New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-22
DEBATE on PROP. LooMIss PAPER

DEBATE on PROF. LOOMloo fAifit-
THE COLD wlvE' OF AIR CONE FROM ABOVE
The President, Prof Henry, said the subject
wac open for remark. Tie following discussion 'o""
place:
Prof Hllgard said that there was 20 part OF the S'D,
iect treated oi BY irof Loomis which interested nm
more than the extreme changes Of emirfiluio W Will
subjected IL id Tor years Pdss ocen u 'la To-,
alton and speculation To tnySn 40 oohrtn nS
sjvrs about cause, OF things bow te Sni.n So.t
CHANGES of temperaure could b- produced s they arc IN
th4 quarter ~ the world. 10y northwest WIND u was
formerly popular lu'd liat hts nii 80 go, t1 Urn
Rocky fountains or RON tno 10y pivs W. 81 ~, o,,s
u.at ~ coarse su"n les wa enirely lh cohs,
rr IN ;ne Sanunu time experiences equal chihses .,
temperature in very short periods Oh una liza. tN9 oo.u
NO., com, IRON must be uDslJHs 20 S','Hh5 III
guirers Prof Henry many years ago pJlhCd olt '.'s
tnat must be the The precise ode IN which te
win desce is may no luugef be ii-"to 90 '..'J ~,
given by Prof Henry Of very srdduai siOle 81
cnangcs IN tho temperature: IN changes oi area tha'
hy "p py" in Whc t5e are. moved Tcrtl-
cay Prof LOOMS WIS the hrst, certainly 80 tir as ne
knew, VINO had actually oOate the tacs IN such why
do 20 iao 81" G III moi see now the descent of air
from a hiyhcr region to lUwtr c0u d produce cold Ac
coylg t. !nye,. cations which had De- made Sute To-
ctv me i.r,,, of heat IN descent al 100 n5tcrs,
would be- I 50 Suppose the atmosphere were l. ran,
then IN ths descent al 100 meters the Pressure woHd
n..iice i c,utI.,le or /. Fan. Instead Of cold,
at wslld Do pIOldced; tht -, the anoaht y, Ae's
produced 81 tn Pee sure Is greater tnah tHe iHnlnU VI
difference between mporltIre above and below"
Prof lgad exception 10 his explanation ~ gu"
which auppUs0s dyndmc chauSc 70 ta-c ii!,e uuucI
strtl conditions II the barometer did not cn tnSe OF
cnursr that would be 4 pere SLY correct explain snOn;
but appeared him that this was SIMPLY equivalent
10 nj With fbe 5y drawing tne air with cold air
upper part, aud e>senng ihe pressure oe""' "'ua
show tnat the ar rom aDove was colder.
rrof erro replied th1t he thosnt he was nor 9e no
motors hight n the AR descoids, tieEc must De
change pressure, consequently heal Ii poideei' M"..n
yy'en te .rt1 lie dnl NOT rfcr any 20 m tine
thermometer at the eartifs surface Dat dhefehce Oh
pressure due To elevation ,,,. Ill, a., -
wind came rom the mountains Wh r. the emp
go III me heAy tn win5 II In Inc, nra u ,untIIs
thtre "oliu oe s'i'ns VIII ,oiI," .c',s Ir,n,
"A hight Of 100 feet npUu tDo surIuo vi laae WHEEL
IN m. si up,n w,c tne wind strikes viii boz, To be
rIppled wuie on tn side it viii rein n PERFECTLY
cain the o an hour VI COURSE thls
eould ne explained on tho tneoy Of a
comes thn TOP of The IN 'uuip N tue ma ne oI tin
d,y sometimes witt such rapidly that ntSie boa Is IN
danger lie mad himself very oOen found consldcraiDe
dlnouity getting to tue snore wnen tDat wlDd c,o
rsr r' Tremios waves and beng very cold Tnese
two Iacs were Apparently primary ai,h Mo must nu
must coucey" that tAe oIord0ns OF tne aIhJsrnero
were ynanc AMI con inupus. WHen we have Say iodr
inches Of ram IA ~ hours Oh ouis'' as quo mn
cin c,utU ,ut small quhnsiJ' We must h''e It o"iI,
is m "A different condition from wRat would eAist II we
look ile mars of air and pulled it down.
