The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-03-20
FREAKS OF WEATHER
Foes, WINDS AND STORMS OF VA
RIep PEcuLlARlTlES.
The "WiIIiwau" That spends Itself
Upon TERRA del FueEo-The "Fohn"
Wind of switzerland and the Fee
rocious "Purgn" of siberia.

Wind of switzerland and the Fee
rocIous "PurEa" of siberia.
In mountainous countries, such as
Scotland, fog usually forms at the
top OF hill and works downward.
The cold mountain top, cooling warm
current of wet air, renders its moisture
visible, and this cold fog, being Of low
er temperature than the air below and
therefore heavier drops gradually TO
the valley. Colorado, however, can
show an exception to this general rule.
There in winter the frost Oh the low
ground Is so intense that n fog often
forms in the valleys and works slowly
up the mountain side. This Is known
by the Indian name Of "pogonlp."
Peru has hundreds OF square miles
along It's coast OF rainless country In
this tract rain is never known 10 fall
from one century's end 10 another. Yet
the region Is not entirely barren OF veg
citation. Some parts of IL, indeed, are
comparatively fertile. This IL due TO
the extraordinary fogs known AZ ga
ruas." They prevail every night from
May TO October after n summer that Is
sultry and extend up 10 n level Of ZOO
feet above the sea. Above 1900 feet
rain falls
The "calina" OF Spain is n fog we
may be grateful that we do not have.
1t is n dry, yellow mist which some
times hides the sun for days at time
over vast tracts OF country and makes
the sky look as though covered with
lcaden gauze.
Another peculiar freak Of weather
we must be thankful TO escape Is yle
"willlwau." This form of storm Is
confined TO that faroff island TERRA del
Fuego The coast Is lndcntcd with
deep fords crowned with high noun
tains. Down from their gorgcs drops
the "willlwau." \ low, hOarse muttcr-
ing IL heard I'm the distance. Sudden
ly, without the least preliminary pun,
q fearful blast OF wind drops upon the
sea. The water is not raised into
waves, but driven into fine dust For
tunately the shock lasts but ten or
twelve seconds, and calm follows at
once, for no vessel could stand such
wind for even half minute. During
the coming and going Of n "williwau'
the barometer may be watched TO drop
a tenth OF an inch or more and rise
again at once.
Similar In name If not in nature Is
the "wlly willy" with which Kalgoor-
lie gold dlRgcrs are acquainted, to their
cost. "Dust devils" some people call
them. Half dozen may be seen dane
ing harmcssly along over the desert
when suddenly one will dive into the
city and nll all the shop windows In
Hannah street with dust and sand,
binding every passcrby The willy
willy" IL thief of the worst kind. 1t
will steal the washing from line or
the roof from n shed, In some parts Of
the country wire ropes are anchored
over the roofs of huts TO save them
from the attacks of these odd little
whirlwinds.
Most people have heard Of the "fohn"
wind Of Switzerland, that warm, dry
gale which comes over the mountains
and I'm spring Will melt two feet OF
snow In day. Its cause Is most pc
Culiar The "fohn' comes from the
south. AS II strikes the Alps II IL wet
like most gales which have crossed the
sea, but the south face of the noun
tains receives It's rain, and rs II crosses
the SUBMITS II is dry. The moving air
current Is also compressed and there
fore dynamiCally heated. AS 1t falls
into the northern valleys I'm cataract
of air it gains heat at the rate of half
degree for every 100 feet OF descent
II usually blows for two or three days,
causing great suffering by It's dry heat
and oppression. While 1t lasts the tenn
perature Is about thirty degrees above
the average. The chinook of Brit
ish Columbia and the western side Of
the United States is very similar TO the
"fohn."
England has adopted the American
word blizzard" for n gale with snow.
But the blizzard, however. must yield
TO the fcrocious duran" of the central
stcppcs of Asia and the "purga" of
northern Siberia. TO be caught In gales
such rs these means death I'm very
few minutes however warmly clad, for
the very air becomes uubrcathablc, SO
filled is II with spikes of ice drift.
"Khamsin" is the hot wind from the
desert which blows out of the Sahara
upon Egypt The word means tifty,
from the idea that il lasts for fifty
days. The "khamsin" is terribly hot
and dry and sometimes brings pcsu-
lcnce with Il.
Red snow we have all heard of. II
is caused by microscopic infusorial
growth and only occurs I'm snow that
has lain unmclted for long time. In
Spitzbergcn recently green snow has
been noted tinted 10y similar organisms.
Gold dust snow has often been
seen, but only In spring. At one time
II was n mystery how the surface Of
new fallen snow came TO be strewn
with shining yellow deposit. Now 1t
is known TO bc due To the pollen Of
pine trees. cs.-Pcnrsons Weekly.