Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-11-25
THE MOONS CHANGES
THEY HAVE NO INFLUENCE WHAT
EVER UPON THE WEATHER.


Some Superstitions That Still Exist
Upon the Subject-Moon Theories
That Are Mere survivals From a
Past Credulity.
a belief prevails that the moons
phases and changes have a controlling
influence " the weather. but so great
an authority as Professor C. A. Young
Of Princeton has assured us that the
moon has absolutely nothing to do with
the weather.
Such a belief is in the strict sense of
the word q superstition-"mere sur
vival from q past credulity. 1t is quite
certain that If there is any influence
at all of the sort it is extremely slight,
so slight that it cannot be demonstrate
ed with certainty. although numerous
Investigations have been made express
ly for the purpose of detecting it. We
have never been able to ascertain, for
instance. with certainty whether it is
warmer or not or less cloudy or O at
the time Of the full moon. Different in
vestigations have led to contradictory
results.
GAS to the supposed connection be-
tween changes Of the moon ana
changes of the weather, it should be
enough to note that even within the
United States the weather changes are
rot simultaneous lin Kansas and
Maine, for instance), as they should be
~ fhnv rxynJsn Is,n IN. fS,o <l,s 49,; ,,r
phases of the moon. Since, however.
a change of the moon occurs every
week, every weather change must
necessarily occur within about three
days and Il half of lunar change. and
half of them ought to fall within about
forty-fve hours. even if perfectly indie
pendent.
"Now, it requires only a very slight
prepossession in favor Of a belief in
the effectiveness of the moons changes
to make n forget a few Of the
weather changes that occur too far
from the proper time. Condolences
enough can easily be found to justify
q pre-existing belief"
From a very remote antiquity, in the
twilight Of natural a%strology, a belief
arose that changes in the weather were
occasioned by the moon. That the be-
lief still exists Is clear to any one who
Is acquainted with current literature
and common folklore. In fact. it
must be admitted that even Intelligent
and well Informed people have been
known to accept the theorys
The idea that the weather is affected
by the changes In the noon is still held
with great vigor In England, and one of
u proverbs is, $50 many days old the
Don is on Michaelnias day. SO many
foods after" If 1t rains on st. Swfth.
ms day, we are told to expect rain for
forty days after. An equally wise pre-
diction is that if Christmas comes dir
ing a waxing moon we shall have o
very good year, and the nearer to the
noon the better, but if during a waning
noon a hard year, and the nearer the
end of the moon SO much the worse.
Another belief is that the condition
Of the weather depends upon the day
Of the week on which the new moon
chances to fall. New moon on Monduy,
or moon day, Is everywhere held as a
sign Of good weather. Fridays new
Don is much disliked, while Saturday
is unlucky for the new and Sunday for
the full moon.
In Scotland the farmers believe that
a misty moon Is q misfortune. and an
agricultural maxim among them teach
es that
: II the moon shows like a silver shield,
You need not be afraid to reap your field.
But if she rises haloed round
Soon We'll tread on deluged ground
Another weather guide connected with
the moon is that to see 'the old NOON
in the arms Of the new NOON is reck-
oned a sign of fair weather, and SO is
the turning up Of the horns Of the new
moon. In this position it is supposed
to retain the water which is imagined
to be in it and which would run out if
the horns were turned down.
The country people in Scotland fore
tell the changes of the weather from
the changes in the appearance of the
new moon. If she Lies sair ON her
back" it is q sure sign of bad weather,
or when her horns are pointed toward
the zenith.
At Whitby when the moon is
rounded by a halo with watery clouds
the seamen say that there will be a
change in the weather, for the moon
dogs are about. There is also a belief
prevalent among sailors and s~eafaring
men that when a large star or planet is
seen near the moon or. as they express
it. "a big star is DIGGING the moon,"
this is a certain sign of stormy wealth
er.-Exchange. |s@ ~