Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-09
CLOUDS AND STORMS.
WHENEVER THERE ARE CLOUDS N
 THE SKY LOOK FOR RAIN.

III Lt1e 1toe IS HiEh, Clouds In the North
 west Do Not Mean Rain. but Low Tide and
 a Strong Wind Seem to Bring Storms.
 Use Your Eyes For Weather Signs.
 You doubtless have seen thunder show CTS form under a perfectly clear sky. First little cloud would form not much larger than a mans hand, then that little cloud will pass through succession of rapid transformations until the whole sky is ob- scured. The rain descends in torrents, and the wind blows a gale. But there is not a scientific book in the world today that gives satisfactory explanation why that cloud formed or why the wind blew.
 All scientists base their theories of wind and rain on the one fact that heat ascends. And they make an ascending current re- sponsible for everything. If you undertake to forecast the weather on that theory, you will get left just like the weather bureau.
 On May the Washington weather bu- eeau issued a special bulletin to the press, in which they stated that the conditions were favorable for warm, pleasant weather for day or two in this vicinity, but on that very day one of the worst storms of this year swept over this part of the country. Now, if these people are not able to forecast the weather for 2+ hours by their system, with all their facilities, surely it Is no use for you to try. What is needed is a system which any ordinary person can use without spending Sl5 or SO for scientific instru- ments. With my system all that is needed Is a good pair of eyes and a level head. And then you can map out the weather for your locality with n greater degree of cer- tainty than the weather bureau can for 4S hours.
 First, let us consider the first cause which starts the wind in motion where n storm is forming Epr several nh ba earth's surface there are curTsnts and coun- tercurrents almost constantly in motion, while above them is a vast body of intense cold, kept away from the earth by the pres ence of these moving currents Were 1t not so we would al freeze to death in spite of the shining of the sun. For cold nat urally descendS Now, notice the wondet- ful provisions a kind providence has msdo to protect us and our harvests. Our at- mosphere Is filled with little particles of moisture. Cold cXerts a natural influence over moisture-it matters not whether 1t be cold iron, cold glass or cold air. Whatever particles of moisture exist in the vicinity of that cold body instantly concentrate in or around it and condense into drops of water As these little particles of moisture vacate their position of space and descend to the earth the space which they previously oc- cupied must be filled. Then currents of
 
 moisture to occupy the space just vacated. This law which condenses the moisture alse contracts the atmosphere. Therefore when ever we notice that the wind is beginning to blow then we know that there is an i'm portant change taking place in the upper strata of the earth's atmosphere and that a body of cold Is descending.
 Now, if that cold body continues to de scend what will be its effectsl We read in Wt, !. IL. l.. Tn- the top of Mount Carmel, and before him were gathered all Israel-their crops were withered and their fields barren because the Lord had suspended this law, and rain had not fallen for three years and six months. But now the old prophet prays and sends his servant to look from the top of the mount, and the servant ex- claims, ''l see q little cloud like a mans hand" We are then told that the heavens are darkened, and the wind blew, and there was great rain. And desire to state right here that all clouds that ever existed and all winds that ever blew and all rain that ever fell on the earth had their origin in the little cloud which formed in the midst of n clear sky. Very frequently, however, those who have seen the cloud form have not seen the rain But you must not classify the fog a cloud nor call the gentle on and of shore breezes wind.
 Scientific writers have divided clouds in to six classificatiOns, as follows: Cumulus, cumulo stratus, nimbus, cirrus, stratus and cirrus stratus But have never seen an explanation given by any scientists why the clouds assume these varied forms. Per init me to explain why. l hold in my hand dry and withered leaf. Was that dried leaf placed upon the tree in that form, No. hold in my hand green leaf Was that leaf created in that form. No. But hold in my hand a bud, and folded up within that bud are the fbcrs which the heat ex- bands, and it spreads rapidly and becomes full grown leaf, and when it has accom- plished its mission it descends to the earth a withered and dried leaf
 Now, clouds are subjected to the same law of growth, and there is only one form of cloud created, namely the cumulus, and that little cloud which the servant of Eli jah saw from the top of Mount Carmel was a cumulus cloud. But the little cloud passed through three stages of rapid trans formation; then it rained, First the cumu. Jus, then cumulo stratus. The little cloud had formed into ridges. Then the upper edges of the cloud became smooth and white, with perfectly curved heads, and drops of water began to descend from the upper edges, and it l,eCnme a nimbus cloud Now the cold air squeezes the cloud, and the water Is forCe'l out Of it like sponge. The cloud moves on and has now reached its fourth sflGe Cf transformation and is white and thin, and it Is called q cirrus cloud Therc is DO longer any water in it, but it is cOmposeSl of fine particles of frozen sleet These particles are descending to- ward our earth, but the distance between the cloud and the earth Is so great that these little particles of sleet evaporate be fore they reach the earth.
 Now, having learned the different forma- tion of clouds and the law which produced them, how shall we proceed to forecast the weather by themt First, the instant that a storm forms over any part of the Unitel States it instantly affects the temperature in its immediate vicinity. And when ypu feel the temperature rising suddenly san the horizon carefully along the north and northwest, and you will either see thunder ! heads or n hay bank of cirrus clouds 1 stretching along the northwestern horizon If the tide is high, you need not feel uneasy, but if the tide is low, then you must make | your calculation to get under cover in five l hours. Why! Because there is a conueo | tion between the tides and rain, and a | will never advance from the l west while the tide is falling.-A- J. de | Voe's Brooklyn Lecture.
 Fity For an Unknown.
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