New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-03
CAUSED BY FORES" FIRES
WEATHER BUREAU OFFICIALS DISCUSS
THE WIDESPREAD HAZE.

/
NOUS DARK DAYS.
Washington Sept. 1.-The peculiar maze winch
has been noticeable in the sky all over the coun-
| fry for tho last week or so has been matter OF
great interest to neteorologlsts. and many expert
ments have been going on in different Observable
ries OF the country 10 determine its cause anu
nature The Weather Bureau officials whose re-
! ports on the weather conditions are daiy reao
| throughout the United States. have been making
observations of this phenomenon: and the opinions
OF two OF the professors OF meteorology were given
to-day to "A reporter for the United Press FRO
fessor Henry A. Hazen said in part:
This is what may be called the Indian summer IN
| dry haze Just what IL the cause or IL, IL Is d
| little difficult determine. Similar conditions
have been noticed in The past notably on 1s1 the
condition OF the atmosphere, probably cou'ed by
smoke In ISL there Was 1 shGhe excn aiS m
New-Eng gland to Virginia the Atlantic coast. IN
isl The tbn ok o was f so gse ' had nom IN
the gas was lighted In the streets or Bosi0n az
ington still the haze was very dense -
The conditions east Of the Mississippi River nr U,
and ISL. The forest fires this year however: have
been much more serious than common owing 70
that the present haze Is caused by the earth pass
Ing through the tail OF comet Is entirely errone-
Ds ne produco such an eject as that This is
condition purely terrestrial
Professor cleveland Atbe OF the Weather Blu
| reau who has made a special research into this
smoke phenomeror. said. IN substance:
Early in July began to receive rdP3rs OF f9 ws
hres and large area, OF smoke n M'nesoa
have come from lower Michigan. New York an!
M % b nae whc hoM Covers the
try Is the resu; OF tn" Infusion 81 smoke 81 burn
| viii make a large Quantity OF dense smoke unless
+, IS widely dfused by strong winds. in which cas- ;
dian summer But It 50 happens. IN this present
season. ;he United states has experienced rather
! AMI Eykf IN no
the smoky haze has rot been carried away to a
great distance. l. has. therefore. at the present
time an average density greater than usual IL Will
doubtless all be cleared by the action Of the
first general storm hat sweep; over the o country
! fused perceptbly to greater distance than many
| people would imagine possible. About the time OF
the great Chicago fire there also extensive
Forest fires. lose smoke was carried rap;dIy ana
reported by numerous vessels In n continuous SERIES
from our Atlantic coast more than half way over 10
As one OF the Executive Committee OF the Ameri-
can Forestry Association might say we we, haze aye
need ~ str ngent laws relative II the prsserva
ment Of mr. warlens In Maas ana tns extreme care
taken by the lumbermen ana hunters IN that State
disastrous fires y late years But similar care is
not taken in the dryer States OF the lake regions
disappearing This is really National mis
fortune. State and Federal authorities have alike
smoky atmosphere which now prevails the
country il a sign that something IS wrong that
!
in which We are All Interested. have been unneces-
sar!!y sacrificed
a few years ago had the privilege OF taking
part IN me United States scientific expedition 70 the
fessor u. r Todd. OF Amherst. Mass. As We passed
along the coast Of Sierra Leone and southward; we
that tens6y SSscurcd the Sunlight and Rendered
Srhps s nys u nSS m, % decks a.S az tho s
Il was examined mcroscopically by Mr.. Wright
Of Brooklyn. y Y. and he nscertaincd that II was
microscopic animal living upon the leaves OF
pants in marshy regions These had hoated out
over the ocean from great fires In the Interior OF
northern Africa There was slight smell Of smoke
bance between this haze and that we have often
times experienced in Washington and elsewhere In
the East
have since then frequently collected a glass
covered with geatine specimens Of the dust in the
atmosphere OF Washington The dust collected In
| ordinary seasons shows many grains or pollen. but
dlatoms The dust collected In seasons Of smoky
| weather has thus far consisted only Of debris Of
| burned leaves. but still datoms. | should be
collecting such dust and subjecting II to m'cros-
| copc examination. since the presence of specific
| matter will undoubtedly show that the air W.
! breathe has to us from regions miles away,
| and may have brought with 1t the germs Of dis
tant disease. well germs OF the ordinary tungl.
In 1888 the great eruption Of the vo.can'c Kisha-
| tao I'm the East indies beched up Into the upper
| atmosphere an immense amount OF dust and aque-
| Gus vapor Observers throughout the world re-
ported the spread Of this layer OF vapor and haze
| and in the course Of six months or so II had be-
| come visible the whole northern hemisphere.
| The particles Of aqueous vapor were so uniform
and so small that they noated In the air for two
| years II not longer and produced the remarkable
bloc red sunsets which astOnlshed all the civilized
| and terrified the uncivilzed portion OF the world.
The presen; advent of smoky maze VIII not produce
brilliant rcd sunsets probably because or the pres
has in a general way added a reddish tint to the
| ordinary sunset and sunrise.