Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-08-24
THE CAUSE OF STORMS.
Unusual Atmospheric Disturbances
! the Result OF Excessive sun Heat.

Unusual Atmospheric Disturbances
the Result OF Excessive sun Heat.
Our earth receives a small fractional part
OF the suns heat; but whatever that may be
Ia the year. more or less than the average, the
entire surface Of our earth must feel aad bs
subject 10 the effects, says ne Pal Nall
Bud~L And one thing is certain-namely,
that year or series OF years, Of excessive sun
heat will inevitably be years and seasons OF
excessive atmospheric Disturbances, because
increase OF heat will produce excess OF evap-
orstisB. excess Of electric action, and neces-
sarilv, excessive precipitation; and during
prevalence OF this excess OF sun heat there
must be over limited areas violent storms
both summer and winter.
When very large areas Il the atmosphere have
been, by excess OF heat brought into an une'
quail state, as large areas OF lower stratum OF
highly heated air and vapor, which is also In.
tensely electric the conditions 10 produce
sandspouts, wsterspouts, and tornsdoes are
fully ripe. The upper and colder layer OF
the stmos phere can not cool the lower highly
heated and yaporaden stratum so evenly
and quickly as to prevent vents In the form
OF tunnels forming from the lower stratum TO
the higher stratum, and causing a rupture
which takes place upward m pipe FORM just
as the water in tank or basin, having bot
tom means for discharge by a pipe, flows out
with a whirlng mOtOn-in our northern hem
ispheres always IN the direction OF the hands
OF q clock, aud SO the heated electric and eX'
cessively yapor-laden atmosp here breaks ind
the cold atmosphere above the level OF tbs
dew point Invisible vapOr becomes vsl BILE,
parting with its latent heat which so rartes
the mir as 10 force some OF ithc condensed at
mosphere in Wis bic cloud, mounting thons-
ands OF feet above the condensing dew point
and into a region above the highest peaks OF
/ the highest noun tains
/ To feed this pipe, or, as In some cases,
pipes, the lower stratum f)wes ia from all
sides 10 rotate and ascend with intense yeloc-
lty OF steam power, sufficient to produce al
/ the DISASTROUS eff .c;s Of the widest tornado,
there teing almost vacuum at the ground,
or water line, rs the phenomenon may be on
/ the land or over the sea- On the land trees are
twisted and uprOOted, houses are unrOofed,
solids OF various kinds are lifted from the
earth, and human beings have been blown
away like dead leaves. There are, also, records
of railway wagons having been blown off the
rails. In deserts entire caravans have been
/ buried beneath mountain OF blown sand
camcls, horses aud men; while In Egypt there
are the ruins Of ties, massive temples and
monuments deep buried in the adjoining
/ desert sand. AT sea many good ship caught
/ by tornado has been overwhelmed and sent
10 the bottom whole
There are milder forms OF the storm effect.
producing on a warm summer day the cumu-
lus clouds. Here the lower stratum OF warm
air is also flowing inward and rising upward
beneath each cloud cOndensing al the dew
point parting with latent heat, producing
modified steam power, and so causing these
summer clouds to enlarge upward, bulge and
mount in sunshine like Illuminated oopack
mountains, but when seen IN an evening IVES
tern sky about shutdown the fantastic forms
80 APPLY described by Shakespeare.
Cloud scenery Is the poets dreaman1, and
Is by some writers most truthfuly and Oeauti'
fully described. AS a rule painters DO not pay
as much attention TO clouds as the poets DO.
At all events, they do not represent them 80
truthfuliy as the poets describe them There
arc. OF course, exceptions, bat in the Royal
academy exhibition just opened there are many
square feet OF canvas painted on which the
portion intended TO mean sky and cloud bears
no resemblance 10 any thing ever seen In ma.
ture. Every painter should study meteor
ology as surgeon studies anatomy. Clouds
have forms as definite as skeleton.
| Clouds are not masses OF unmeaning vapor,
but form and float obedient 10 law and, IL the
painter has not studied and learned this law,
! he cannot depict clouds In their true forms.
On q warm summers day small cumulus
clouds may be seen forming at the dew point
| line Of elevation; in each case the base OF the
! cloud Is level at an ascertaiuable eight above
the site, having an upward current OF warm
vapor-lsden air rising beneath, mounting and
J bullying.