Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-06-26
NATURES BAROMETER
Signs, Perils and Phenomena OF
the Sea.
SOME VALUABLE DISCOVERIES.
The Four Winds Of the North Atlantic
The Waves Furnish Indications OF
Changing Weather.

in the cabin, the sea captain, anu
especially the master of a sailing ship,
must carefully study the barometer
which Nature has set Tor him IN the
skies. The barometer of the skies
How few landsmeD know that 1t is
there, influenced by regular laws that
enable the observant eye to read 1T as
if it were printed manual OF sailing
directions. The valuable discoveries
and rules laid down by Thorn, Fitzroy
and Maury regarding the winds and
currents have proved of great aid to the
navigator. But long before their time
the practiced seaman had apprehended
to some degree the general laws OF the
weather, and unremitting observation
of the signs of the weather must always
continue to be necessary at sea. Espec-
tally must this be true of sailing yes
sells, whose motive power is canvas.
The turning of lever can check at
once the progress of steamship; but
the process of increasing or reducing
sail is intricate and tedious, often full
of great danger and excitement. and
requiring the utomst GOODNESS on the
part OF all cOncerneu
The signs of the weather on our con-
tinent, though little understood by
landsmen, are in general similar to
those in the North Atlantic, leaving
out of consideration the sudden lorna
does of the west or the unforeseen
squalls of the Gulf Stream and the
West Indies. speak of the North
Atlantic, to which most of my personal
observations have been directed, and
excluding the South Atlantic in which
the phenomena are reversed, or the
Pacific and other large seas.
There are four winds in the North At
lantic-the northwest, southwest, south
east and northeast, with slight vari-
ations in one or another direction. 1t is
rarely that the wind blows precisely
or continuously from the cardinal
points. When proceeding normally
to clearing weather the wind goes
from northeast around by the south
west to north, west or nor west
This, in technical language. is said
to be going with the sun. or with the
hands of a watch. As the wind moves
from point too point on this course it
is said by sailors to shift. 1t is only
when the wind follows this course that
it rings steady clearing weather after a
storm. If, on the other hand, during
gale, the wind goes from north east
to northwest, the sky may clear for
short time. blu. the wind must shift
back to northeast, and thence around
by south to northwest for genuine,
wholehearted spell of clear weather.
In summer these rules may be occa-
sionally relaxed and mild, variable
winds prevail from different quarters
for time, but one must not be misled
by them to omit the vigilance which
is the price of safety for ships no less
than for national liberty. But whether
storm simply goes from northwest to
southwest and then shifts back, or fol
lows the regular cyclonic course of CO.
ing around the entire atmospheric cir
Gle, when it does shift from southwest
to northwest it is almost invariably
accompanied on the North Atlantic by
electrical phenomena which include
not only terrific displays of lightning.
but also flames percbing on the ends
of the yards which although harmless,
are alarming to the superstitious.
Sailors call them corpo santos OF
corpoo SAINTS, and sometimes st.
Elmo's candles. These displays of
electricity are caused by the meeting
of the warm and cold currents of air.
Landsmen simply term this atmos'
phereic turmoil Thunderstorm; but
to mariners it is known as a shift OF
the wind. This change of the vino
is often very sudden and of exceeding
violence. especially at sea in winter
and is attended with great danger tt
sailing vessels. 1t is awaited witt
anxiety, and the saying at sea is
"When you see it tighten in the SOU
west after the LIST of October you can
not take in sail too soon." Then the
crew may be seen exerting their mos
desperate efforts, and the voice of the
captain is heard ringing above the
bawl Of the wind. shouting. brace the
yardsl' or "Starboard your helm
hard starboardr'
It often happens, especially after {
prolonged spell of good weather, tina
the indications of change are grad
ual and mysterious, and diagnosis o
what is to happen must be gathered
from many apparently unimportan
signs which Nature gives for tn
sailors guidance. For example. tn
sun setting in bank Of cloud is an in
variable sign of foul weather. A clea
sunset with a roseate yellow in tn
sky means mild, calm weather; but
vivid straw or chrome.yellow sky a
sunset indicates strong westerl.
wind When the sun rises high dur
ing gale-that is. above mass
clouds = the storm will continu
through the day. When a tempest
clears away before noon or during tn
night its return may be looked TO
within two days. But when it moder
ates toward sunset its force is entirel.
spent. Long streamers of thin clou
called mares tales and reaching acrOs