The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-22

THE UNsoLvED PROBLEMS OF THE ATSfo-
sPHERE-PREDIcTING WEATHER BY THE YEAR
A POSSIBILITY OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES COR
REsPoNDENCE DETwREN PROFESSORS WISE
AND HENRY.
PHILADELPHIA, July 81, 1875.
Professor John Wise, OF this city, Is best known
to the general public as aeronaut, probably but
he has a better claim Tor fame than that OF mere
Dalloonist; he is an experienced meteorologlst lie
is scientific aeronaut, sincere and patient
student Of the laws OF the atmosphere. All his
ascensons are for purposes OF study, not to per-
form on trapeze or hang by his heels over the
heads or an open-mouthed, wondering crowd. lie
is a more devOut believer than ever IN the easterly
current, and, old man as he is, 1t is his dream 10
some day ind means to build balloon which
Will lake MIN swiftly and safely the Allan
tic; great leat, which viii convince the sceptcal
world OF the truth or his theory as firmly as his
less brilliant accomplishments have already con-
WINGED him. .
The following letter to Professor Henry, OF the
Smithsonian Institution, explains Professor wises
ideas upon the laws Of the atmosphere, his hy-
po;hess being the result of q number of expert
ments recently made:-
PROFESSOR wIsE's LETTER.
Professor JOSEPH HENRY secretary Smithsonian instl
tuition, Washington, d. @. =
atmosphere during ms rial soundings have reason
to believe that our atmospheric phenomena the
that to say, that the ether space pushed aside by
elastic she'll Of our globe mean its atmosphere.
cpen Tot Cause or III arr ceT f
II that whe any portion Of our atmosphere IS pressed
another place. This val DC followed 9X wave motion
causing COMBINATIONS and rareactions and give
worthless prcssu and suctons and these give rise
TO waerSPOnts cloud bursts hundergusts and storms
should have constant CLIMATIC selsons-l mean con.
differing much one year from the other we are com
The pcrturbahous made BY Mars and Venus on our
esrhs shell would go little way 20 account for the r.
moving through a resisting medium must produce
in Inc StmosPhcrei subjected 70 iher sciion ''
NY %s SSeSs IN NV 1s 70 you 70 haze sqs
Abe barometer wll not alone do H. though II did appear
erosion a lew weeks ago that in close OBJ
servaton OF our horizon limo and the nuctuation
was Going on ike sUasnSdc Breathing We
s' TINE Zee feet sRS' @ nS
n ms uS sc bs 3 bounds out @
did not save N US rom a plunge to NE earth. 49,.
science q @SieTToioSy ara &,y,ng drawn my e%rs:t
You viii excuse me in drSwtng 9o Yor Afternoon In
your mutarous duties for advice or suggestion to
ee We ought to learn TO ro6ayy Fs' the year
ana he pSoO sS
here in our atmosphere. Truly, your friend and
fellow citizen. JOHN WISE.
Professor lenry's reply Is as lollows:-
PROFESSOR HENRY's LETTER
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTIONS, WlsHINGroN, July l6 1875.
JOHN WISE, Esq, Phadclphia:-
sm-n reply TO your letter OF The 2sth of June, re-
eeived durng my absence have TO say that there
two great causes OF meteorological phenomena. The
first that OF the relative position OF the aud earth
in space, or In other words the variable ecccntrciy OF
The earths orbit an also the change in the earths
perihelon N regard 10 the different OF the
Changes however, due to these causes are OF secular
character and are imperceptibe year and
only give rise TO enecv which are percepuble IN geo
lugca periods. The next class OF phenomena
those due TO the obhquiy, Of the earth's
AXIS producing summer and winter. Nearly
al the other phenomena can b.. explained in a
on the surface Of The earth the being heated by
the direct rays oil the with six rapidly OF
the latter, giving rise 10 upward downward cur
rents and perurb2uons tending 20 disturb the regular
flow OF the air which would place the surface
globe entirely covered with wafer. THAT the atrRc-
ton OF the sun and moon and the planets must
have some influence Oh the aerial covering the earth
be admitted from all ogy; but whether these
actions produce any change IN the amount
the direction OF the wine has been d.
All speculatous rs 70 the e1ect OF our carhs motion
through the ETHEREAL medium is too indefinite a cha r.
TO he msde G'e o. IN the way Deductions which
may serve guides 20 investigation. II the earth
J DTalpcsd aJ disturbance upoD tba sthorial