Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-02-07
HAlLSTONES.
She Way They Are Formed aud How,
They Grow In Their Flight

They Grow In Their Flight.
IL one would know how hailstone Is
formed he must first dissect it, He
will find that it is composed of
quantity of tiny crystals arranged In
concentrlc rings or zones, and each
zone in turn will have its evidence to
give concerning the making of the hail
stone on It's way to the earth.
An atom Of dust Is the nucleus of
each hailstone. These atoms Of dust
pervade every part Of the atmosphere
and are found not only In the lower
strata OF the air. but the winds carry
them TO the tops OF the highest noun
ialns. So that. no matter whether
samples of air are obtained by balloon
lists Or mountain climbers, minute par
tlcles of dust are always TO be found
in them. Ii is coming 10 be believed
that without these atomS OF dust upon
which the moisture OF the air can set
tie there would be no raindrops. 10 fog,
no snow. dew clouds or hail. Without
these minute platforms. rs they are
called. upon which the moisture con.
denses as il alights. rain would be
continually pouring down upon the
earth. These notes keep the atmos-
phere buoyed up till such times as cir.
cumStantes compel them To yield up
the supplies they have collected. If II
little yapor should happen To condense
on particle of dust loating nimless.
~ about in the air there Is the begin
ming OF what under favorable circum-
stances will become q full sized hail
stone.
The hailst0ne TO attain great size
must plunge to the earth from Il great
height. The clouds which float at the
greatest distance from the earth are
those known as the cirrus and are often
many miles above The tops of the high
EST mountains. If The beginning of a
hailstorm Gun only dive to the earth
from This height it will in Its headlong
Hight pass through strata of air diff
fe! ing very much rs regards tempera-
lure and moisture, and these are cir.
cumStaEccS most favorable to its de-
velopment. But before il Gun begin its
descent IL must find some way Of being
carried up 10 these heights. So the
journey Is made by getting into the
way OF one of the strong ascensional
currents which spring upward from
almost every part OF the earth's sur
face.
In such place il is not long before
The moisture OH The atom of dust
freezes. The form which the frozen
moisture takes depends upon circum.
stances, but there are many posslbili
ties before II. 1t may crystalline as a
tlny pellet of snow or may Ike the
shape Of an ice crystal or sim 'ly the
form Of frozen raindrop. Any Of
those shapes will serve us an excellent
beginning for further change.
1t is easily understood that the force
of gravitation has been constantly pull.
ing this atom of dust and its CONCEALED
moisture toward the ground AS ID
starts on it's Journey back to the earth
1t will pass through strata of air which
differ greatly in moisture and temper
allure. Some of the air will be above
the freezing point, and other layers will
be below ii, while it Will be no uncom-
mon thing for the hailstone to dash
through cloud some thousands Of feet
thick. The haiistone itself, with its
heart of ice, Is always below the freez.
ing point. so that any moisture which
settles upon it is promptly frozen and
forms girdle Of ice about the nucleus.
When the hnilstone passes through
the air that is below the freezing point
the moisture settles upon II In the form
of clear zone OF Ice, while, on the
other hand. when the air is moistened
and its moisture is above the freezing
point the girdle OF Ice Is opaque.-New
York Herald.