St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-18

meteorS are of all sizes, from half a grain to
several TONS and are composed of chemical
elements more or less volatile, as they are
either Tree or in chemical combination with
metallic bases. An ounce of gold, even,
striking our atmosphere with a velocity of
thirty miles a second, would become vapor-
lied before 1t reached the earth, and upon
reaching the earth would appear a cloud.
lit has been calculated that the average
number of meteors which traverse the atmos-
phere daily, and which are large enough to be
visible TO the naked eye on dark clear night,
is no less than 100000" Therefore, we are
not dashing into vacuum, but into space
infinitely filed with bodies of more endless
variety in form, size. chemical constituents
than II is possible for human intellect to con-
celVe. suppose cosmca body, travelling
towards the earth in line with the earth's
motion, both approaching each other, just
large enough and of just such chemical con-
stituents, that by passing through our atmos-
phere TO the earth it would precisely at the
earth surface, become sufficiently heated to
pass into yapor or cloud Instantly; would it
not, like an apple thrown into u swiftly-run-
ming stream with force sufficient to reach the
bottom, stand still Il moment or two until the
current resumed its course, and carried the
impeachment along with many swirl and tum-
Bile, particularly if the current had q variety
of motions?
think an eye witness said of the st Cloud
cyclone that Il great tongue of cloud seemed
TO come down out of the sky and met the
great cloud near the ground, which was then
standing still, but Immediately afterwards
began to move. This tongue, which was
seen to come down, was, perhaps. the
second or third one lying in the line of
motion of the earth in It's orbit the
first one forming the cloud, the second strik-
ing into it. The prevalence of meteoric show
erS at certain periods attracted the attention
of astronomers and they discovered that they
''are not scattered uniformly in the space
COmnriSe1 hl,ta fnl-
lected into several groups, some of which
travel like comets in elliptic orbits round the
sun; and what we call shower of meteors is
due to the earthS breaking through one of
these groups. Two such groups are well de-
lined and we break through them in August
and November in certain years" May not the
earth be now passing through a group of
cosmlcal wanderers, of peculiar chemical
constituents that pass instantly from solid
to gaseous state Immediately upon reaching
the earth's surface? Quotations are from ].
N. Locker. Fellow of the Royal Astronomical
society. J.KH.
Our next correspondent does not delve so
deep into scientific investigation of the
constituent elements of a cyclone, but con-
fines himself more strictly to the prophetic
line with an evident touch of congratula-
ton that the elemental disturbances of the
last two weeks have indicated his claims
as seer. Here is the communication:
To the Editor of the Globe.
1t may not be out of place to again call the
attention of your readers to the almost alarm
ing frequency of electric storms and their
connection with the present state of the
earth's surface in regard to the drift The
writer of this article advanced the theory
eight years ago that the drift was the effect
of violent cyclonic electric storms; that our
entire solar system in its grand orbit reaches
position in regular measuredperiods, which
nlQnRS continuation wi nj, harc rSf nr,,c
of greater and less magnitude where the at
tractfve forces are so disturbed as to produce |
unusual agitation. This agitation on our |
planet is the cause and cyclones are the effect |
These cyclonic periods are several thousand |
years apart, and they continue for the length |
of time our solar system is influenced by this |
conjunction. There is the strongest and |
most convincing proofs that our unmodified |
drift is the result of these storms when at |
their maximum.
Our system is now gradually entering this
period. These cyclonic storms will continue
to increase in violence until their force
reaches degree of such power as to devas-
tate the habitable globe. A few of the human
race will be left and these will be cave
dwelers,'' driven to such habitations to pre-
serve life, and these few will again replenish |
and people the earth. do not make this
prediction as prophet, but as student of |
nature. 1t appears to me that these facts |
can be fully substantiated in any locality |
where unmodiied drift occurs. The storms |
of the past week suggested these lines, and |
when next year the storms become more
numerous and destructive, Others will take |
up this theory in preference to all Others |
may be called a ''crank' for my views, but |
they are honest, and no more unreasonable |
than the story of the ark. Let us inyesti- |
gate. CYCLONE.
Pine City, May Is.
1t may be some assurance to timid read
ers for the GLOBE to say that it does not
place the same reliance in the predictions
of our correspondent that it would in the
prophecies of DANIEL or of JOHN THE
BAPTIST. Science has led us far enough
into the realms of the universe to demon
strate that Master hand governs and
holds in their proper spheres and pathways,
without diScord or collision, the worlds,
and the systems of worlds. which inhabit
space, and revolve and fly through its track
less depths with the speed of thought.
Science has demonstrated what theology
has taught, that these swift, rushing bodies
of blind matter move on timetable de-
vised by an Almighty mind under whose
regulations all has been safety and harmony
for unnumbered centuries, and will continue
to move for centuries to come in absolute
obedience to that law of system and order
impressed upon every part.
Nevertheless the cyclone is matter for
careful scientific investigation, and while
the GLOBE processes to know nothing
more about the causes and characteristics
of this hayward and destructive sprite of
the storm than has already been explained,
still it is anxious to contribute all the in
formation it can obtain and throw all the
light that it can secure upon the interesting
subject for the benefit of those students of
science who are now investigating it. For
this purpose we subjoin the following Illus
trations of seven different appearances of
the cyclone which devastated the cities of
st. Cloud and Sank Rapids on Wednes.
day, the 18th of April, 1886. The
sketches were kindly furnished to
the GLOBE by a gentleman who was
an eyewitness to the storm, and
from a position on the top of the hill above
Sank Rapids observed its approach from