to the reports of the weather IN the
! Chronicle We snd that oa the 81 of March
at 10 A. y it was sno|ing at Omaha. wind
/ S W at ST Louis it was clear, wind E.
which shows that the storm. had not reached
| st. Louis, but on the 4th it was showing
| here. Now, while it was showing here on
! the 4th, it was clear at Cheyenne and cloudy
! at st. Louis, and on the 9Th it was clear
| here. Again, March II being clear here. at
/ Omaha and Cheyenne it was clear, with
wind South. at Cheyenne, showing the storm
to be West of that place, on the 18th snow
| ing at Omaha, and at St Louis the wind
was S. E., the storm not having reached
| Louisville, and on the 18th there was
! heavy storm Of snow here.
If. on examining the dispatches. we 6nd
in all those places west wind. and clear or
even clear and cloudy. there is certainly no
! storm approaching. The above statements
are sufficient to illustrate the importance Of
| the intelligence contained in the dispa atches
| found in the Erening Chronicle. to the farm
! er, the gardener, the coal and river men,
! and every person engaged in outdoor oper-
ations, for by examining in the evening a
| very correct estimate may be formed Of the
! probabilities of the weather during the fol
lowing day. DAVID PEELoR,
Meteorological Observer for the Smithso-
| nian Institute.
JoRNsrowN, Pa, March so, 1870.