Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-17
THE MOONS CHANGES
THEY HAVE NO INFLUENCE WHAT.
EVER UPON THE WEATHER.

Upon the SubJect-MOon Theorie
That Are Mere survivaIx From
= Past Credulity.
A belief prevails that the moon
phases and changes have controllin,
iEuuehce over the weather. but so grea
an authority as Professor C. A. Youn,
of Princeton has assured us that tht
moon has absolutely nothing to do will
the weather.
such belief Is in the strict sense of
me word superstition-"mere sur.
'I'ai from past credulity. 1t is quite
certain that If there is any influence
III al or the sort it Is extremely slight.
so slight that it cannot be demoustrot.
Gu win certainty. although numerous
investigations have been made express
~ Tor the purpose Of detecting it. We
nave never been able to ascertain. for
instance, with certainty whether II is
warmer or not or less cloudy or not at
the time of the full moon. Different in.
vestigations have led to contradictory
results.
LAS to the supposed connection be.
tween 'changes of the moon and
changes OF the weather, it should be
enough to note that even within the
United States the weather changes are
rot simultaneous Gin Kansas md
Maine FOR instance, as they should be
II they were due to the changing |
phases of the moon. Since. however
chahge OF the moon occurs every
week, every weather change must
necessarily occur within about three
DAYS and half of lunar change. and
half OF them ought to fall within about
lorty-hve hours, even If perfectly indie
pendent.
Now. it requires only very slight
in favor of belief in
the effectiveness of the moons changes
to make one forget few of the
weather changes that occur too far
from the proper time. Condolences !
,noush can easily be found to Justify !, n
4 pre-eXisting belief" s
From very remote antiquity. in the |
Wight of natural astrology, belief 3
rose that changes in the weather were
ccasoned by the moon. That the be-
lef still exists is clear to any one who
acquainted with current literature -
nd common folklore. In fact, it
1ust be admitted that even intelligent,
nd well Informed people have been
nown to accept the theory. }"
The idea that the weather is affected =.
the changes in the moon is still held u
'lth great vigor in England. and one of 80
IL proverbs is, $50 many days old the
Don Is on Michaelmas day. so many Ill
1ods AFTER If it rains Oh st. Switl- re
S day we are told to expect rain for
rty days after. An equally wise pre- III
elton Is that if Christmas comes dur or
& a waxing moon we shall have ll
nv sood year, and the nearer to the
Don the better, but if during waning
oon hard year, and the nearer the
OF the moon so much the worse. =
Another belief is that the condition boz
the weather depends upon the day off
the week on which the new moon 1.'
ances 10 fall. New moon on Monday. tn
moon day, is everywhere held as a rsn
n or good weather. Fridays new are
on Is much disliked, while Saturday u w.
'"'NN'NNtS mo
aiii.''AS lor lhe new and Sunday for boz
full moon. or
n Scotland the farmers believe that
Misty moon is a misfortune, and an r
lcultlllal maxim among them teach Gal
spe
W. n ''e moon shows like silver shield, dig
lon need not be afraid to reap your field ~
But If she rises haloed round -
Soon Wen tread deluged ground. the
Mother weather guide connected with am'
moon IS that to see "the old moon eng
ne arms of the new moon" is reck-
sign CT fair weather, and so is "Is
turning up OF the horns of the new lun :
H. In this position it is supposed put
e'ain the water which is imagined ru ~.
IN 1t and which would run out IL CELLS
horns were turned down. hesit
he country people in Scotland fore , ,g!el
the changes of the weather from lief
chahSes III the appearance of the throa
moon. If she lies sair an hnr uneq
: IL Is sure sign OF bad weather. a ave. y
hen her horns are pointed toward
zenith.
Nhltby when the moon is sur 49,
aed by halo with watery clouds dn :,
'calnrn say that there will be n ,,a..s
&c IN the weather. for the moon
are about There is also n belief II"
llent among sailors and sonfo,.,,, jocc
mat when large star or planet is ana
near the moon M nc ,,,o, - their
Dig star Is DIGGING the moon" "'fi'
Il certain sign of stormy wealth
Exchange ri
The