Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-06
Uncle Ben on Rain.

Uncle !" exclaimed Tom, "whstever malses il
rain so." %s''
"Do you call this rain, boy? why, this /, only
sort Of sulky dropping. You should see it rain
rs have seen IL, when it came down in suctr
lively earnest that began to think should be
washed clean ont OF the country. was once1
walking near the tropics, when the binding dust
tried my temper, and the whole country was reg
ulariy baked. Suddenly. or only with few min
utes warning, tho black clouds flew across The
bright sky and threw down such food of waters
that the thirsty desert land became hurry ing
river"
"Thats just what should like in England.
wsh u would have II out empty the bag, and let
US boys have our game outside"
Il While you are la England, iny lad Won mi at
submit to an English climate"
II know that; but 1t 10 almost always raining
mere, a,sa am sure that more falls here than any
"Thcre you are quite out, Tom. In the west
lot Ireland and Scotland they have more than
twice as much as We; in the Hebrides, five times
as much IN South America, Guiana, eight times;
near Cape Horn twelve times. aud at the Khassa
hills OF India, there is twenty times much rain
as near London"
You need never growi about rain after that,
Tom," said Alfred.
"Of course always knew that it rained more
IN hot countries than in cold onts, the other re-
piled.
"Then is Cape Horn near the Equator.' asked
his brother.
"No, it Is not and that is what puzzles me-
thought tho heat might have something to do
With the wet"
/, "lf 1t had, remarked Frederick, "lhe deserts Of
Africa, America and Australia are hot enough 10
quench their thirst. Don't you think the wind
, has little more TO do with it. The winds gath
er moisture passing over the Cape llorn and
the west coasts Of Ireland, England and Scotland
are favored with almost constant west winds (
know, and these come from OIL the sea
~ ou have hit tho right nail ON the head my
lad, said the uncle "But you guess why
! guinea should get so much ~
II think can. The southeast trade winds are
taiways blowing across the Pacific toward that
part OF South America"
"Can you guess why the Khassa Hills behind
Calcutta should get so much rain"
u mo, cannot. | know the monsoons blow
half the year toward the place from off the hot
y steamiDS Indian Ocean; but | once read thai
. Calcutta closer TO the sea, had not so very much
p rain"
ut has but from 60 TO 70 inches depth in the
year, while the Khassa range, the first high land
has ten times more"
IS "Why, everybody knows" cried Tom, nthert
= Is more rain IN the bills than the plains fancy
the clouds knock eganst :he rocks, and burst then
bags open''
Ia "Once upon time folks believed that the uu
4 Gle said "out now We have to guess something
"a else Let me tell you how rain is produced, anC
your knowledge oil geos rapby can tell you the rest
\ Moisture rises into the atmosphere through tn,
! sun cooperating water on the surface. Thus i
:, is that warm climates manufacture most materia
= for rain. The steamy particles do hot suddenl,
10 condsnse, as you have seen the steam drop int
=, water from the spout OF kettle il foals ava
~ until chilled enough to drop"
= "But what do they mean by dewdrop uncle Z
=, asked Edward.
"a "Simply the point ut which moisture falls.
~ the temperature of the cloud be that point
~ the rain will soou come. lu Very cold countries
therefore, the moisture falls sooner than in warn
:" ones"
rs yet you said the warm oues g,t the most rair
as as IS a rule"
is "lf the yapor rises higher into the cold air, tl
40 precipitation takes place readily
y. "Tnep, uncle" interrupted Arthur, can CUES
is the khassa HILLS riddle. The greater mass
ne moisture rising from The Indian Ocean would ut
y drop at low Calcutta SO easily as on the elevat
et country behind H."
"Yes, the temperature OF hilly districts coin
- cides more with the dew-drop. II the same win
contiL ues long while in one direction, hayin!
therefore, about the sama temperature, there " II
be mach rain il the moisture be present aud Ii
air cold enough. But il not, the clouds ma
look ever so tempting to the farmer, but give hi
only few drops"
Then have found out what dew Is, ur
We &C." Tom said. 1.-The days moisture life
from the ssa may hang about near th
ground, and when nigat comes with th
= cold the vspor touches the cold grass an
4, leaves, and settles as dew"
- "Quite right, boy. But your dew wi
not settle In cloudy weather. how Is that?
"I am sure don't know"
se. Frederick here remarked that in cloud
weather the nights were not near so cold
under clear bright skies, and this migi
he keep the moisture still loose in the aimo
y phere. Ha wanted 10 know, however. VIII
on on The rain did not fall more regularly ar
At certainly If the atmosphere were the eau
ods of the rain.
I've The uncle took up the word
des "Temperature ia no. all. There IL sui
ry tie force we shall talk about some day tt
t has much to do with 1t. This is Elec.rici
,ch called Lightning when made visible togo
IN Moisture we hnd cond acting aud absorbiI
sss. eectricity, and In certain states OF electrc
IA we iad that rain falls. In the case OF thu
ich der being about, as iolks say, there Is MOI
on pro liability OF a shower" ss i
ici- "But there can't be rain without clou,
though" remarked Alfred. "eveu thou
there may be clouds without rsin. Then
nts the clouds have hltla Il give, the ra
= will be little too."
.Eh .'In my travels" continued the uncle,
have seen clouds day after day tioati
g over my head, aud the dreadful drought
~ the time. In Palestine, we lind hom /
/. Bible, droughts were common But sue
i 4 country was so shut up amidst deserts, Il
In the air wonld absorb great quantity
4V moisture oil the Msditef rinean before dr.
- ping down raln." stf tE#
and "But why does 1t say that 'north WI
ma, driveth away rain, '" said one.
sold I-a.la,Iok ansxarad tha nusry hv shn N
this -. - f' ~
z at ing tuat sue" VIM SNuo ~ 'ho -
Iva Land over Thousands of miles of dry la
able north Wind would bring the rain
cor, other parts. Removal iron, sss. or
anu breezas, would also diminish the chance
x. rain. Hs pointed out Bolivia on the mal
- being surrounded by high mountain ins, W h
would catch all THAI the clouds could spl
Tom did not see why clouds, which mi
be hundreds of miles high, coud net ea'
" hold their contents while they swsrn b
anOuph over the A uies.