Walton. now his command furnished any me's OF de
crrinmg ference Of the velocity OF upper Strata
of air aud those the suiface
Prot Looiuis replied that lac signal S,rviGo Bureau
had not published amy observations bearing upon tD
n,,esti~n OF witch he aware. although he tnongGt
t,,.y mad some materials Bcyoad tBa us know OF No
sui able materials in this country.
Prof Henry remarked that in the oh'ervati0n8 of
Prof Coffin that matter was discussed.
Prof. ilgard said this Subject appeared 10 him O. dc
sr,, osue, at enlion ~ matter OF observation, Tor it
Is to he remembered that wIc along tle surt.oe o ue
earth the wind is RETARDED by friction yes 1t moves moro
RAPIDLY in tho up AMI thar necessarily implies
c,elOial movements. Ii hal bccVmr matter OF %
A.rygtion ina rivers tt in consequence oi The slower
now the bottom and more rapid How nc the top the
aterii which tey carry ~ constantly GrtI ssle,,,
sion 10y The continual reaceu ht oil tnat rom DV" oy
that which flows with greater velocity AT the
top 8, must il be In the air. but with what resistance u
there Is not known aud IL would Uecone mattsr
desirable for observation.
Pro-. loOmls said lhat the observations up'1 clouds
fnn Washington and other points OF great olcva
ton the velocity OF Tie wini AZ those points
velocity at the level OF tho seA III surrounding
places. -, - -. -..-., -. a,
apparently laroxynai advance OF TIC Stoli1'1s Prof
L,omis replied, adxAttng the theoretical dmcultes
Prof Henry remarked mat in tue case ~ iotest
storm IL stand still at points the seaboari
nil 1t gets 10 the coast depending probably upon the
srUrm He was led observe that ia investigating the
Phenomena OF sound in Portland. Maine SIGMA! nine
miles distant was heard during tbs storm when the WIND
was blowing directly against SI That Look place
sometimes from ono to two days togotier;
Ptof GuyOt remarked that wnen rainfall proceeds. the
center the the larger IL Is the more rapidly
moves Was ths simple explanation this, that II
from the east or south. AMI therefore charged with
moisture and coming into colder regions the condensa
ton would be ut it's Xnum because IL IL met by the
unduinislrd amount Uf vaporf But no Was very much
dIsucnr 10 think that this VAS the cause OF tie pe-
an not she cause.
Prof Loomis asked what caused the storm travelt
Prof. Guyot replied that that another question.
They all came the same way In our latitucs, and he
tlUight was due general VI tie wauos-
pGcie when is given by the general motion which per
tns Ia form the globe and that it was independent or
local CAUSES and thcn this local rotaory motion
doubt begun By the ascending currents with that
Prof Henry referred 10 the Investigations OF PIof Colin
tis matter, nd said that In regard to all these phe
noincna viii h Prof. JO0mis had ably Investigated
they were bound together by general prineples Ihe
subject Of very great and the Sigal
Service recording a series Of FACTS Which would
40 establish the laws OF te motion OF the atinos
plerc storms II we'll known that ihe Smith
Institution began series Of Investigations VI this
suJoct upward OF - years ago. aud he would mention
that the Institution busily engaged In working
the results that obtained In that lime and
Oiy those, bus all tho results that hav. been recorded
all the publications Of the country This work under
the general direction ~ II the members OF the AGA
denny, Prot sUhott who would be able, perhaps,
ther meeting 20 give some very interesting results Tue
researches upon the winds had been under the direction
OF Prof CUtli and completed and in VI
publication
The debate closed with general remarks by Prof.
Henry, and Prof Hlgard announced the next paper.