The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1904-07-13

and CumuIus y Much the biggest
of Any Form of CI"ud-Thc "ettcSt
CIoud of All Is Nimbus.
1T is cloudnG up. 1t must be going
10 rain" This Is a remark You may
hear constantly, and few people seem
10 realize that the one thing Is by no
means consequence Of the other
True, all clouds are composed of water +
vapor, but II is absurd to Imagine that
because clouds become visible In the I
sky they are therefore going to dis /
Charge their contents upon our heads.
On tie contrary, some clouds are
actually prophets of fine weather. Cir
rus, for instance, or curl cloud, as it IL
often pieturcsqnely called. is, as II rule, +
n fine weather harbinger. Cirrus Is
the highest of all clouds. You can tell f
that by the fact that It's thin. tWisty,
fbrons strcaks are Illuminated by the
last rays of the setting sun long after
the earth below Is wrapped in shadow.
Threads and groups Of cirrus clouds,
the finer the better, appearing after
gale presage Il long continuance OF
settled weather ON the other hand,
if after several fine days cirrus appears
in long parallel bands stretching right
across the sky i'll the form popularity
known as mares tails" there will al
most certainly hc Il change Of wind
aud probably rain to follow.
Unlike other clouds, cirrus IS con
posed not of water Yapor, but of tiny
crystals Of Ice You can tell by It's
motion what the pace ana direction
OF the highest current of wind. Quiet
ly rs it appears to be moving, careful
observation has proved that cirrus
sometimes travels mt the rate of Il mile
in eighteen seconds.
Another form of cloud which is
usually an accompaniment of fine.
warm weather are these cottonlike,
whitish balls which are scientifically
termed cumulHs.
Early in the morning of Il fine sum
mer day cumulHs begins to form as
few soft scattered specks in the blue
above These spccks grow and enlarge
without, as II rule. travelling very fast,
for they are formed lay Yapor ascend
ing from the earth III columns By
early afternoon they often cover the
whole sky. but toward or , o'clock
they usually decrease and finally van
ish by sunset If they behave In this
way you may be almost certain that
the ensuing twenty four hours Will be
fine.
On the other hand. il the eumulus
clouds increase toward sunset turn
black In their eentcrs aud shine at the
edges with an angry light, rain viii
folleW, or, In very hot weather thunder.
Thunder is specially foretod by the
cuuulns clouds showing rounded,
sharply marked tops with silNefy white
edges Cumulus. Which turns very
dark with baek, shaggy edges. means
cold rain accompanied by wind
CuHulus Is much the biggest of any
form of cloud a single cloud Of this
description will measure six or even
seven miles from its Hat, dark base 10
it's rounded glistcning summit that Is
to shy, it's bulk and height far exceed
those of cnrth's greatest mountains
The temperature In such n cloud ns
this has been measured To vary over
100 degrees that is, from 50 degrees
Fahrenheit ut the base To 10 degrees
below zero mt its summit,
Stratus Is atill another form of cloud
which presents no special indication of
rain II IS more common ut night than
In the day and consists of long, hori
zontal bands of darllish cloud. which
lie very low and near the earths san
face. 1t rises on calm. clear evenings
after warm days and mny often he
seen IN mountainous districts slowly
creeping up the hilsiees. II the suh
rises through layers Of stratus it l.;
usually a sign of "A fine, warm day 10
come. After sunrise. stratus, as rule
rises higher into the air and slowly dis
appears
In carly summer, when the weather Is
sheWetN, yen may perhaps notice
through breaks In the rain clouds, M
appearance NJ dense white clnudlcts
in smnlI, irregular tufts brightly irradi
atGd by sunshine The children call II
mackercl Sky Its real name ia cirro
cumulus, and il Is sure sign of heat
aud probably fine weather. Seen IN
Winter. maellerel Sky portcnds thaw
and wet. mild weather 1t Is the next
highest cloud 10 the cirrus and Is some
times called sender cloud
"A sure prophet of Wind and rain is
GIRO stratus OF Nauc cloud 1t consists
of long, thin clouds with torn edges
lying ut a great height above the earth
1t Is duh in color and irregular In