New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-24
BESIEGED BY EOG

owing TO combination of geographical and
meteorological influences England is bothered
more frequently with fog than some other
countries, but the siege which she endured fof.
TWO or three days this week was unusually
trying. Steamships were embarrassed in get
uhg INTO ana out OF port, railway travel was
rendered dangerous and almost paraIvzed
through the inability of engineers f. soc cie,.
haIs, and the streets of London were nearly
impossible by carriages and pedestrians Time
Is money, and, though 1t is not easy 10 com
pute the loss which has been caused by these
several classes Of delay in business. the esti-
mate which puts it at 100000 does nor sound
unreasonab BILE
Fog usually forms when a stratum Of air
heavily laden with vapor drifts gently from J
region where the surface temperature is high to
one that is little lower A movement of that
kind from the Gulf Stream to the vicinity OF
lcebergs or polar current explains the preya
lence Of the phenomenon off Newfoundland at
certain times Of the year. The same result mar,
be expected when the land is cooler than the nd
Jaceht sea. The presence Of dust particles i'm
the atmosphere evidently facilitates partial con-
densatlon, for microscopic bits OF solid material
are often found in Yescles of fog Hence a
city is liable to suffer more severely than rural
districts. Still, the fundamental requisites arc
humidity, temperature contrasts and stagnation
OF the ar Ihere is hardly any phase of the
weather which does not Inconvenience mankind
in one way or another. Whether it be TOO bot
or too cold too wet or too dry too windy or too
calm, the consequences are unpleasant if nor
actually hurtfuI
The most rational and promising attemDt IN
Danish fog was suggested twenty years or more
ago by Sir Oliver Lodge. His earlier experf-
hehts seemed 10 indicate that by means of an
electrical discharge of a certain character I'm
the air the latter could be freed from dust mar
ucles and fog. Not receiving much encourage
nent at first Sir Oliver temporarily abandoned
MS Investigations. These have been resumed
WITHIN the last year or two, but have thus far
been confined TO the laboratory. Perbans he
cause his system involved too large an expense
in proportion to the effect produced the nIan has
not yet been practically applied either on land or
sea. To render the atmosphere of n big barbor
like that OF NewYork or LIVERPOOL clear might
be so costly an undertaking that the idea wouid
not deserve consideration. Such task wouId
be further hampered by the necessity for suita
bic bases OF operation distributed over tha
water. If each machine We're caDabIe oF dis
pelling fog within a radius Of only a few wards
the task OF opening way from Sandy Hook IN
Quarantine would apparently be hopeless In
a city the buildings occupy so much space that
a relatively smaller area there would need IA
be supplied with fog eaters" and if these
were not cumbrOus enough 10 obstruct the
streets Sir divers plan might be feasible. nro-
vided that it was not too expensive
II is TO be wished that more was known about
the nrst cost OF his apparatus, the amount Of
current required TO clear the air within range
OF nfty rect ror instance), and the time in
which the desired result would ensue. With
such information at hand, lighthouse boards
and municipal authorities could quickly decide