The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-24
meteorological Disturbances.
70 the EDITOR of the Indianapolis yourna..


Extraordinary meteorological disturbances. similar
to those which have occurred in this region have
tended during the past week from western Kansas to
the Atlantic coast the storms in the East being how
ever somewhat less violent and destructive than in
Ohio and westward To the lay mind it would seem
that condition of the atmosphere must have existed
during this period which would have indicated to the
Weather Bureau the probability of food and hurri
but If the sgnaservce officials had any advance
information the subject they carefully kept it to
the selves In an emergency the scientific weather
mans indications more to be relied upon than
the old farmers signs.
clip the above from the Journal of the 18th
inst, and. after reading it, as l have many other
such criticisms, am compelled to acknowledge
the business of them. While much is being done
by the Signal service Bureaus towards solving
meteorological problems, much more remains
undone, from the simple fact that investigation
is not pursued in the right manor; or, in other
words, meteoroogistS are striving to solve an
intricate problem with many of the principal
factors left out l was once solicited by w. III.
Raglan, OF DePauw University, to become
member of his volunteer corps of
signal service observers. l wrote him in
Quiring as to how comprehensive the
work was to be- On learning from him that
temperature and amount of rainfall were all
the observations required, declined the service
offered To me it looked like school boys play.
wrote him that unless the service contemplated
taking observations of temperature, rainfall, di-
rection of wind and force of same, humidity
and the electrical condition of the atmosphere,
etc. must decline to serve. In reply he said:
"A half loaf is better than no bread. In
point of fact, however, *HEAT is THE
DO ALL in the science of meteorology,
and the true determination of temper
allure, by all odds, the most important question
with meteorological. In fact, the meteorological
armed with temperature and rainfall data, land
having observations taken in full at signal-serv-
ice stations for comparson,) from the various
volunteer stations can determine the other con-
ditions. with great certainty, that exist at any
particular moment at such stations. "
The above was written Sept Is, 1884 Do the
meteoroogists of to-day still consider that cheat
is the do all3" If so, | can repay Prof Reagans
'old saw" with another that think even more
applicable: When the blind lead the blind. they
both fall into the ditch" From an article on
sun spots, first published by me in 1877 in sew
eral papers of Minneapolis and st. Paul, Mimi,
also in the Indianapolis Journal Aug IL, 1882,
copy the following:
They almost entirely metallic In substance,
therefore highly magnetic In the remeting process
great electric storms produced The electric pulse
of little earth responds to the great heartthrobs
AS is the frequency of these throbs. is the fire.
quancy of terrestrial disturbance.
Here, in my mind, arises the question: What part
does electricity play in condensation and evaporatona
Sun spots produce electrical disturbances; does not
this electrical disturbance produce stormss
In spot seasons we Lave storms in plenty in spot
less ones, quiet reigns. Ct. w. TINSLEY.
MINNEAPoLIs, Mimi, 1877.
Forsome days now have noticed In the pa
pers that the aurora boreals is seen at differ
ent stations. What does this say to a signal
service Observer Nothing. What does 1T say
to me? A sun spot has left it's place of forma-
ton, or probably two, one from each pole of the
sun. They are On their way to the suns ea uator.
They are undergoing the remeting process,
which produces electrical storms on the sun.
Our earth responds to the great heart throbs"
of the parent mass with terrestrial storms. and
wherever a humid condition of the atmosphere
existed, this humidity has been wrung from it
by electricity. Where extreme humidity was a
large proportion of the bulk of the atmosphere
it was almost instantly condensed. Such con-
densaton would produce partial vacuum and
the inrushng air to supply this vacuum is the
power or force of the storm.
*The small capitals are mine.
G. W. TINsLEY
COLUMBUS, Ind, May IL.