The Washington times., 1909-03-03
WOMAN'S INQUIRY COLUMN

with the rain, sometimes at considerable
distances from their original location.
As to the showers OF milk, blood, and
sulphur, they consisted respectively Of
white earth, red particles Of volcanic
origin, tand in at least or case the
red eXcTemeutS Of millions Cf butter
tlies) or pollen from forests OF confer
Gus trees, more or less thoroughly as
simulated with, the rain water.
After the terrific eruption o. Erskat-
ca, In SS5, when Il was calculated that
no less than 4.l4 cubic miles OF solid
matter was effected, the volcanic dust
was carried UP 50 high that It remained
IN the upper currents Of air for several
weeks, actually making The entire cir
cult OF the globe, occasionally falling
TO earth as . shower Of "solnetbins,
uucanny-' and IN other places (aS I'm
England causing sunsets of a peculiar
red glow, which became historic IN the
annals Of science.
In April, 1S9J. a remarkable faI Of
snow. the Cvivr of which might easily
Justify the description bloody snow
but was believed. on examination, TO
be due to the presence OF vOlcauiC dust.
was Witnessed in Winfield Col, and
described by Z. T Symeus, OF that
town, TO Or. J. ?. Hale, Of Colorado.
who H. his turn communicated Il to
the newspapers.
IT another time a curious shower of
dust feH during a storm round about
LapOrte county Ind, and was also duly
reported in the press. II turned out
mixed organic matter, hbers Of grass,
shreds OF woody tissue and myriqds Of
microscopic animalculae-
In March. 1901, the water in the large
evaporation tank at CamGen Square.
London. England. assumed a chocolate
color, which might have been due to
the accumulation Of ordina"v London
dust. and attracted little attention but
when the last ice disappe IfSd from
the surface. and The long spell Of
cloudy weather gave place to sunshine,
the red color Of the water was intensi-
he'd TO rich. deep crimson. Offering
most effeCtlv contrast to the green Of
the surrounding grass. On stirring the
water the presence OF clouds Of a deem
REQ floating substance became aUDa rent.
and glass dipped into the thickeSt part
. or one OF these clouds and held up to
me nghT was seen TO be full Of minute
red points just visible to the eve
On the water being subjected to mi
cfoScoplcal examination by the bOtani-
cal department OF the British Museum.
II was at once found, said the Il .OndCD)
Meteorological Magazine, that the
red color was due to the presence
/ OF SUarnS or 2 minute moving
water plant-in tech aical language. a
moule aiga-nOw called Splla AreIIa pII-
Walls. but formerly known az Hsema-
siOccus pluvials, literally the blood
plant Of rain It is closely allied TO the
better known Sphaerella nivalis, the mi
| CroSCoplc plant which gives its color to
red snow This organism IS usually
. found IN small pools. where II makes its
| home. its occurrence in rain IS a rarity
and the showers Col--ed red from its
1 presence are prCbaGIy produced by The
same process 8 s the familiar showers of
frogs and FISH
In april OF the same year, so heavy A
sho Yer Of frogs occurred at ithaca, N
Z, that II gave considerable employ
ment to a Sm2a army of boys q Massa-
! chrsetts firm having lost no time in put
! ting up posters Calling for frogs. and
the latter being shipped down east by
| thousands.
Lastly, a. late IS 1906. the London
Globe printed TIE following
On the 9Th o. ArTI last z somewhat
| remarkable fog occurred IN Paris Il
/ was dry. yellow:sr fog, and was SUI
! hclently dense to interfere with navi-
cation on the Seine. To Investigate this
tog NJ Stanislas MeUnier, the well
known Partisan BeteOrOlOgist. exposed
plates covered with glycerine on the
| treated with thoU.eC LIQUID for sepa-
rating minerals. a solution OF potas-
Sium-mercuric io9ide. OF specific gray
| ity rather greater than three The
heavier particles Of the dust which sank
| IN this liquid were found TO consist OF a
| flne sand And on comparing this with
2 sample or NeSuvian ash which fell
: in 1872 NJ Meunier found them identi-
( cal, except that the Paris dust con-
| tained a number of perfectly spherical
/ globules Of oxide Of iron. which were
wanting in the other Thus IL appears
J that the fog in Paris was caused by
: the dust Of a recent eruption OF
Nesuv,us floating in the air