The sun., 1891-05-03

DAILY AND SUNDAY, Per Month. ~
whkkLf fr Ysar. ....... .'."'t' ~
s THE SUM- Kew York City.
-
A Week OF Uncommon weather.
During the present week a remarkable
series Of warm and cool atmospheric waves
has flowed from west to east across the
northsrn half Of the United States, theiI
centres being separated by an average dis
tanoe of 1900 miles. These temperature
waves have In every case been related In Q
normal manner to areas OF high and Low
atmospheric pressure; that Is TO cay. the
warm wav6s have appeared to tho east and
southeast Of cyplontc storm centres. while
the cool waves have followed In theil
track. But the cyclones have been dry
storms, their passage being indicated only
by the behavior Of the barometer and the
direction Of tho winds; and throughout the
whole time remarkably clear weather has
prevailed over the country.
The extent Of country covered by each
wave, II we limit the area included to those
places where tho rise or fall Of the thermom-
oter hasaSt lssn1ngs than Ven degrees has
varied fsOh 2caDoo 70 100000. square miles.
The most extensive Of, al wds the warm
wave whose eastern edge reached New York
ON Thursday morning. while Its westernEoet
0kirts still touched Chicago.
Tho occurrence of these cyclonic disturb
ences, characterized by the usual sweep Of
The winds around centre OF low barometric
pressure, advancing In the customary man
ner from the west toward the east. but
without the accompaniment OF rain, indl-
Gates that the origin and motion Of wide
spread storms are governed by the general
circulation Of the earth's atmosphere. and
not by the local conditions even Of whole
continent. Local conditions undoubtedly
internally the energies Of such storm, al
though in it's general features Of pressure
and wind-direction. itisindependento it OF them.
Looked. at broadly these strange phenom-
,ona OF the atmosphere command UNIVERSAL
attention. particularly Just now when the
condition Of the ait Is supposed 10 exefcise
m uncommon influence upon health. It
would be very interesting to know whether
the unmistakable eastward progress Of the
prevailing spidemic' OF Influenza Is owing In
any degree to the dry storms that have been
sweeping over us IN that direction. The as
fonishing powers OF the atmosphere az q
transporting agent were most impressively
exhibited by the wonderful distribution all
nyer the earth of the volcanic .dnat of the
Krakaton eruntion in 1874 and wa freouentlv
behoid n similar manifestation on a smaller
.cale in the snra.d Of the smoke ~ burning
1oresta In order that the seeds of anv dis.
ease should be scattered IN n lika mannar Il
a az oour.e. onlv necessary that thew
should be capable Of entarine the atmos-
phere in the form of dust. In an ordinary
storm. sccompanied by heavy rain. thev
would quickly be carried to the ground vhere
%hev might le aphiected m shar Soa n Stsota
that would render them infiJcnons: INIT
= drv cvclone might bears4 4h4 4}SS SSnK; AM
oe miles without loss of infective energy.
Their range would. however. be greatly lin.
ited by the faot that thew could hardly at.
taia - TS SiSSnsi sidsr.bIe height a the atmos.
nher6S .dft Ar,st from Krakatoa WAS blown
: seyeHfysHS .milss hirhfand carried anonnd
tho siobe with astonishine. r.piditv far
above the reeion where clouds and rain can
form. Anv finelv divided matter onterino
the Atmosphere nom outer snaoe. like mete-
pric dust. must be- distributed in a similar
Nay:and II such matter were Of an nm
whoiSsoms nature .It might undoubtediv
prodrco a universal endemic unon the
earth, against which Il would be impossible
10 contend unleas means- vera found n
{ dIsinfect the planets whole atmospbere as
~ disinfect the air of a room Rnt no evi-
t1ence has over been found that the dust Of
space. which the eartn5 encountsrs continu-
ailv In ita FIGHT r,fodaces ai,v !daletepious
e6ects. II our rlobe should run Into ons Of
Nr.LomYxa,s meteoritio clouds. there mirbt
b q different tale to, tell; but then It is q
An iptsrsstae question e in IeIu reIation to tho
fsmperature Of the air has recently been
raised by tho French astronomer. CAMILLE
FLAMMARIoN, who finds that the records at
Paris indicate q slight annual decrease Of