The evening world., 1894-09-03
SAYS THE HAZE IS DUST.
Weather Sharp Longs Opinion Of
the Heavy Atmosphere.
Other Prophets SFy II Is Due TO Sur
rounding Forest Fires.

In spite OF the heavy atmosphere and
The pruphescH Of the oldest weather
sharpS. the ofiinial weather Irnpha's, az
Va the top of the Equitable Building, de
clare that Labor Day VIII not DC marrcd
bv showers
at viii be generally fair" says S"rgt.
Long, gazing out into an atmosphere 80
deusl that even the face Of Old Sol is
not visible.
This density is due, 30 TAR as his
section is concerned. to the l)ng drought.
our records show that we have had no
rain since Aug. 80, and then only a
trace--not enough to measure. We had
IL 800 part OF an inch Aug. 90, and only
5i-lOO inches since July 81.
THE result has been the complete pull
verization of dust into the most minute
particles. Then we have had very light
winds--iust enough stirring of the air
to lift these particles of lust from the
ground, and they are waving through
the air, too Light to settle on the earth
again.
obscures the sun. and the 'irSt rain OF
any consequence will lay the dust and
clear the atmosphere
The temperature of New York was 81
degrees at s o'clock. and will be over n
degrees all day. There is no fog, there
being only II per cent. of humidity in
the atmosphere. The wind blows from
the east across Sandy Hook twenty six
knot breeze, and II is cloudy there. But
New York's atmosphere Is moved largely
by fourteen to sixteen knot zephyr,
and but for the dust haze the skies
would be clear.
There are small areas of rain over
Lakes Erie and ontario. and the at
mosphere up there Is filled with the
smoke Of the many forest fires of Mlchi-
gan, Ohio and the West.
Prof. Henry A; Hazen, ths Govern
ment weather sharp at Washington.
says the dense haze that is reported
from all points is the regular indian
=, Just what Is the, cause Of it." says
mine; Similar conditions have been
noted noted in the past p9rtisnlarig the his.
OF the people OF New England thought
the day OF judgment had surely ar
rived, and the day was spent in prayer.
There was another dark day in 1851,
when the gas was lighted in the streets
of Boston.
The murky atmosphere that has been
noted west OF the Mississippi is OF a
lighter, and Is undoubtedly due to the
settling OF dust and smoke particles,
the product of the great forest and
prairie fires that are being reported
train) sufficient to lay the particles. nor
sufficient movement of the air to dissi-
pate them
THE old theory that this annual haze
Is due to the earth passing througt
the tail Of a comet is untenable. The
tail OF comet Is supposed to be OF
| some light material, and the stars are
visible through the most dense comet
tall This haze is purely terrestrial
Prof. Cleveland Able, who has made
special smoke researches. says:
Il began to receive reports of forest
fires and large areas OF smoke in Mime
sofa. Wisconsin and Upper Michigan
early in July. Since then reports have
come from Lower Michigan, New Yorl
and Pennsylvania and there Is every
reason to believe that the haze which
| now covers the country Is due to tn,
diffusion of smoke from burning forests
| and crops.
| High winds would diffuse this smoke
| hut II so happens that the wlole coun
| try has had light, variable winds anC
| high temperature, so that the smok,
haze has not been carried to any grea
| distance. 1t will doubtless be cleared
| away by the first general storm tina
sweeps over the country"
| From Vermont comes the report tina
| 1t was SO dark there that lights wer,
| needed in the houses of Rutland, Wind
| sor. Bellows Falls and other places yes
| terday. The sun was shining, but tn
yellow haze was 80 thick that 1t cast NJ
| uhadnu