Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-10-11
The Recent Tornaaoes and Sun spots.


II there were not a great deal OF I'M
certainty and contradiction involved in
the observations hitherto made for the
purpose of determining whether the
condition of the sun has anything to do
with the frequency or violence OF ter
rcstrial storms, the recent tornadoes,
and those of April, coinciding SO close
ly rs they have done with great solar
outbursts, would possess very great
weight as affirmative evidence. As 1t
is, they tend strongly to favor the at
lirmative side of the question. Men Of
science differ widely in their views as
to which side possesses the preponder-
ating weight of evidence. Hardly any
body, however, now disputes the in
fluence of sun spots, or the cause which
produces sun spots, upon the earth's
magnetic condition. The evidence to
prove that influence seems to be over
whelming, and the connection OF the
great auroral display and magnetic
storm in April and the less brilliant
auroras of the present month with
solar outbursts is conceded. On the
other hand, the evidence of the inilu-
ence of sun spots upon the tempera-
ture and general meteorological condi-
tions of the earth is unsatisfactory.
The trouble is not so much the difficult
ty of perceiving what at least seem to
be indications of such an influence, as
of reconciling the contradictions that
arise. Observers in some parts of the
world have noted n slight increase Of
terrestrial temperature during the max
imum periods of sun spots; others in
hn, Do S,f hn hau
slight decrease of temperature during
the same periods. Prof. Young thinks
it would be fair TO say, on the whole,
that there is very slight balance of
probability in favor of the view that
years of sun-spot maximum are de-
gree or two cooler than those of sun
spot minimum; but he adds that the
next investigation may carry the bal
ance TO the other side.
There is better evidence of the con-
nection of sun spots with the frequency
of great storms; but here. as in the
other case, contradictions have arisen,
and the whole subject is in an unsettled
condition. One great source OF the I'M
certainty that attaches to the question,
perhaps the principal one, is the frag-
mentary nature of the observations.
They are mostly merely lDcal, and ex-
tend over too brief periods. AT present
there is not sufficient means of connect
ing such observation so that they will
show what the effect of the sun-spot>
maXima is upon the earth taken as
whole. From general point of view,
contradictory results from local ob-
servations need not be looked upon as
N .
cncc of the suspected influence, both
because of the comparatively small
portion of the earth's surface covered
by the observations and because the
very contradictions observed indicate
some disturbance, which, like many
other forces OF nature, may manifest it
self in different forms according to To-
cal circumstances, although, could our
view embrace the whole of the phe-
nomena, we might find the general re-
suits to be uniform.
This subject is yearly attracting more
attention, and the observations made
last year and this year may 90 far to-
ward Il solution of the puzzling ques-
ton. OF course, if we could be sure
that cyclones and other great storms
are more likely to occur during periods
of sun-spot maximum, that knowledge
might be of some use in guarding
against them; but il is not likely that
this study will ever be of any great SER
vice in furnishing storm warning. The
knowledge to be acquired is of much
more general nature, though not the
less interesting or important on that
account.
1t is noteworthy that the recent dis
astrous tornadoes in the West indicate
the existence of some atmospheric
condition favorable to their formation,
which extended over wide region of
country, and which, under the in
fluence of favorable local circumstances,
produced cyclonic effects nearly stimuli
taneously in places widely separated.
Thus the tornadoes of Friday night and
Saturday morning visited st. Louis,
Leavenworth and Kansas City about the
same hour. AT o'clock on Saturday
afternoon Southern Illinois was swept
by tornado; but the cyclone which
did its fearful work in Iowa between
nine o'clock and midnight the same
evening was moving in the direction of
Illinois, so that the latter must have
been different storm. At noon on
Sunday tornado struck Bay City, on
Lake Huron; while still earlier on the
same day Dubuque was visited. Early
on Saturday evening, several hours be-
fore the Iowa cyclone burst, a whirl-
wind visited Saratoga County, in this
State. The storms of Monday were
felt in New Jersey, New York, and the
Eastern States at about the same time
There thus appears to have been gen.
oral advance of the stormy weather
from the west eastward, although the
storms and cyclones burst out here and
there, and pursued their courses indie
pendently of any general movement of
the storm area, and separately from
each other Looked at from above, the
country swept by these fearful storms
would have presented q broad region
of atmospheric disturbance marked here
and there by whirling storm centers
bearing, in some respects, likeness to
the clusters OF nuclei which form i'm
disturbed regions on the suns surface.
1t is also worthy of remark, mas.
much Us the increased electrical in.
lluence of the sun during its periods OF
spot maximum is recognized that in
recent great storms the display OF
electric forces was very remarkable.
" \. Sun.
- -
Literature OF the Sword.
The literature of the sword has been
as widely extended rs its use. When
the story-telers or the troubadours of
the Middle Ages told or sang about
noble knight, his trusty sword was men,
toned as often as himself. In those
days many of the swords were named,
and in reading about them you might
almost suppose that they were actually
personilied, and that they thought out