Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-21
THAT LINE STORM.
It Puzzles All the Learned Men to
Tell What It Is.
Some % Not Believe in II While Others Do
Implicitly.
What is the line Storm"

what II tIle line STORM
The question was asked many of tn,
men on Water street Wednesday after
any real definition or cause for tho
name. They all said they knew there
was q storm coming at this season OF
the year and in March when the sur
crossed the equinox and they had al
ways heard ii spoken of as a line
:torm." But just why it was so and
what caused the storm-weI. they
didn't know as they had never heard it
explained. 1t simply was, and that was
all there was too it.
pjAcr men said it wasn't SO there
one has it. The question still remained
ut the end of the search for knowledge.
IS there a line storm and what is its
cause?
One gentleman who is deep student,
said he could not assign the cause
though he understood ard believed he
4'.th iott, III q I'iiy Sit>tl EUob .lI'hs t'tN
true cause of the line storm. lie said
that in March there is as he under
stand line gale while in September it
Is a line storm of rain and wind. OF
the other hand. the very opposite state
Of affairs exists on the other side of the
equator. They have the storm in March
and the gale in september.
This man said he could not remember
:he real physical phenomena and its
cause, but he supposed it was the ac-
lion of the sun on the atmosphere of
the earth as the days and nights We're
of equal length at this time. He un-
Gerstood it was similar in its effect to
he effect of the moon on the tides ct
certain periods in its fullness and in
The year. making spring and neap tides.
Reference was made to the time.
away back in 1865. when in September,
4 bout the 10Th the great storm prevail
havoc Of all sorts both on land and on
the sea. 1t was also brought To mind
that every man. woman and child from
I he time they have been old enough to
now anything about signs" regard
n tie weather are taught to expect
a line gale or storm when the sun
rosses the line or equinox. on this
Gay they understand as it is truly
) tated the days and nights are of equal
length. the sun rising about the same
lumber Of minutes before in the morn
ing that il sets at night. The storm is
always expected about that time
though it is often several days late and
1mctimeS day or two ahead, but
more often late After Il person has
gained this much of knowledge and has
seen ii fulfilled every year at the prop
e.. seasons he is likely to forget about
everything in the way of causes and
accept the fact and not care to know
the reason why
Other people who We're asked looked
Llank and said they did not know any
thing about it only that they had al
ways supposed it was something that
was due to the way the sun is due 20
l Use each morning.
There were those too who looked
pleased when the question was asked
and said it was an old womans wealth
az prediction or one of their whims.
That a large storm came occasionally
at the time ii was supposed TO come.
but that it was by no means in any way
with the suns crossing the
equinox They observed that they had
known season after season when
there was no line gale and that they
had seen the believers in the event look
wonderingly at the heavens To think
that the gale was not sent along on
schedule time.
The people will probably continue to
talk Of the line storm though, even If
il is not explained and even though
others do not believe in it. They will
accept some storm at the proper sea-
son Of the year as the real thing and
say they were rather light. letting
anything pass as a storm.
Nevertheless what is the line storm:
1t certainly can't be found in the en-
cyclopedia.