Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-12-15
How TO FOretell Weather.

A communication to The Southern
Planter deals with the subject OF
weather prognostics. Few intelligent
persons can have any sympathy with
the so-called prophets who oracularly
announce phenomena, giving dates
occasionally making lucky hits, but
as often firing their random shots al
together wide of the mark. That there
is, however, something in weather
philosophy intelligent persons will bo
quite ready to concede, and they will
be in accord with the views of the
writer when he recommends the habit
of observation of natural phenomena,
which has long been practiced, its
results being handed down to us in the
hOmelv weather proverbs with which
all are familiar. There is good
ground for belief that observations OF
this kind will prove useful, the more
so as modern science enables us to
give the reasons, unknown to our fore
fathers, for many phenomena, and
thereby to determine the value of in
dications. by the association of causes
with effects, instead of following
blindly the perhaps erroneous observa
tiOns of others. An apt illustration OF
this is furnished in the article under
notice. Persons really intelligent anC
not uniformed have maintained tha
the direction of the milky way char ge
and indicates the course of the wind
when as every child of to-day knows
this film of white crossing the sky i
resolvable by the telescope into myra
mids of stars, whose position is, o
course, Independent of terrestrial cur
rents. How this deeply-rooted ide;
originated is mystery. since it coul'
not have come from observation
Careful and intelligent study in tn
field of weather phenomena would un
doubtedly establish mahy facts, Will
it would dispel great many error
and false inferences; the knowledg
gained would be besides of practica
interest and benefit to the observe
and to the community, provided tn
observations were recorded. On TIN
ground the writer views we'll deserv
commcndatiOn. He says:
"lf one could read the signs, eac
day foretells the next; to-day is tn
progentor of tomorrow. When tn
atmosphere is telescope, and dstar
objects stand out unusually clear an
distinct, storm is near. We are o
the crest of the wave, and the depre
sons follow quick. 1t sometime
: happens that clouds are not so indie;
tive of storm rs their total absence
In this state of the atmosphere tn
: stars are unusually numerous an
a bright at night, is also n bad omel
5 1t appears that the transparency {
1 air is prodigiously increased when
: certain quantity of water is uniforml
$ ditfused through it. Mountaineel
, predict a change of weather whel
the air being calm, the Alps, covere
with perpetual snow, seem on SUI
D den to be nearer the observer, an
;. their outlines are marked with gre
# distinctness an the azure sky. Th
, same condition of the atmosphel
{ renders distant sounds more audibl
t There is one redness of the east
C the morning that means storm; anOth
:, that indicates wind The first is broa
= deep, and angry; the clouds look lii
= an immense bed of burning coal
# The second is softer and more vapOr
s At the point where the sun is going
I rise, and in few minutes in advan
v of his coming, there rises sraight II
g ward rosy column, like a shaft
: dyed vapor. blending with and Y
+ partly separated from the clouds, al
o the base of which presently comes
t glow like the sun himself. The d