The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-08-19


tunity to study the phenomena Of showers
and Of rain in general.
See that huge cloud about 1000 #. above
the plain sailing along majestically until il
strikes the eastern edge Of thesecond terrace
See how dark it grows, as the wind forces il
mp along the side of the mountain darker,
and darker until at last it is forced over the
crest, and begins to descend on tho other
side. SEQ now--it grows lighter-and still
lighter until now it is gonc--it has vanished
But look agatha little further along to-
wards the bold crags See there !--how it
comes again. bigger and bigger, and bigger,
until it strikes that mountain wall 1000 feet
high ! See it risc--see it grow dark-see it
Is almost black, see it now sweeping over the
tops Of those trees-Look now See how it
rains there But it has passed-and as we
turn our eyes toward the plain below--see how
the sun shines But what explanation can
be offered for this great change in the appear
ance, and for the behavior Of the clouds p
| Well, all air contains a quantity of aqueous
vapor, that is, water divided up into particles
so small that we cannot see them, 1.-The amount
of which depends upon the temperature of the
atmosphere. For instance, square yard of
air, the temperature of which is 75o is capa-
BILE Of containing in an invisible or vapor form
! q. square inch of water But il the tempera-
500, it becomes capable of holding only one
half Of n square inch, and vice versa. So the
4 quantity of water the air may hold in vapor-
Gus form depends upon temperature But
what becomes of the vaporous water when
the warm air is cooled Why the air still con-
tains all that it is capable of, at the stated
temperature and the residue collects, or in
tue language of chemists, condenses into
/ small particles, capable Of floating in the air,
which we call fog ;-or if these small particles
are considerably elevated above the earth and
collected into large groups SO as to appear to
be mass of floating matter, these groups of
small particles Of water or floating bodies as
they appear to be, are called clouds.
Again, these small particles of water form
ing fog, maintain fixed size at fixed tenn
peraturc and if the temperature is raised to
its original standard or that at which the fog
existed in a state Of yapor, it at once assumes
the vaporous form, and the cloud disappears.
Again, if the temperature is reduced, the fog
eNis'eu IN s'aae Oh Vapor, IL at once assumes
tue s'poroas 'ofe'' anu the cioua disappears.
Again, if the temperature is reduced, the
io8 again appeafs' ana 50 on put IN proper
non rs eile temperature Oh ciouu Is reduced,
the particles of water forming it, by the pro-
| cess Of condensation, already explained. be-
come 'aesef anu 'afset ah'n oy ehe'f own
"''sn'' uiey iaii W Tue grouhu III the form
y i''i". ~ w p".''oio ~ ios oiop' 50 "
'po"A' . ous 9 oo,'eo''o" u 'ne ,'is'sio'c Vap-
VI pai.'oies -'''iu ram parucie OF ram
ut"P' % oue eo'ioo'ion u ios par.ic'es
o'oos''' 'ososne' " ieuuc'''s or lowering 'he
temperature u .''c ar III winch 'hey are noat-
''is' ~" We Ano" ''''' ''io 'o''pei'''ufe ol
any pi'ce uepcius III y Sfeac extent upon lts
ai'i'uoe' ror ins'ance, q. noon mere To-Day
'ile 'ei'lpeia'uie was W. ou' ~ woouseock'
~ WIG io'e oi she hioun'''n ---s'hu oniy Two
niiics away Tue thermometer $1,000 ae or "a
corresponding a'iiefehce sisht'y modihcd may
oe observed Tor all hours OF the day. From
TINS statehlent, IL Is evident that IL square
YARD OF ar or any NUMBER OF square yards Of
ar AZ WORCESTERSHIRE with their due
/ percentage OF aqueous vapof' was forced up
the SIDE OF the mountain long before 1t reach
cd the top log would DC formed which, con-
densed on the way+1tlie drops growing larger
ana larger, would huaiiy iaii III the form oil
ram. mus we stand mere IN clear day.
when the WIND blows from the SOUTH aud see
i not lar ABOVE Tue piain q cloud forming, at
hrst, not larger tiian sheep-skin but as 1t
rises up along Inc side OF the mountain IL gets
larger ana iarser--aarker ana darker until 1t
begins to ram OF perhaps sweeps over the
Top Vi ohe inouh1tih III ehe ior'h oi shower
V ~ '' =" -, eo''-
'o., isn.n'ns anu .''".0' ".'0'u .no ooo''s'
D"'ens upon my p'a.'p'os' 20. .''' s.yaa.
~, os,,,, s;,o 80 a. ,,,;dJ,a tar,aoo - t,,o
r,o,nt,;,, and 30 the wind forces them hin
t,,a s;o t,,ov ,oco,,,o eo,,,.,r h, t,,o cold IF J,
ovat;on and oondonso SO t,at t,ov ,ook
th;c. ~ dense o. g. we sometimes saw darL.
4,,;. AZ a,,