The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-07-05
THE MOON AND THE WEATHER.
Interesting Results of the Investiga-
lions of "A Scottish Scientist.

The very old-fashioned idea that the
varying positions of the moon with re-
spect TO the sun and earth are causes
Of changes in the weather has ben pref
~ effectualy sat down upon" by the
accepted leaders in meteorological
science in recent years. The strong
point is made that the lunar changes of
position have a well determined cycle of
about nineteen years, and that If there
were any such connection as claimed
we should have a well-defned weather
cycle with the same period, which, OBJ
servation proves, is not the case. II is
conceded to be rational TO suppose that
the moon causes tides in the atmos-
phere. as she is known to do in the
oceans of water. But il is pointed out
that the tidal movements in the water
are limited TO the surface, or rear il,
and are not felt on the ocean floor.
Analogy leads to the conclusion that
aerial tides will. in like manner, be felt
only far above the region in which
storms originate and move, and do not
reach down TO the land surface. II is
fair TO say in this connection that
German meteorologist has recently
preached the notion that at least some
storms have an exterior origin, and
this without reference to real or sup
posed planetary action on the atmos-
phere.
1t is now stated that a connection be-
tween the moon and the weather has
been discovered by the well-known
Scottish investigator. James Glaisher.
1t is not such a one as accords with
what used TO be a popular fancy, and
has nothing TO do with the position of
the lunar horns, which can be COM
puted for any stated time thousands of
years in advance, while the weather
cannot be predicted so accurately a
few days ahead. He reports that his
observations show the ninth day of the
moon to be the most rainy of the whole
twenty-nine or thirty which make up
the synodical month. and that in the
first and last weeks of the moons age
that is. when she is less than half full
the rainfall is less than the average.
This does not accord with the old theory
that the full moon clears away the
clouds. furthermore, the sun would
seem to have a great deal to do with
the matter, since the records kept by
Mr.. Glaisher indicate o'clock in the
afternoon as the most rainy hour of the
entire day period. II may be observed
that this closely follows the diurnal
maximum OF barometric pressure, and
most people nowadays mentally asso-
ciate rainfall with a low barometer
So we have here a contradiction Of
modern theory as well as of ancient
fancy.
So far as known. however. all this
proves nothing except for the particular
locality or localities for which the OBJ
SerNd tlOnS are made 1here are places
in the mountain regions of the United
States at which storm conditions mani
fest themselves about the middle of the
afternoon every day for weeks in sue
cession during the hot weather, but this
hardly would hold true for all other
places. while certainly a different time
maximum would appear TO obtain in
Chicago For the other points named it
should be comparatively easy to settle
the question for the United States. Dur
ing nearly twenty-three years past the
rainfall has been recorded regularly for
each of many stations in this country,
and the fact tabulated for preservation
of the record at the Washington office of
the weather bureau. 1t will be easy TO
compare these figures for the dark and
light halves Of each lunar month in the
series, and doubtless this will be done
now that attention has been called to
the point by so eminent an authority
as Mr. Glaisher. Hence it is not inn
probable that the scientific world soon
will have an explicit statement in re-
gard TO this particular, and not alone
for the United States, but for other
countries where the rainfall is measured
Systematically at each of numerous
points If the claim put forth be found
to hold good for a considerable majority
Of the places concerned the result will
be a revival of interest in the now
neglected theory of moon influence on
the weather. If otherwise. that theory
will be knocked fiatter than ever and
generally relegated by those who think
themselves weatherwise to the domain
of old wives fables.-Chicago Tribune.