The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-21

I Z
astray and leave US to wonder why it is
that with all the knowledge we have &C
quired, we know so little after all.
Astronomy is a correct science, but moth
ing else relating to the great Overhead"
is. The cases in which the thorough mas
ter of that science has ever made mistake
are too rare to be remembered. When he
tells US that the sun or moon will be
eclipsed we are as certain that what he
says will take place-nay, more, that all the
details as to the extent and character of the
phenomena, the places where it will be
seen and how much of it viii be seen, the
time when it will occur, etc.,-as we are
that the sun will rise tomorrow and set to-
morrow evening; because he proceeds upon
the same basis by means of which all have
previously ascertained as to the rising and
setting of the sun, together with It's
variations, changes and periods. In other
words, such phenomena are governed by
fixed laws which only need to be acquired
to enable the one acquiring them to fore
tell with eXactness, and there is no more
mystery in foretelling an eclipse or the
! transit of a star across the suns disc, than
there is in the knowledge we all possess
that the sun sets at times which all may
| know. 1t is only that those who have made
| study of astronomical and celestial data
| have gone further than a mere study of
apparent diurnal rotations of the god of
day and are thus able to tell US more than
appears to the naked eye concerning him.
| tits different with the real and pretended
weather wizards" however They pretend
to know more by species of prescience
which they class as a special gift, or by
some occulted means of knowledge which
is not vouchsafed to the common herd They
stand in the same category with and in
very close relationship to the astrologers
who afflict the world in all parts of it and
at all times. The fact is, they know but
little and guess at great deal. AS sug.
gested by PROCTOR, it would be singular
indeed did they not "strike professionally,
and while they may and do escape the
facts of the case a dozen times, if, after
that, one generous condition comes to meet
their prognostications, the unthinking
crowd, more particularly those who are in
clined to superstition, are generally willing
to overlook the many failures in contempla-
ton of the one success. They are easily
satisfied, and it is they who make up the
following by means of which such people
obtain standing and are encouraged to 90
ahead with their nonsense.
No man, nor any set OF men, can figure
with any certainty upon the meteorological
conditions present or to come. BY means of
comparison we, or at least the scientific
and studious element among US that incline
that way, are able to arrive at conclusions
which are doubtless more real than mere
guesses. By the aid of scientific contriv-
ances we are able to determine whether
tomorrow or the day after is likely to be
fair or stormy, and yet even this assistance
to our mental prefgurement fails us so
often that we derive little or no actual as
sistance from il. The barometer may in
dictate unusual humidity, gathering clouds
and a heavy raiafall, and the conditions
may all proceed properly enough up to but
not including the rain, as we have wit !
messed so many hundred times within the |
present decade within the Great Basin. |
The reason is that the atmosphere. or soms !
unexplained and invisible element in il is |
50 absoorptive that the moisture IS
gathered and scattered by it in such
fimsy quantities and gossamer-
like substance that it is not permitted to
reach the earth until it encounters more of |
the same class of fugitive vapors, and |
unitedly they create sufficient heft for the |
attraction of gravitation to act upon and |
bring them down. No one can tell regard
ing such procedure; it is too intricate
matter and so decidedly unrestrained by
rules and fixed principles, that he is wisest
who ventures upon nothing more with
reference to it than a mere calculation ad-
vanced without attempt at proof or request
for credence.
Yesterdays storm was fine one,
generous one. But one thing that we can
think of could have improved it in any
way-a little more of it, So far as it went
it was a perfect model. and its presence
was not marred by terrifying flashes of
lightning and startling peals of thunder
The earth, or this part of it, is better for
the visitation; and the fact that it was not
foretold but came like we are informed
some of the angels do, unawares, made it
none the less welcome. Indeed, we might,
perhaps, with all propriety, be thankful
to the weather prophets for keeping their
''hands Off this time; we have become ac-
customed to looking for something else
when they tell US what is going to happen.