Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1881-04-14

I
preaching stormy weather. When it
settles down into a thin veil, covering
the sky. and making the sun and moon
look dim. it is certain to be followed by
snow or rain. You will see it in that
form following those streaks that are
now rising in the southwest and cover
ing the sky before the storm comes.
did YOU ever see battle in the
clouds? The cirro-cumuli and GIRO
strait are natural enemies. The first
named is fair weather and the last a
I foul-weather cloud. When they meet.
as they sometimes do after summer
storm has partially cleared, there is
war in the sky. The cloudy squadrons
encounter ID mid heaven TO settle the
question whether sunshine or storm
shall prevail. If the cirro-cumuli sue
coed the weather will clear; if the
cirro-strati are victorious, there will be
more foul weather. 1t is war of de-
struction. and the battle usually ends
by the total disappearance of one or the
other of the two kinds of cloud. all
assuming the form of the successful
party.
"Cumulo-stratus is the grandest of
all clouds. and SO it is the appropriate
forerunner of great storms. If you
ever happened 10 go up the Hudson
when thunder storm was gathering in
the Catskills you must have seen this
cloud dropping on the mountain tops
and hiding the great peaks like vast
curtain. Whenever you see these
clouds looming up you may be sure that
n violent change in the atmosphere is
close at hand. The cumulO-stratus
consists of LAYER or foundation of
dark-colOred stratus cloud nearest the
earth, surmounted by bulky piles of
very dense cumulus. not white and
smooth like the fair-weather cumulus,
but rough, dark and threatening.
Zone of the grandest sights in the
world is the majestic march of the
cumulo-stratus clouds across billy
country district in advance of violent
storm. Animals. as well as men. are
inundated by the fearful appearance
of the heavens, and show Their fear by
trembling and hurrying to places of
shelter. These clouds commonly make
their appearance first in the northwest,
rising black and threatening above the
horizon. Soon the rumbling OF heavy
thunder is heard. and as the clouds ap- \
proach the zenith, blotting out the sun,
fitful gusts OF wind arise, followed bv
periods of oppressive calm Sometimes
a whirling motion is seen in the clouds.
Then look out! II a black funnel seems
to drop from the cloud to the earth, it
is tornado. and nobody can tell what
damage it may do. The cumuio- strait
fOretell a storm several hours in adj
vance. The longer they linger near
the horizon the more violent the storm
is apt to be.
1.-The last class, or rather sub class.
of clouds is the nimbus, or black rain
cloud, which spreads over the heavens
just as the storm begins. 1t is made up |
appears in every storm. but is seen in |
its most characteristic form in thun-
der storm. Sometimes it approaches |
within few hundred feet of the earth,
and at other times it is 1900 or 5000
feet high. While it always appears
black or gray from beneath, it is, in
fact, surmOunted by n snowy-white cap
OF cirrus or cumulas. / have some
times, in the hills of Central New York,
seen from an elevated station the pass
age of storm through distant valley.
The glittering upper surface of the
clouds then preserve a beautiful appear
ance. while underneath they are dark
and forbidding, and the pouring rain
hides the landscape.
'.On account of the mixing together
OF the various classes of clouds. it is
sometimes difficult to accurately distin-
guish them apart. A little practice,
however, will enable any observant per-
son to detect the prevailing characters
ties. Indications vary slightly for diff
ferent localities. and some knowledge
of local peculiarities is therefore neces-
sary. Any one who watches the clouds
can form many weather r1llaa for him. |