The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-03-18
FREAKS OF WEATHER
FoGs, WINDS AND STORMS OF VA
RED IRREGULARITIES.


Lpon TERRA del FaeEo-The "Fohn"
Wind of switzerland and the Fe-
rocious .Purga" of siberia.
r. mountainous countries, such as
Scotland fog usually forms at the
top Of Il hill and works downward.
he cold mountain top, cooling warm
current of wet air, renders Its moisture
visible, and this cold fog, being OF low
or temperature than the air below and
therefore heavier, drops gradually TO
the valley Colorado, however, can
show an exception to this general rule.
There Ia 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
10y the Indian name of 'pogoDip.'
Peru has hundreds OF square miles
along its coast of raInless country. In
tLis tract rain is never known 10 fall
from one century's end to another. Yet
the region Is not entirely barren OF veg
citation. Some parts OF II, indeed, are
comparatively fertile This is due 10
the extraordinary fogs known as ga
ruas" They prevail every night from
May to October after summer that is
sultry and extend up to level OF 200
feet above the sea. Above LOO feet
rain falls.
The "calina" of Spain Is fog we
may be grateful that we do not have.
1t IL n dry, yellow mist which some
Times hides the sun for days at time
over vast tracts of country and makes
the sky look rs though covered with
lcaden gauze.
Another peculiar freak of weather
we must be thankful TO escape Is the
"willwau" This form of storm Is
confined to that faroif island TERRA del
I'uego The coast Is indented with
deep iiords crowned with high noun
tulns. Down from their gorges drops
the "wiliwnu." A low, hoarse mutter-
ing IL heard In the distance. Sudden
", without the least preliminary pun,
fearful blast of wind drops upon the
sea The water il not raised Into
waves, but driven into fine dust. For
tunatcly the shock lasts but ten or
twelve seconds, and calm follows ut
once, for no vessel could stand such II
wind for even half II minute. During
the coming and going of "williwau"
the barometer may be watched TO drop
tenth of nm inch or more and rise
again at once.
Similar IN name II not In nature Is
phe willy willy" with which Kalgoor-
liz gold diggers are acquainted, TO their
them. Half dozen mny be seen dane
Ing harmlessly nlong over the desert
when suddenly one will dive Into the
city and iii all the shop windows In
Hannah street with dust and sand,
binding every passerby The willy
willy" IL thief of the worst kind. II
will steal the washing from II line or
the roof from II 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
whlrlwinda.
Most people have heard of the "fohn"
wind of Switzerland, that warm, dry
gale which comes over the mountains
and In spring Will melt two feet of
snow In day. Its cause IL most pc
Guitar The "fohn" comes from the
south As IL strikes the Alps II Is wet.
like most gales which have crossed the
sea, but the south face of the noun
talns receives It's rain. and ny II crosses
the submits II il dry. The moving air
current Is also compressed nnd there
fore Dramatically heated. As II falls
into the northern valleys In cataract
OF air II gains heat at the rate OF half
1t degree for every 100 feet of descent.
1t usually blows for two or three days,
causing grent suffering by It's dry heat
and oppression. While II lasts the tenn
pcrature is about thirty degrees above
the average The chinook" of Brit.
lsh Columbia and the western side of
the United States is very similar to the
.'fohn"
England has adopted the American
word blizzard" for gale with snow.
hut the blizzard however, must yield
10 the ferocious Duran" of the central
steppes of Asia aud the ''purgn" of
northern Siberia. 70 be caught In gales
such as these means death in "A very
few minutes, however warmly clad, for
iillcd is II With spikes OF lee drift.
"khamsin' Is the hot wind from the
desert which blows out of the Sahara
upon Egypt. The word means fifty.
from the idea that II lasts for fifty
days The "khamsin" is terribly hot
and dry aud sometimes brings pesti-
lence with IT,
Red snow we have all heard OF. IL
is caused by n microscopic infusorial
growth and only occurs in snow that
has lain urmelted for long time IL
Spitzbergcn recently green snow has
been noted tinted by similar organisms
Gold dust" snow has often ts-en
seen. but only in spring. At oDe tine
II was mystery how the surface %
new fallen snow came 10 lie strewD
with shining yellow deposit Now II
is known 10 be due 10 the pollen OF
pine -Iearson's Weekly.