Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-03-08

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 covering the sky before the
storm comes.
"Did you ever see a battle in the
clouds? The cirro-cumuIi and cirrO-strati
are natural enemies. The first named is
a fair weather and the last foul-weather
cloud. When they meet, as they some
times do after summer storm has partial
ly cleared, there is war in the sky. The
cloudy squadrons encounter in mid-heaven
to settle the question whether sunshine or
storm shall prevail. II the GIRO -cumuii
succeed, the weather will clear if the
cirro-strati are victorious, there will be
more foul weather. 1t is a 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 fore
runner of great storms. If you ever hap
pened to 20 up the Hudson when thun-
der 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 violent change in the atmos-
phere 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,
"One of the grandest sights in the
world is the majestic march of the cumulo
stratus clouds across hilly country dis
trict in advance of violent stOOm. Ami
mails, rs we'll as men, are intimidated by
the fearful appearance Of the heavens, and
show their fear by trembling and hurrying
to places of shelter. These clouds COM
monty 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
approach the zenith, blOtting out the sun,
ftful gusts of wind arise, followed by Pc
riOds Of oppressive calm. Sometimes a
whirlinG motion is seen in the clouds.
Then look out ! If Il black funnel seems
to drop from the cloud to the earth, it is 4
tornado, and nobody can tell what damage
it may 10. The cumulo-strati fortcll 4
storm several hours in advance. The
longer they linSer near the horizon tho
more violent the storm is apt to be.
''Thc 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 of mixture
of all the other kinds, and appears in every
storm, but is seen in its most characteris-
tic form in thunder storm. Sometimes
il approaches within few hundred feet of
the earth, and at other times it is 1000 Or
5000 feet high. While it always appears
black or gray from beneath, it is, in fact,
surmountcd by snowy white cap of cirrus
or cumulus. l have sometimes, in the
hills of central New York, seen from an
elevated station the passage of a storm
through distant valley. The glittering
upper surface Of the clouds then presents
a beautiful appearance, 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 sOme-
times difficult to accurately distinguish
them apart. A little, practice, however,
will enable any Observant person to detect
the prevailing characteristics. Indications
vary slightly for different localities, and
some knowledge of local peculiaritics is
therefore necessary. Any one who watches
the clouds can form many weather rules
for himself that he will find at least as
trustworthy as the predictions of Old
Probabilities.