The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-08-28
CLOUDS AND STORMS.
WHENEVER THERE ARE CLOUDS IN
% THE SKY LOOK FOR RAIN.

If the Tide Is High, Clouds In the North
west DO Not Mean Rain. but Low Tide and
Strong Wind Seem to Bring Storms.
Use Your Eyes For Weather signs.
You doubtless have seen thunder show
ers form under perfectly clear sky. First
a little cloud would form not much larger
than n mans hand, then that little cloud
will pass through a succession Of rapid
transformations until the whole sky is OBJ
secured. The rain descends In torrents, and
the wind blows gale But there is not a
scientific book In the world today that gives
a 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.
rcau issued special bulletin to the press,
In which they stated that the conditions
were favorable for warm, pleasant weather
for day OF 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, II these people are not able to forecast
the weather for "a 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 s15 or SEQ for scientific instru-
ments With my system all that is needed
is good pair Of eyes and II level head. And
then you can map out the weather for
your locality with greater degree of GER
tainty than the weather bureau can for As
hours. ....
First, let us consider the first cause which
starts the wind in motion where u storm is
forming. For several miles above the
earth's surface there are currents and coun-
tercurrents almost constantly in motion,
while above them is vast body Of intense
cold, kept away from the earth by the pres
ence Of these moving currents. We're it
not SO We would al freeze to death in spite
of the shining of the sun. For cold nat
urally descends. Now, notice the wonder
full provisions a kind providence has made
to protect us aud our harvcsts. Our at
mosphere is filled with little particles OF
moisture. Cold exerts natural influence
over moisture-it matters not whether it be
cold iron, cold glass or cold air. Whatever
particles Of moisture exist i'll the vicinity of
that cold body instantly concentrate in or
around 1t 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
air set in motion carrying other particles of
moisture to occupy the space just vacated.
This law which condenses the moisture also
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 effects? We read in
the Bible that the Prophet Elijah stood on
the top of Mount Carmel, and before him
were gathered all Israel-their crops were
withercd 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
aud sends his servant to look from the
top Of the mount, md the servant ex-
claims, II see little cloud like u mans
hand" We are then told that the heavens
are darkcned, 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 u clear sky. Very frequently,
however, those who have seen the cloud
form have not seen the rain. But you must
not classify the fog as a cloud nor call the
gentle on and off 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
sytva Crta Oh Nv
the clouds assume these varied forms. Per
nit me to explain why. hold in my hand
a 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 form2 No. But hold
In my hand bud, and folded up within
that bud are the fibers which the heat ex-
pands, and 1t spreads rapidly and becomes
IA full grown leaf, and when it has accom-
plished its mission it descends to the earth
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 eumulus, aud
that little cloud which the servant of Eli
jah saw from the top of Mount Carmel was
cumulus cloud. But the little cloud
passed through three stages of rapid trans
formation; then 1t rained. First the eumu.
lus, 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 became nimbus cloud
Now the cold air squeezes the cloud, and
the water is forced out of it like Il sponge
The cloud moves on and has now reached
its fourth stage of transformation and is
white and thin, and it is called cirrus
cloud. There is no longer any water in it,
but it is composed 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 eyaporate DO
fore they reach the earth.
Now, having learned the different forma-
ton of clouds and the law which produced
them, how shall we proceed to forecast the
weather by then2 First, the instant that
a storm forms over any part of the United
States it instantly affects the temperature
in its immediate vicinity. And when you
feel the temperature rising suddenly scan
the horizon carefully along the north and
northwest, and You will either see thunder
heads or hazy bank of cirrus clouds
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
hours. Why? Because there is a cOnnec.
tion between the tides and rain, and II
thunderstorm will never advance from the
west while the tide is falling.-A. j. de
Woes Brooklyn Lecture.