The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-31
PHENOMENA OF FOG.
Curious Experiences in the Bay and
City OF San Francisco.

Familiarity with the local phenomena of
fog has destroyed interest in them in the
mind of the average San Franciscan. He
looks on with Indifference almost daily
through the summer season on the mar
shaling of the ieecy aerial hosts along the
ocean shore line Of the city; of the fore
ing by them of the Golden Gate: their as
sault of the mission nights; their sweep
ing charge over the city; their observation
of the Contra Costa range, and their cap
ture of the bay. The warning toots Of
tugs and steamers and ferry-boats; the
ringing of alarm bells at the various ferry
landings, and the doleful cries of the Goat
Island and Point Bonita sirens have to
him no special significance. And yet these
familiar fog phenomena furnished Bret
Harte with a theme for a piece of the fin
est descriptive writing that ever flowed
from his pen.
Whence comes the great gray bank of
fog that is carried by the strong western
trade winds to the coast line and to the
gates Of the city with the setting of the
summer sun is matter of as much specu-
lation as are the causes of the trade winds
before which the fog bank is driven inland
IL has been inferred that the trade winds
are created by the heating of the great in
terror valleys and the thrush of the cold
er air of the sea to supply the vacuum
Whlch the heating process produces. Thus
the warm air. which has been laden with
moisture by solar evaporation far out at
sea, is drawn inshore over the cold north
ern current that sweeps down the coast
CONFUSING the vapor into dense and chill
ing fog.
While this phenomenon Is present on the
greater part of the coast line. 1t is more
conspicuous in the vicinity of San Fran
cisco than any other part of It, which gives
Weight TO the foregoing theory of its orr
OF &c he CoII
mus or the San Francisco peninsula fur-
nish an unobstructed avenue for the aerial
currents from the sea to enter the heated
central basin of the state reducing the
temperature of both day and night TO that
pleasant mean which makes the Califor
ma climate matchless among the climates
OF the earth. And the dense redwood
forests which extend along the coast from
Monterey bay to the Oregon line draw
their sustenance from the summer fog
drift for, as it passes through their tan
tops, 1t is held and condensed in the en-
brace of their branches into a drizzle that
| drenches the soil in which their roots are
grounded.
In the winter the meteorological student
finds in the fog drift in San Francisco bav
important and almost unfailing weather
slsns. three consecutive foggy DAYS and
nights are almost Invariably forerunners
of rain storm. They are usually followed
fog out of the bay and brings with it tba
rain-laden clouds that haveg been formed
in the Gulf of California 10 drench tbn
earth over which they pass.
TO the San Francisco fisherman The foe
drift Is an open book. He knows through
its signs the condition of the weather in
the outer roadstead without consultina
either the weather bureau or the Iookout
+ at the Point Lobos signal station If tha
BAY is run of fog and strong breeze Ia
ruffllng its waters, he knows that it is in
nlne chances out of ten comparatively
cam outside and probably clear. If the
log bank extends like a wall from thA
Golden Gate to the Berkeley shore. while
the rest of the bay is clear he knows thar
the outer roadsteed is clear, but banker
with fog, which, later in the day. will be
driven inshore by the trade wind. His
movements and operations are governed
largely by the fog signs with which he il
so familiar and much of his immunity,
from disaster is due 10 this fog craft
When the fog settles on the bay not only
are all the landmarks shut ont of the fer
rymaster's vision, but the mysterious IN
tuence of fog on the transmission of sound
is so deceptive that the location of inc
siren signals and the steam whistles Of
moving craft is uncertain and often mis-
leading. Ii is actually on record that tha
sound of the fog bell al one of the ferry
landings was not heard on one of tho
ferry boats on two recent occasions when
the nose of the boat was within 100 feet
of the ship, and a complaint was LODGED
against the man whose duty 1t was ia
ring the bell on the presumption that bn
was not performing il. And yet there was
positive proof furnished on both occasions
that the bell was going, but the sound
failed TO penetrate the fog and drifted
inshore to the peril of the ship II has
been shown I'm evidence that A STEAMBOATS,
whistle was heard on one side when the
vessel actually occupied the opposite posi-
ton
Among the curious phenomena relating
to fog is the fact that all fogs are no,
alike, either in density or influence Ocean
fogs offer very little trouble to bay navi
CATION for the reason that they drift On
irregularly and contain frequent breaks
through which the lookout can see 400 or
800 yards ahead. A land or marsh foe
is what the navigators of inland waters
dread. It often limits the vision to less
than one-half the length of the craft
William Steinway, the famous New
York piano manufacturer, was supposed 10
have been worth about 100000 when he
died in 1895. Now the estate is said TO he
SO involved that 1t may not suffice to pay
AL he claims against it. This news caus-
ell Il sensation, which increased when ru-
mors were circulated that funds intrusteJ
&c Mr.. SteinWay had moi been accounted
for, among them the $4,000 which Pade-
rewski save him 70 establish musical echoI-
arships. Mr. Steinways generosity in CIV
ing to needy musicians and others As given
a s the most probable cause of fha dtegf.s