The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-10-02

the terrific exhibition or production
OF electricity in the rain-storm. In
soft and quiet rains it has always
been held that the electricity is quiet
II conducted by the atmosphere then
loaded with moisture or, vastly
more likely by the equal electric con-
dition Of the earth-to the clouds, 80
that it is not exhibited, though
equally produced. Scientists under
stand this thoroughly, for every bat
terry gives constant demonstration.
Two charged Leyden jars to not VIC
lently discharge into each other.
It seems then, q very simple state
ment: There are now, we will say, no
clouds in the sky in the upper STRAIT
nm Of air. There is no fog or vapor
there. Analysis of even heavier
and lower stratum gives only q thin
bleful OF moisture to q cubic rod OF
air! High there what is it you see
in that pale blue Skye patient
gazer? It is q fleck Of feecy vapor,
bright in the sunlight, like silvery
hope floating in the mind of the uni
verse! All, look again-another, an
other and another-see! The vast
expanse is being shut out by that
Greenland vision of feathery fecks!
The weather prophet says: Those
are rain clouds. Transport yourself
into those fairy realms of white-wing-
ed beauty! Alas. the beauty and the
fleece have disappeared, and you are
plunged, in reality, in vast and por-
tentious areas of wet and dismal
vapors, where every cloud-break is
an eerie cavern of the most awful
electrical disturbances. The phospor-
escent lights illumine the dark depths
like the noiseless moon, and go out
into the inky- blackness OF sunless
night. The red cheat lightnings"
flash in feverish flames from dark
winged night to darker gloom-and
expire amid the shadows OF the pre-
vious flash. Anon the vapor rolls,
and rolls, in tempestuous volumes, till
forms, and threatening
precipices, and gulfs terrible bespeak
the increase of the chemical changes
and the evolution of that titantic
element which unseats the rocks and
thunder strikes the mountain peaks.
These vast whorls of vapor, sur
charged with fearful power, limitless
in new energy, tremble in the heavens
and culver like the wings OF giant
birds OF poEtentious plume. They
glow, and the surge of their mighty
whirls make the earth below seem but
a plaything to be enveloped in this
mighty energy. The strained harness
OF the unwonted force, majestic in it's
terribleness, sublime in it's vastness,
infinite in granduer, unspeakable in
awfulness, creaks like the whippings
Of mighty ships on Gods universal
sea OF space-and the swellings OF it's
gigantic chords prepare to burst into
the awful music of warning spheres.
1t comes! the trappings can no long,
or hold-the leash is loosed, the
throne is rolled out-and God
speaks! One binding flash, and from
the great heart of the new empire OF
power the bolt descends with terrific
;rash-to destroy, and scar, and
Man says, as he gazes
rom the slender pinnacle OF mind,
1T is lightning!" God says-''my
laboratory is 'creating,' and the
planets listen to the utterance of nv
potent will"
Reader, that awful power of cleo
5ricity means that water is produced,
and the bosom of the ocean swells as
The tide rollsdown the continenusin into
It's troubled depths.
Descending from the vast figures OF
speech to the throne OF our own rea-
son, we ask the question: "And has
nan power over these energies OF ma
,ure"' And from the simple cell
wherein thimble evolves more alb
'olute electric power, in volume, than
The mightiest thunder cloud, we say
'Yes"-and in that simple truth
here is no blasphemy. i
The means which man may employ |
10 initiate these evolutions of chemi-
al affinity, in order that the feecy |
peek OF cloud may develop to the
7ast storm-cloud may not be clearly |
But this much is probable |
rom what is already known. "Nas-
ence is a principle by which chemic
hanges once started, coutizue until
he material of union is exhausted"
Therefore, while prayers may accomp-
ish but little, a little muriatic acid
md zinc may do a great deal. It is
tightly probable that Melbourne. in