San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-01-21
REMARKS ON OUR LATE 8LIz-
ZARD

fool or an ass OF himself Ia public estl-
nation, and the public estimate Is gem
orally correct. But whoever will enter
upon the study OF natures. processes
which are exhibited Ia those conditions
included 10 the word weather viii IND Il
most interesting and fascinating subject.
Il will lead him into almost every
branch OF physica science, and TO the
investigation OF the most COM rebensiVe
laws governing the universe. The
word weather, however, is limited 10
comparatively short periods OF time,
while. climate 10 OF more general appll-
cation; yet this fall short OF the term,
meteOrOlOgy OF a region which includes
everything relating TO weather ana ell
mate Incident TO locality as well as the
laws governing them.
The recent storm awakens deep In
terest 10 the subject and everyone
would be glad to know something OF
the general principles or laws which
produce such devastation and suffering
over vast sections OF country; how IL Is,
and why IL 10, that arctic waves OF In
tense cold sweep down upon US with
such severity only at occasional periods
instead Of being u constant rule OF so-
uon. Ii is not possible with our pres
-nt knowledge to explain all the phe-
nomena incident to these atmospheric
movements, but many OF them are
pretty well understood now, and more
are becoming SO every year. what we
now know Is the outcome OF the patient
lsbors OF thousands Of Investigators and
observers extending back we may say,
for period OF scarcely thirty years, all
of which have been classified and ar
ranged by men Of the highest scientific
attainment, both In this country and In
EUROPE. These results, therefore, are
he farthest removed from tho guess
work of the ''prognosticator." They
constitute a science. Let US see on
what grounds this Is based.
The atmospheric perturbations which
give rise TO storms are dependant on
many causes. Some OF the chief OF these
sre differences in pressure or height OF
the atmosphere, the amount OF moisture
II contains, Its temperature, the wind
currents, the influence OF mountain
heights, the difference Of temperature OF
and and sea, forces Of attraction OF the
earth as well as the sun and moon, the
daily rotation Of the earth and the frlc-
ton incident thereto, between the lower
strata OF the atmos pbere and the surface
Of the earth. the obliquity Of the earth's
axis TO the plane OF It's orbit which gives
US the differences Of our seasons, and
many others which 1t Is not necessary
TO mention here In order TO understand
The complexity which Ia associated In
these stormy expressions. Some OF these
causes may be understood by persons OF
ordinary intelligence and we will briefly
refer to them.
me moving force OF all atmospheric
currents is heat. Primarily this comes
from the sun. It is not distributed over
the surface Of the earth uniformly. how
ever, hence the air 10 unequally Affected
by IL This is seen In the changes OF the
seasons when during the summer months
the north polar regions receive more
solar heat than the intertropioal belts,
but which In slA months Is transferred
TO the antarcti cclrcle leaving the anti
podal regions, Just left, dependant on
he radiant stars for warmth. By these
sniftings Of the solar heat regions Of
constant low barometrio pressure, l. e.
atmos pheriO pressure on the column OF
mercury In the barometer tube, are prO-
duced; one under the vertical action OF
The sun at the equator, and one at each
Of the poles. The line OF equatorial de-
preston changes with the vertical posi-
lion Of the sun from one tropic to the
other, that at the respective poles re-
mains constant.
% either side OF this line of equatO-
rial low barometer there Is line OF
high barometer where the atmosphere Is
piled up, so to say, from which the air
flows in two directions, one towards the
EQUATOR and the other towards the poles.
This outward flow is felt in our south
winds most Of the year, but especially so
when the sun is on or near Its northern
limit at the summer sOlsti0e and least
so on Dec. 2lst, when Ii Ia vertical on
the trOpic of Capricorn. Both the inflow
towards the solar verticity and the out
flow towards the poles are parts OF the
trade wind. In consequence OF the rOta-
ton Of the earth from west to east these
equatorial movements are made to APP
pear 10 be from the northeast on the
north line OF the tropics, and from the
southeast on the opposite side, and when
meeting they take an upward turn and
rolling backward again, accumulate
above and give rise TO the "piling up In
the dire lions Of the temperate belt"
just mentioned. The outflow is from the
understratum and constitutes the sur
face currents during the summer which
change from due nOrtherly course
gradually to q nOrtheasterly direction,
becoming the delightful southwesteTly
winds OF the central and northern states.
What we shall say hereafter will relate
solely TO these movements in the north
ern hemisphere and chiefly to the
regions within the boundary OF the
United States and their Influence In Civ
ing direction TO storm movements. Ii
is proper that We should stop here and
describe the general course Of our storms.
The signal service shows that so per
cent of our storms, no matter where
originating, traverse the continent from
the west TO the east on line
parallel with the general trend OF the st.
Lawrence valley and that rs per cent OF
the storm centers strike the great lakes
or go very near them. More generally
our continental storms enter the borders
OF the United States at all seasons Of the
year from the northwest. chiefly east of
the Rocky Mountain ranges in the terri
tories OF Montana and Dakota, occasion
ally farther west or over British Column
bia, thence proceed southeast to the
great plains of Kansas. Nebraska, when
they change abruptly to a northeasterly
direction and leave the coast at points
more generally south OF the gulf Of st.
Lawrence and north OF New York. An
exceptional course is seen where they
come further south and reach Texas be-
fore turning eastward, when as a usual
thing they skirt the northern shores
Of the gulf and leave the continent
near or south Of Cape Hsteras. A few
storm centers have originated In south
western Texas and their course has
been northeastwsrd in accordance with
the general rule. One OF these was traced
across the Atlantic TO England, North
Germany and on to the oiroum-polar
currents gradually gathering In strength
after leaving the United States until IL
attained great Intensity as il approached