The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-18
snow ON the Fourth.
A LETTER FROM PROFESSOR TICE on THE g


! LITTER FROM PROFESSOR TICE ON The SUB
| -. ... a Il JECT. i.
! TO the Editor of the Globe Democrat;
| ST. Louis, July Il; 1s79.-In your supple
mept OF Yesterday meteorological phe-
nomcnon is mentioned, which presents TO
all meteoreogists problem for solution.
They have been trying their hands at 1t ever
since the time OF Aristotle, but are no nearer
to Il solution now than he was, and never
will solveit until they change their base ana
attack it at its only vulnerable point:
Scientists would popularizc science ana
| create an abiding interest in 1t II they
would explain; and what mean by eX-
planning is to make clear and palpable phys
icul phenomena as they occur, especially
| those that are OF an eXtraoI dinary charac-
ter, and while public attention is drawn to
them. Let them do this or abdicatc their
pretensions TO knowledge OF physical sell
ence. There have been during the current
year any number OF cyclones, hail-storms
cloud-bursts, earthquakes, and volcanic
eruptlon$, and there will be in November a
meteoric shower; yet the cause of none
of these phenomena has been or will be eX-
planned. Why? Because scli-conslituted
Scientists Go either not know the cause, or
else are incapable OF making themselves
understood by others.
The phenomenon to which I refer is from
the Portland (Me.) advertiser, and is mar
rated thus: GA remarkable meteorological
phenomenon was observed in several places
in this city Friday afternoon. About 5
O'Clock fakes OF fallen snow were seen by
many, who could hardly credit their senses.
Sergeant Boyd, of the Signal Service, hap-
pened to be out at the time, and caught seve-
raj OF the fakes on his sleeye.' This is not
an unusual phenomenon, but it is one de-
4 al lie nF
the highest significance and importance to
science. 1t is significant an6 important be-
: cause it is the key that unlocks the mystery
of bail-stopes, accounting for them and
5 many cognate phenomenon upon rational
. principles, and by the application OF we'll
:. known physical laws. The trouble with
book-men is they never carry out into the
field OF nature the results attained and the
laws developed in their experiments in the
a laboratory. l have said this is not an nm
, usual phenomenon, to prove which l SUBJ
h nit the following facts:
On the 9th of August, 1856, hurricane
of unusual violence made its appearance at
Sauua la Grande, on the north coast OF
Il Cuba. On the 2Sth it was central at Ha-
; wanna, causing great destruction to ship
c ping and immense injury to the crops. The
p barometer stood unusually low-twenty-
r eight inches and under. II recurred east
q ward on the gulf IN about the meridian
OF New Orleans, and struck Mobile
on the 30th with terrific force. 1t
reached Montgomery, Enfaufa, and Co
|fumbus, Ca, about noon on the same
laday, "blowug away many buildings and
strewing the country win PROSTATE trees
and fences" At Miledgeyile, Augusta,
Ca. and Edeetield, S. G., it ragged for twen-
lty-four hours with excessive floods of rain.
In the interior oil both North and South
Carolina the storm, with northeast wind,
was very violent, and great damage was
c done by the floods from the rain. At
r Goldsboro', below Raleigh, n. c., snow
/ fell for an hour or more on the 3lst or Au-
gust while the storm was at its height.
. Professor John Wise thus, in commu-
nication published at the time III the news
papers, describes the observations be made
: in a passage through hail-cloud in the as
cenSion he made from Carlisle, Pa, on the
18th Of June, 1888: "The cloud presented
| a great concavity towards the earth, with
| its lower edges very ragged and failing
downward with an agitated motion, and 1t
was Of a Gark-smoke color. Soon after en-
tering the cloud the cold became intense,
and everything around me OF fbrous na-
ture became thickly covered with 'hoar
e frost, even my beard. The cords running
! up from my car to the balloon looked like
:! glass rods, being glazed with ice, and hail
I and snow were pTec,pitated upon me from
/: all Sides"
:. The falling Of Snow in midsummer on the
i surface OF the earSb, and its falling ct all
s seasons OF the yea in the bail. and tornado
ID cloud, is one and sthe same phenomenon
. and the laws and principles that explain
S one wall likewise e:ear the other Of all mvs-
tery. Now, what explanation and efuGida-
st!on have the scholastic world to give Of .the
Dhenomenon? They have hypothesis
!: (which reuuires for3the occurrence OF the
l.ptrn omenon the meeting OftWo couds-os,e
from the frozen &urk Ga cold) and oac franl
; the burning South IL warm One)-and that
their union gives birfa to the phenomenon.
Psoscssor LOOMS. i1riis Meteorology. goes
even 80 far rs 70 hotd that. in the embrace
f:tbese imaginary .iiot and cold clouds,
each preserves its ipdividualify, and that
hail lis formed by i spiral rotary motion,
the nIlcleuS OF the BaiIstone being Lwirled
alternately from ,heseo1s. dry cloud to the
warm and moist one, and uice UcrSa, natil
by aecrGtion it becomes 400 DoDderouS to
be susrlined any longer 'i,l the air. Wig
not have the modesty of Riny, and confess
the ca,sxe of this phenomenon is hidden
in the maiesty OF nature:"
Sergeant Boyd accounts ;fsr the Portland
phenomeBen in this wise: "Artihcial
snow may We formed in aMarm room, the
air of which has become saturated with
moisture, by suddenly admitting current
OF dry. cold air. Shortly before O'Clock 4
cloud WAS observed rising frsm the south.
| At the same time another rose from the
northwest. .ahe intermingling OF these
1.-TWO formed crystals of snow"
Here we haye again the inevitable cold
sad warm clouds. They assume that one
lis cold and the other warm. What evidence
bage they for theiF assumption2 Net even
the shadow OF shade Of a fact, while they
baXe the positive statements OF Professor
Wise and other uErsnauts that 1t is BHch
warmer above the hai3-cIoud, and above any
cloud, than 1t is at the same elevation With
out any cloud below. Mr.. Wise also posi-.
lively states that while the nucleus OF the
cloud was affected with Arctic cold, both
the upper aHd lower portions Of the cloud
were affected with sweltering heat.
In neither OF the hail-cIoGds Professor
Wise passed through does he mention their
formation By uDicp Of two or more clouds,
bu. he actually states tue contrary. That o |
tornado hgil-cloud, Waterspout. or cloud |
hurst are In most instances formed py