The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1884-01-10

In n long contribution 10 tho London
Times Dir. I0cEysr brings ihc light OF
science to bear on the atmospheric phe'
nnmouu which have lately been fnfpnalng
and delightIng Europe aud America no
ethereal pomps arc reported 10 nave
derived thsiI woudrous complexion
nom plentiful diet e pumics
stonei. Aetgorologiss LavC. n.en
snaelsl 10 track ktZh'ga
irom It's original sight W The rir, y 81
sunua 20 the skies above Java, 90 NApfRs
ard other points in Southern India, 70 tho
SeychtIgs and MaurliiGs, to tAs cape anu
the Gold Coast. TO Brazil, Venezuela ana
Tripid,d. About the period ut which,
with the prevailing currents Of tho upper
air. and In the anticipafet direction, mat
ter floating In the atmosphere would 90 due
| in Europe. European skies have been
visited wish succession OF
gorgeous Sunrites and suntets' me
exploded fragments Of krhLatoa anu ils
volcanic root. hgve nov Reuu dyelng
European skies as they shroudsa Java. As
| II has been said that the aqueous Sapor IN
the mir is the CHIEF cause Of the sunset color
normally, M tockyer inquiries II there 10
! sxcHss OF aqueous vapOr AZ present, Now
On this question there is no higher sulhOr-
| IL, than tue Astronomer Royal for Scot
land. Professor Piazza Smith, rud the cyl.
depce which the spoctrogcope hes afforded
]
AQUEOUS yAroR,
Mr.. Locker concludes by saying; The
rain band, Il band produced rs mold, by =
specigl form Of aqueous yapcr IN our air,
widely different from that which absorbs
the blue, is now OF the minimum, WINE the
dry air band 10 at tremendous maximum
Professor smyth adds, as a corollaty, Tina
light. therefore, from that red haze has
pas.ee through an extra length OF dry
AIR. This puts an extra amount OF aqueous
ynpor rs the cause Of these sunsets entirely
ont OF Tho question. Although priori II
seems difficult to imagine that sunset In
Londeu IN December should owo It's color
alton % volcanic eruption whish tooN
place many thousand miles away last Au.
gusr. inquiries along sevsra! lines based
upon the evidence now available really
lend great probability TO this view.
II do not write as partisan, but even
were J one should still point out that
there arc important gaps in the evidence
and chat there are some difficulties in our
way. and il is desirable to know 1ether u
will be increased or diminished by future
information. Thus, 10 give one OF these
difficulties, NJ. Michie Saith pointed out
quite clearly that similar phenomena
were observed in Europe and Americs
in 1881, when he imagined there
was nothing lcanic to produce them
On this the interesting question arises
whether it is possible to associate them
with the elevation of Grsham's Island IL
the Mediterranean in that year, as sundry
dim portcnts seen in the last century were
referred to an eruption OF Heela. Much
will depend upon this, and at present
have not becn able to get at the records
However, the point is ultimately set
tied, the beautiful phenem which
have suggested this article will lost
none of their interest in the memo
rte, of those who have watched them, ard
if il Should happen thst the ides of volcanic
origin is eventually justified, il is perfectly
clear that in the future the beauties OF th'
skies will have new interest attached tt
them, and that they will be eagerly staolec
bv metsorologists, and utilized to acquire
d knowledge of tho upper currents OF the
atmosphere, which, uD tcthe present time
have all but eluded their grasp.