The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-22
ny FnEDEtIC \. .uAskJN.


rho sun has crossed the equator on
bis way 10 visit his subjects OF the
Northern Hemisphere Winter waves
. sood-by hand to spring. hurls-a fare
tIlnt he viii DO back again. and HES
him away to the Southern Hemisphere,
unwilling 10 rule Jointly with the
Queen, OF Ncrdure. Spring has come,
She gets here. little early each year,
and Will continue to observe that trait
which has been called the politeness
OF kings. until the year 212o. Then
she VIII begin to arrive n little be-
hind time--ntty seconds each year for
1900 years.
This constant change In the exact
moment when snring comes and win
ping upon the part of the Garth. ri
makes tho crossing OF the euuinoctial
points move back fifty seconds each
year. making a complete revolution in
5000 years. 1t happens that the axis
of the earth does not vigorously con-
tlnuc parallel to itself. but varies from
,iine to time. describing an entire cone
~ the $4,000 years. 1ne northern ex-
quite near the. polestar Polaris, and
Will continue to get nearer to that
star until 2l2o, when 1t will point to
within half-degree of Polaris Then 1t
VIII begin TO recede, passing on BY
the Little Bear. aud across the border
OF the Swan. II any of us are on
earth $4,000 years from 212O we will
see that Vega. In Lyra. has become
tourney will DO begun. From this
1t Will be seen that while we pass
around the sun each year. there is
also a stellar year forsus whichxtakes
5000 solar years for its completion.
The constant moving backward of tho
time OF crossing the equincctial points
Is known as the procession of the
eqninoxes. 1t was nrst noted By Hip
parchus. OF Alexandria. 1000 years
ago. IT has since been explained by
Laplace as due to gravitation.
March has world wide reputation
for its buster, aud cquinoctial storms
are things Of which children remem
her hearing long before they were old
enough 10 know exactly what was
meant. hut science has kept tab on
the month and on tho day, and has
reputation which they have borne.
Even though February Is not so
wealthy as March in number of DAYS.
she often manages to set a pace for
keep. Science has also proved that
other months often Guido this one OF
| the evil reputation. But what ought
we care II the NORTH is blustery? Has
grain of dust in March is worth n
peck of gold at harvest timc2 Eaut-
noctial storms 10 happen rather too fire.
lquentiy for the comfort of those who
sail the seas, but none of the great
est storms OF history have hapnened
at the vernal equinox, and but few OF
them have occurred around the one
which comes In the autumn.
The average mortal cannot conceive
| the weight of the water that is drawn
Into the skies by the process of evap-
Grafton. only to be let down again
If the average rainfall over the earth
could be out at thirty inches, 1t would
t3mean that for every square mile OF
he aytI, e
| 500 oo00 gallons of water. the total
weight of which would be In the neigh
borrood of 100000 tons The area
| of the whole earth is placed AT an
| proxinatelv e0o.0oO,oo0 square miles,
| ,rhe annual work of the sun in draw
| ing up water and letting 1t down
again would thus amount TO the enor-
nous task CT lifting 50o.000.U0o.0oo 10000.
! And after doing all this the sun'.tinds
| time to amuse itself by supplying us
! with a reasonable amount OF neat ana
light. The amount of rain. that may
fall in q single day is also beyond
conception. In i643 there fell in Frank
lin county, Pa. In three hours. six
| teen inches of water. That was an
every square foot. 1t was the biggest
| rainfall ever recorded In this coun-
| trE.
Cloudbursts have frequently occur
red in this country, and many of them
have been highly destructive. Up IN
the mountains of Virginia about six
teen miles west of Harrisonburg. on
what is known as Dickson.s Ridge.
one may vet sec the effect or heaVy
| cloudburst Thcsvho side of noun
tain was torn out by the tremendous
force OF the descending water. Though
the mountain has slope of somo ID
degrees, the downpour was so grea.
that il cut. 3 channel some thirty feet
deep and a hundred feet wide out Of
its side. and boulders Weighing hun,
drcds of tons were carried DOWN ,nn
] stream which flows at tho mountains
base as If they had been feathers be-
| fore a hurricane
Trees that had stood the storms ana
/ blasts Of II century were cut off as
! pine stems, and even beyond the zonc
/ OF greatest downfall where It was
not severe enough TO plow out inc
| motlntainside. one could see where the
! Watar had registered a ten-foot mark
on tho trees. Several miles away IN
the interstate road from Rockingham
! county, Va, to Pcndleton county. W.