The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-21
FACTS ABouT WINDS.
low They Are Caused and How Mankind
Is Benefited by Them.

The atmosphere which surrounds
this earth, the presence of which is
essential to the existence of every liv.
ing being, extends to very consider.
able height. and, as the philosophers
have demonstrated. exerts a pressure
of fifteen pounds on every square inch
of the earth's surface. This being re.
membered, we can readily conceive
that every motion or agitation of this
atmosphere will be sensibly felt.
whether it occur in slight and gentle
breezes, such as may on summers
evening refresh all animate nature. or
whether it assume more fearful
character, such as when, under the
form of the simeon, it threatens death
to every traveller in the desert.
BY agency of the winds the atmos-
phere is purified from the noxious eff
auvia which arise from the marshy
soils and stagnant waters, and which
would be destructive alike to animal
and vegetable life; by their currents
the clouds are transported into distant
regions, where falling in rain, they re-
fresh and fertilize lands that would
otherwise be barren; by their aid, too,
little seeds, provided with pinions or
fringed, as it were. for the purpose
such is the beneficent foresight of Nat
are-are borne along to spread far
and wide the empire of vegetation.
The ingenuity of man, too, has made a
lever of the winds, which he has APP
piled in the operation of machinery,
as may be observed in wind-mills; also,
in taking advantage of their power,
and adapting them to his service by
the ingenious manner in which the
sails of a ship are set to catch every
side-wind that may still urge her CD
her voyage.
The cause of winds is simple an6
easily understood. When the air, by
which we are surrounded becomes
specifically lighter, in consequence of
which it mounts upwards; and the
colder and denser air which surrounds
the mass thus rarifed, rushes in to
supply its place.
When the door Of heated apart
ment is thrown open, current of air
is thereby Immediately produced; the
warm air from the apartment passing
out near the top Of the door, and the
cold air from the passage rushing in
below.
On applying these principles to &C
count for the origin of the wind, we
find that, when the rays from the sun,
by their reflection from the earth's
surface, have rarified portion Of the
surrounding air, the air SO rarified as
cends into the higher regions of the
atmosphere. and the colder air by
which it was surrounded moves for
ward in a sensible current to fill the
vacuity. When, also, a condensation
of vapor in the atmosphere suddenly
takes place, giving rise to clouds
which speedily dissolve in rain,
the temperature of the surround
ing air is sensibly altered, and
the colder, rushing in upon the warmer,
gives rise to a sudden gust of wind.
For this reason a cold, heavy shower
passing over head with a hasty fall of
snow or hail, is often attended with a
violent and sudden gust of wind, such
as sailors call ga squall," which ceases
when the cloud disappears, but is re-
newed when another cloud, sweeping
along in the same direction, brings
with it a fresh blast. Accordingly, a
whistling, or bowling, or noise of the
wind, is universally considered to be
prognostic of rain, because it indicates
that change is taking place in the
temperature OF the atmosphere, owing
TO the vapor in it's higher regions be-
ing condensed into rain-clouds.
The general nature of the winds in
this and in other countries depends
very much on the character of the
region whence they may have swept,
and, accordingly, it is necessary to re-
member that the globe is divided into
FIVE zones Or belts-the torrid, which
is exposed to the direct rays of the sun;
the two temperate zones, which. meet
ing the rays of the sun obliquely, en-
JOY moderate degree of heat; and
the two frigid zones, which, deprived
of the heat of the sun for great part
of the year. and during the other part
receiving his rays still more obliquely,
are regions of ice and snow.
Currents of wind are described not
according to the point to which they
proceed, as is the case with the cur
rents of the sea, but according to that
from which they are derived.
By a westerly current Of water we
imply current flowing towards the
west; by a westerly current of air, one
coming from the west. We may now
therefore observe, that wind is moist
because it comes from the Atlantic,
where a great quantity of vapors arise.
When mingled with that of the south,
which comes from the torrid zone, it is
rendered particularly warm. The
wind is the driest which comes from
the continent of Asia, where there are
few seas. The north wind, however,
is the coolest, because it sweeps from
the immense tracts of ice and snow in
the frigid zone. The northeasterly
winds are in this country proverbially
chilly and bitter.-N. Y. Ledger.
-a NS-
His Case the Sadder.
This is the seventh time within
two hours that YOU have asked me