Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-09-17
TERRIFIC NATURAL FORCES.

NO72LnEy.
TERRIFIC NATURAL FORCES.
The Phenomena Of Cyclones, lorna,
does, Floods and Such Things.
From the Chicago Journal.l
Cyclones, tornadoes, heavy and long
continued rains, followed by terrible
floods, hail-storms, unreasonable and
severe cold and frosts, have strewn the
path of 1882. What is the matter with
the powers of the air While no new
forces seem to be apparent in this gen.
eral weather melee, it is quite evident
there is an unusual combination of forces
at work somewhere. The Kaleidoscope
OF nature is revolving rapidly, and send
ing her hidden machinery into new po-
sitions and displaying constantly sue
cession of fresh and varying phenomena.
But high scientific authority declares
that this world, like huge bead. Is
strung upon a thread of law, and if this
be SO we must not suspect any element
OF chance OF capriclous uncertainty in
the regular and orderly movements of
natural forces. Vennor has recently
given out that he bases his observations
and guesses in part on the periodical re-
currence Of certain courses or demon
STATIONS OF atmospheric phenomena !;
that about once III SO often peculiar sea.
sons appear, and unusual occurrences
take place in Garth and sea and sky, and
that by careful study of the past he is
able to predict to some extent the
future. It would thus seem that in the
original constitution OF arrangement of
things, uniformity and regularity were
to be the prevailing rules OF all natural
movements and sequences, and in addi-
ton to this the law of variation was also
to come i'll at stated intervals and modify
or interrupt the otherwise monotonous
procession Of events. Just as in skill
fully-composed piece of music there is
the central theme of melody running
through the whole, and then, harmoni-
ously mingling with it, an almost-in-
finite number of Emergencies and vari-
atoms, SO in the grand plan of the world,
as revealed in the operations of the ma
terial universe, there is main chord of
regularity and uniformity visible, and,
coupled with these, any number of vari-
able and extraordinary Emergencies
from the usual course.
Many years ago, among the popular
and instructive lectures of the Rev. r.
Starr King-who, as far. seeing and
subtle thinker, has never had an equal
In this country-was one entitled
The Laws of Disorder" in which he
demonstrated with rare beauty and force
fo hof ho ko,,
parently capricious of all earthly events
and movements were under the control
of fixed and Interchangeable laws. In like
manner the results of the patient and
protracted studies of all modern scien-
tific naturalists, like Darwin and Spen-
Ger, go to prove that the idea of unity
and uniformity, coupled with the power
OF variation, forms one portion of the
ground-plan of the world. This is seen
alike in the perpetuation of species or
types of animal and vegetable life, in
the movements of history and the un-
folding of civilization, in the recurrence
of natural phenomena and in the roll
ing of the worlds through the infinite
spaces.
1t can thus be seen at a glance how
erroneous are the views of those who
would attribute all the extraordinary oc-
currences of life to the direct interposi-
ton Of an unseen and divine hand. The
conception of Creator and Ruler of this
and other worlds sitting on hidden
throne and hurting thunderbolts at His
own will and pleasure far and near, as
Jove was supposed to do from the top of
Mount Olympus, may be Grecian and
classic, but in the light of ascertained
scientific facts and laws it can hardly be
called either Christian OF civilized.
Another thought III connection with
the working of these terrific natural
forces is, that any new light which can
be thrown upon the times and seasons
which they observe, or the methods and
laws which they follow, would be great
public benefaction. And to this end the
recent efforts of Gen. Hazen and the
Signal Service corps to observe more
accurately the origin and courses OF tor
nadoes in various portions of this coun-
try are worthy of all commentator. It
is not much, at the best, which can be
learned or communicated concerning
these terrific aerial visitations, but all
that can be known should he known and
distributed broadcast tn 'onghout the
sections of country mot liable to st1ffer
from their desolating rs,vages.