The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-11
OCEAN OF THE ATMOSPHERE.

We are jewellers at the bottom of a
sort of sea. This sea bottom, which is
the surface of the earth, may vary as
to altitude, being diversified with
plains, valleys, plateaus and noun
tains, but in this only slightly varying
range of a few miles is all human life
restricted, while the wonderful and
mighty atmospheric ocean rolls over
all. AS our globe is swung in space in
its relationship to the sun, it is impos-
sible that an equal diffusion of solar
heat should strike and penetrate this
atmospheric envelope, as the equa-
torial zone gets the vertical rays,
the temperate zone receives rays
that are more slanting and consequent
ly less heat, while the frigid zones,
made such by reason of the polar points
or regions most remote from the direct
rays of the sun, receive the minimum
of light and heat.
Now, what is the consequence? Ger
tain areas or belts are intensely heated
and expanded. Other belts are only
partially heated, and still other regions
are almost bereft of heat, and this very
mobile ocean by law of nature seeks
to equalize itself, and a system of cur
rents interchanging and intercom-
mingling is set in motion that are in
action seemingly ever and forever. But
in the meantime peculiar factor is
operative and exerts singularly
modifying influence on this procedure
This is the earth's diurnal motion, its
daily turning on its axis, whereby this
very limped ocean is also turned and is
alternately heated and cooled as it is
presented to the sunward side or the
side away from the sun. This action
relieves the currents of the greater
part of the labor, and were it possible
for the earth to turn with a pole to the
sun and the one side constantly to the
solar heat, while the other side was
constantly away from IL, we can not
conceive of the incessant hurricanes
that would then prevail as the fiercely
heated side of its frigid antipode ex-
changed atmospheric compliments.
We are not to suppose that this at
mospheric sea is heated even over the
equator from the bottom to the top,
which is theoretically about forty-fve
miles, and here is another popularity:
At height of only from four to six
miles it is necessarily cold, and higher
up the air has more than a polar tenn
perature. But we get no correct i'm
preston of the upper air phenomena
while we are down at the bottom of
this sea. There arc thousands of i'm
pediments that temporarily retard and
stop the currents, and which must
consequently go in fits and spurts
regardless of the more even and
regular flow above. If we could
be at the bottom, among the
rocks and holes of a deep, swift-f1ow-
ing river, we should get no correct
idea from the surrounding swirls of the
smooth and uniform flow on its surface.
Into the ocean Of our atmosphere rise
vapors and form clouds which under
certain conditions, intercept and retard
the electric currents, which then ac-
cumulate and again seek equilibrium
In explosive action, causing the phe
nomenon known as lightning and fol-
lowed by peals of thunder. But we are
far from being fully conversant with
the varied phenomena on and
near the surface of this atmo-
spheric sea. We do not under
stand the situation where the illimit
able ether stops to give way TO q COM
mencing but as yet exceedingly rare
atmosphere, if indeed the atmosphere
is not the ether condensed as it i'm
pinges on the globe.
Whatever the solar emanations that
come to US, whatever they are as they
leave the solar surface. it Is evident
that they undergo transpositiDn OF cor
relation as they enter and pierce the
ethereal space, and another transfer
nation takes place when they penetrate
our atmosphere and develop into what
we call heat and light as they impinge
Ia -