The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-11

e"ioh ioycr vi udfk clouus, SndpclcSS with
ragged edges. The cumulo nimbus Is the
thunder cloud, or shower cloud. THIS
sort of cloud is formed in heavy masses,
which assume weird shapes suggesting to
the imaginative eye castles, giants, ex-
traordinary animals, etc. The strato-
cumulus is the typical storm cloud, almost
always seen i'm advance of a storm. The
alto-stratus is thick sheet of gray or
blush cloud, with brilliant patch near
the sun or moon. The alto-cumulus
consists of large globtlar masses of white
or grayish cloud, arranged In groups or
lines The cirro-stratus is thin, whitish
sheet, covering the sky through which
the sun or moon is seen surrounded by
halo.
These terms have been adopted officially
by the international Meteorological Con-
ference, which holds meeting once year
in Europe. This organization has already
published cloud atlas, containing pic
lures of clouds from all over the world.
Ii is an interesting fact that clouds vary
with latitude. For example, one of the
color drawings prepared for Commander
Slgsbee's atlas represented tropical land
scape with mares tail clouds floating in
the sky. One of the cloud experts declared
that cirrus clouds were very rarely seen
in tropical regions, and accordingly the
character Of the vegetation In the picture
was altered. The atlas issued by the
Meteorological Conference costs S3 price
prohibitory from the point of view of the
people at large. On the other hand,
cheapness has been made a special object
in the picture book Of the photographic
Office.
One of the most curious of storm
phenomena is the formation of hail. 1t
is known that . this frozen rain falls from
clouds at high levels, where the tcmpera-
ture is low enough TO crystalize the water.
Thus thousands of tons of hailstones may
be discharged from mass of cloud with
in few minutes. On May 8, 1895, near
Catalet in France, n quantity of hailstones
estimated at Fl, 0O0, 600 cubic feet fell in
space of mile and quarter long and
20OO feet broad. Such ice crystals of extra
ordinary size have been observed occa-
sionally. The largest hailstones on record
fell in southern France in October 1914,
one weighing eleven pounds being picked
up. Doubtless, however these exceptional
hailstones are agglomerations represent
ing many crystals fused together
Crystals of hail have been found occa-
sionally TO contain extraordinary things,
such as small stones, and even little
turtles. But the solution of that mystery
is the same as the explanation which ac-
counts for showers of fishes and other
animals, whirling storm sucking up the
water of pond or stream with its con-
tents and depositing the latter perhaps
miles way. Not many years ago there
was shower of fish i'm the city of Louis
vile, KY, large numbers Of small sun
perch being found swimming in the
cutters after "a tremendous downpour of
rain. In March, 1882, a storm of mud
smothered whole focks of sheep in the
province of Buenos Ayres. In Fifeshire,
Scotland, there was once shower of |
frogs, which fell in such immense num-
bers that they made their way into the |
houses and were swept out i'm heaps.
This frog story is perfectly well authen- |
ticated. But whatever may have been
the cause in that instance, alleged showers |
Of frogs and toads are not really such at |
all, the fact being that the.animals come |
out of the mud in large numbers, after |
the storm. 1t is the same way with So |
called showers of angle worms and snails. |
Two years ago a big box full of little |
snails, said To have fallen in shower, |
were sent to the Smithsonian institution |
from Ohio. The most startling phcnom-
,non os this sort is red rain, which in |
past centuries never failed to excite dis |
may and alarm. During the present |
century there have been no fewer than |
10 so-called Showers of blood" in Eu-
'ope Whenever scientifically investigated
hey have proved to be due to the presence
,ithcr of red volcanic dust or of red
in the water. A few years
igo a lake in Siberia turned to blood, so
,eoplc said An examination of the
water by the microscope showed that it
vas full of crimson -hued infusoria
Snow that has had the appearance of
lottcd blood when fallen has been re-
,arded as direful portent, and no Won
Ter. A shower of crabs once fell at
Tytenhanger Park, in Kent, and near
Falkland there was shower of seaweeds
which festooncd the trees in an astonish-
ng way. On Nov. 8, 1919, il rained ink
n Montreal. This was accounted for by
oot from extensive forest fires TO the
outh of the Ohio River The fact seems
o be well established thatlrain drops un-
er certain conditions contain small
of stored electricity. They have
ven been known to emit sparks on strik-
ng, with n cracking noise and smell of
hosphorus. On Sept 20, 1910, the soldiers
{ French regiment in Algiers observed
hat rain drops falling on their beard
ecame luminous.
The earth cloud or fog, Is sometimes so
ensc as to Interfere seriously with traffic
n cities, while on the ocean it is not in