Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-08-06

Thus not merely a replacement OF nh
ensues. but some compression ana com
mingling and crossing OF currents.
There are, then lin $3.50, In the un'ted
| states alone nearly one million OF cars. |
| dragged at different and varying rates or
speed bur none very slowly through the
mobile and elastic atmosphere In every
possible direction. which ~ suDJect 10
great and rapid changes, and through
every description OF territory. along w.
| 600 miles OF tracks. by nearly WV" sta'-
wart locomotives. These tracks cross one
| another empty into one another. and, to
| some extent, are parallel. VIII not these
multiplied and continuing displacemenss
! and commingllng and crossing replace
/ mcnts OF air. 20 which all this rapid loco
! motion necessarily gives rise materially
disturb atmospheric equilibriaY
But these giant steam-s,eppers DO NOT
merely remove the air by drawing through
| II their long gangs OF tunnel-cutters; pd'
they pummel and heat It every step they
! take Every revolution OF an engine
wheel four strong and hot steam-puus
beat and rarely the air, which IL further
| disturbed and taxed by the condensation
| of that very steam.
| IL would be a very good thing " railroad
! trains only famed malarial districts INTO
salubrlty, or coaxed down needed rams
upon the earth: but they may plant tue
germs Of cyclones. which throw locomo-
tlves from their tracks, and lever
! churches residences, barns. and other
Buildings. as the sickle does the ripened
corn. For these trains are kept up along
the same routes going and returning
day after day, by day and by night. ana
with every variety of counter and cross
tunnellng. in many AMI extensive sec
tons Of our country. To what all the
cars must do has 10 be added the erects
caused (as above stated by the thousands
| OF locomotives whose power drags theii
| through their ever-closing air-tunneis ana
| 10 the mere size and form OF the iron
horse. who opens the way into every tun-
mel must be added all the operations OF
! his escaping steam. with It's pulsauons,
/ coudensations and rarefactiops. and OF
his volumes and trails Of heated smoke.
These railroad trains run day and night
! necessarily along or near almost the
entire Atlantic border and good portion
OF that OF the Pacific along or near no
small part OF the Gulf OF Mexico ana
along or near the shores OF the great
northern lakes and the river 81. Law
renee. They traverse the entire extent
OF our vast country, not only from north
TO south. and from east to west and wee
versa: but to and from all the SUBDIVISIONS
OF those cardinal points. They Keep UP
their running drags and fires upon our
atmosphere. not only across our Nonu
nent but at all attitudes, from the le'ei
sand-beaches of the Atlantic 10 hearS
the SUBMITS OF the Blue Ridge and the
Alleghanies from the Valley Of the MIS-
sissippi and the LlanO Estacado to the
passes of the Rocky mountains. ana
thence down to the lowest bar of the Golden
Gate OF California. Thus they fire upon
and tunnel through air or eVer-Vafylhs
density and susceptibility or IMPRESSION
and earnestly invite it's diyersifylng stis'a
10 mingle and commngle, TO whfi anu
interace.
To an these cumulative and accumu-
lating effects upon land must be auded
those upon the water. The numerous
steamers on the oceans and other waters
OF our vast country make wind ana cut
resist. and beat air whenever and wher-
ever they may be in motion. Inc
oceans are certainly a wide field Tor them
to operate in: but "the mickles make the
muckle" and their influences, however
insignificant they may be regarded. are 10
be united with all the Others 10 whlch
reference has already been made. More
over. rallroadiug. steam navigation, manu-
featuring. developing and employing cleo
tricIty are not confined TO the united
States nor to this Western Continent,
: but are engaged in upon a scale alreauy
remarkable and constantly extending all
around the globe. Like the wars above
, spoken OF, they. too, have belted the
earth: but. unlike the wars. they nave
no armistices or treaties or peace. Ihey
are incessant and unremitting IN thelr
, operations and in the multitudinous
aerial disturbances to which they give
rise. Great battles take the atmosphere
by storm, vi ct arms: the continuous,
peryasive. and conflicting effects OF the
other disturbers OF its quietude-acting
upon the steady and powerful principe
of non vi sed saepe cadendo-may IN their
aggregate and in the long run prove 10 De
far greater and more dangerous. Is not
the sum total OF all these disturbances
worthy of the consideration of the meteo-
rologlsts and sufficient 10 cause tnem
. some perplexity?
Illinois Is as much cut up by raliroads
az any of our States. Watch the effects
OF storms there in the future, as wen
az take note OF those which have al
ready occurred. She has had some terri
bic yisitations' Her great railroad GEN.
ire. Chicago, may be protected In d
measure by Lake Michigan; but there Is
an enormous quantity Of steam alr-beat-
ing on that lake. Trains do not enter
and depart from Chicago on all her
sides and they are compelled TO siacken
their speed when leaving and approaching
railroad centres, where railway tracks
Intersect and trains come and 20 Oh
all sides. and some smaller places may
. be in even greater peril. from the fact
that long and swift trains pass and re-
pass them without stopping. whenever
: two fast trains especially freight, rush
by each other. both of them are cutting
out tunnels, in opposite directions In
the same general body of air, and thus
n "A
railway train can create Is prOodoy al
its maximum for the time being.
Kansas City, Mo-, Is an important rail-
road centre with numerous trains ar
irving and departing In various direc-
tions. but from the nature OF the locality
not on all sides Yet she has mad Il
terrible visitation from a destructive cy'
! clone. But Mashfield, Mo-, much small
er place, and with only one railroad mad
a worse one. The fact is. however that
cyclones do not generally strike where
: thew are generated. They most fire.
auently 20 on, gradually gathering their
furious forces and may travel for miles
/ like roaring lions seeking whom and
what they may deyour" Texas and Kan
sas will be very interesting States IN
which 10 study the effects OF raIlroadlbg
upon climate and storms. The Texas
"northers' may be greatly modified or
l may be replaced by phenomena Oh quite
a different character.
} But il railroading and the other causes
, referred TO have anything like the effects
I upon the atmosphere which this paper
, is intended to intimate. those distur-
! | Dances are not liable TO avenge them
selves only In the form of wind and cleo
| tric-storms. but may lead 10 even greater
| devastation by yisitations from exces-
siye rains, floods. and by unusual and