Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1896-12-25
TO PREDICT CYCLONES.
Run spots, says a lannon's astrono.
mer. Arc sun signs

mer. Are sun Signs
A very interesting paper in rega,d 10
the possibility of predicting cyclones,
hurricanes, and other atmosp heric As
turbances was read at the last meeting
of the French Academy Of Sciences,
says the New York Herald. The time.
illness of such discussion is evident,
There have been cyclones In several
places during the last year, but espec.
tally In Paris, where they did much
damage. Since then many French
savants have been laboring hard to find
some method by means of which such
atmospheric disturbances can be accu-
rately foretold. We shudder when we
hear of whole towns being swept away
but as a rule the disaster occurs far
away from our own homes, and we
soon forget the miseries of the hapless
and homeless victims. Not until we are
face to face with The danger do we real.
ize Its power.
So the French hardly realize the force
of cyclone until they saw one playing
curious pranks In the streets of Paris.
Now, to accurately fortell the time
and places In which cyclones will man
ifest themselves is clearly not an easy
matter. Sometimes 1t is possible to
make predictions, using for the pur-
pose such data as the variations of pres
sure registered by the barometer, the
variations of temperature shown by the
thermometer, the indications Of the
hygrometer, the electrical condition of
the atmosphere and the unquestionable
fact that there are certain fixed periods
at which cyclones may be expected to
appear.
But even with such data It is practi-
cally impossible to make predictions
with unerring accuracy. AS French
scientist says:
"This branch of metorolgv is still In
its infancy, and the results obtained by
means of meteorological instruments
are often either wrong, incomplete or
contradictory"
The difficulty of making predictions
is furthermore enhanced by the fact
that cyclones are he result of many
different causes, whereas their effects
are invariably the same, If there were
only cause, the prophets task would be
much easier.
novai Dro0hat;c ,,,atboJ l. ,,.,I / .
Oh. w. Zenggr, director of the observa.
tory at Prague. According to him, no
other instrument except the telescope
is necessary for such work, and he
claim that by judicious observation of
the stars not only can cyclones be fore
told, but also earthquakes and volcanic
eruPtions.
His prophetic method is based on dis
tinct scientific principles. He has noticed
that atmospheric and terrestrial els
turbances coincide with periods of solar
activity-that is to say, with the appear
ance of circular concentrlc spots on the
SUMS surface.
Hitherto meteorologists have consid-
these spots as simply manifestation Of
some disturbance in the sun itself The
theory now is that, when such solar dis.
turbances are seen, atmospheric or seis-
mic disturbances may surely be expect.
ed on our planet. Shooting stars and
meteorites, which enter our atmosphere
and are the point of departure of cleo
trio troubles, are also said to be forerun.
ners of cyclones or earthquakes.
Examine the sun. then, is NJ. Zenger's
advice, and be assured that when YOU
lnotics IaALafspots on its surface there
lsgocd easize cot terror. The phase of
solar arkiFis rsenFs periodically every
10 years, and M. Zenger insists that our
earth is in consequence much troubled
every ten years. He Is said to have
predicted the cyclone of July ~, 1896
basing his prediction on the fact that
July ~, 1896, was very stormy day
and that on both those dates sun spots
were clearly seen.
This eminent Prague astronomer has
rival in the person of a wel-known
botanist of Vienna. AS the former
looks to the sky for inspiration, so the
ther looks to Mother Earth. The stalk
and petals of the shrub known to botan-
lists as Arbus precatorious I'nobils are
his guide. A faultless barometer, in.
deed this shrub appears to be. It's sen.
siuveness, we are told, is so great that
merely by the movements of its leaves
branches and stem storms, earthquakes.
and other atmospheric occurrences can
be foretold much more readily and ac u
rately than they can by the use of the
most delicate meteorological instru.
ments.
"After all" as French scientist points
out, "there is little real difference be-
tween these two methods Of making
predictions. NJ. Zenger and the Aus,
trian botanist work in different ways,
but they use the same principle"