American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-21
MAKING SNOW.
BY JAMES RICHARDSON.

"OH, Kitty. come and see what na~-
ftA heavy frost! It's all over everything
ever so thick"
"Why, you little goosey! That isn't
frost-it's snow"
"iSnoao? What is snow?"
"Just think, papa, Tommy doesn't
know what snow is"
Tommy was baby when the snow
was here last winter, and he doesn't re-
member it. You must tell him."
"Why snow is-nothing but snow |!
Everyb body knows what snow is, papa"
Tommy doesn't, you see. Tell him."
"Tll get some for him. See, Tommy,
this Is snow"
ats white, like frost-and cold-and
wet"
"But it isn't frost-it's snow. 1t came
out of the sky last night"
did il? | didn't see any when l went
to bed. And it isn't frOst?"
I" No, tell you; can't you believe me?"
% 1t turns to water, like frost See, it's
all melting"
"Just listen to him, papa! He won't
believe word l say"
"Do you know what frost is, Tommy ?"
Eyes, l know. It's fine ice, like you
scraped for me the other day"
Every we'll; now let us see if snow is
anything like that. l will scrape some
frost from the window, and Kitty will
bring some snow from outdoors. Just
little, Kitty, on this piece of paper. That's
right; thank you. Now let US look at
the two. Both are white; both are cold
and see both are turned to water by the
warmth of the stove. What is the differ
ence?"
"There isn't any difference"
"Oh, yes, there is. Tommy. Snow falls
out of the sky-I've seen it-and frost
doesn't"
"What makes itg'
at isn't made, it just comes"
''What makes it conner"
"Did you ever see such boy to ask
questions, papaw
"a very good boy to ask questions,
Kitty. l hope he will always ask them
as sensibly Let me try to make the mat
ter clear to him. l think we'll get on
best down in the big kitchen, where they
are boiling clothes for the wash and fill
ing the place with steam"
"What has steam 20 do with snow,
.oou.
ly. Here we are! Now, Tommy, can
you tell us what we've come fOr?"
"You,re going to show us about snow
how it makes itself-arent you"
I'm try. You see all this steam rising
from the boiler. Do you know what
it is?"
ats steam"
"Yes, but what is steam?"
"Tommy doesn't know, papa; but do.
It's water-vapor. You told me that
good while ago"
"See, Tommy, when l hold this cold
shovel over the kettle it turns some of the
is all wet now"
Where does the rest of the steam go
?"
The air drinks it up-dissolves it, just
as your tea dissolves the sugar put into 1t
and YOU can't see it any more. But the
cold dOOr-knob or the cold windOw-glass
brings it out again; see how wet they are.
That is from the steam in the air. You
will remember, Kitty, what l told you
about the dew that forms on the grass on
cool summer evenings, and how In the
fall, when it is colder, the dew freezes
and makes frost. Here by the stove it is
so warm that the dew cannot freeze on
the windows and nails and door hinges.
Further away, little frost forms around
the cracks where the cold air comes in;
and see! here in the corner, where 1t is
very cold tits SO far from the stOve), all
the nails have frost on them, and the win
dow panes are covered with it."
d" But how does the snOb comet"
)
directly"
" You know, Kitty, that there's great
deal of steam or water-vapor in this room,
though you cannot see much of ii. You
know, too, that anything cold Will turn
the steam back to water again, and II 1t is
very cold it will freeze the water and
make frost of it.
"Now, suppose the cold thing wouldn't
let the frost stick To it, the frost would
have TO fall to the floor and then it would
be snow
" Cold air acts that way; it freezes the
yapor, but cannot hold the frost. On very
cold days I've seen real little snow
storm made in a hot, steamy room just
by opening window or door.
Maybe it's cold enough for it to-day.
We can try, anyhow, and if we fail we
can try again some colder day:
Here, where the air is warm and
steamy, I'll open the window at the top
SO that the cold wind will blow in. Look |
sharp, now"'
- can ses them I can see them
Real snow-fakea' Oh, Tommy, see!
Isn't it funny to make a snow storm IN
the ktcheny"