The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-13
Strange Things From
the Air.
By GARRETT P. SERVISS.

CORRESPONDENT in Massachusetts
writes that after heavy storm recent
ly he saw the pavemeDts OF Town
sprinkled with many small earthworms,
apparently lifeess and looking as II
they had been drowned. and, since IL
was seemingly impossible that they
could have crawIed there in such num-
bers. he wishes to know if science can
throw any light on their probable ORR
gin
The phenomenon 20 which he calls at
tcntion has long been known, in various
forms, and has sometimes been the
cause of panic fears among ignorant
..blood- rains ~ belong to the same cate
cory.
Most OF these occurrences are be-
leved to be due to the carrying up
into the atmosphere, by whirling winds.
of quantities of dust, the colored pollen
OF flowers. and even small animals,
which are transported to considerable
distance and then brought down to the
ground during a ranstorm.
The power of an atmospheric whrl
TO lift light objects to a great eleva-
wind passing over swamp or pond may
suck up considerable quantities OF
water. and with it small fish, frogs and
WORMS. These are retained In the air
bv the rapidity Of their motion, and
NAV be transported mile, or even
many miles, before they descend again
to the ground. If they are caught IN
a shower of rain they are assembled to-
gether in multitudes as they fail.
f<r n
strange rains of this kind are Oh re
ord. Many years ago shower of
small green stones fell during violent
storm in the streets of Birmingham,
England causing much CONSERVATION
among the inhabitants. Investigation
by Il eeologist showed that they had
been torn by the wind from ragged
range of green stone rock near the vii
lage OF Rowley, in Staffordshile, sew
cral miles north of Birmingham
Such phenomena are more common IN
southern Europe than elsewhere, and It
has been proved that the Desert of Sa
hare- is usually their source. Colored
sand and dust are raised to a great
height i'll the atmosphere by the whirl-
ing winds. and then transported across
The Mediterranean sea until in passing
over Europe they arc caught in descend
ing rains. TO which they impart the
color ofblood or Of sulphur, often stain
ing any substance with which they come
in contact
On March II. 1913. "bloody
cloud = which probably originated in
the Sahara. passed over Salabria and
extended nortbward into the kingdom
Of Naples. spreading terror everywhere
and col0r;ny he whole sky as red as
ire Thunderstorms broke out and
the rain that fell from the cloud had
cyactlr the appearance of blood.
iu 1S47 blood-rOlored rain fell at
thambcry, at the foot of the Alps,
w1rf1c near The summit of the noun
trims, around the st. Bernard pass,
there fell several inches Of fbloody
snow.
In the old days of superstition these
occurrences were ascribed 10 diabolic
Influences. and there was no one wise
enough ia the doinas OF nature to Of
fer II reasonable explanation of them.
Often ii happens that insects, and
sometimes heavier animals, as well as
the seeds Of plants, arc transported
long distances by the wind and depos-
tied alive upou the ground. DR.. r. l..
phipson, who devoted many years TO
investigation Of atmospheric vagaries.
believed that the sudden appearance of
strange plants and insects in localities
where they are usually unknown is due
10 this cause.
He himself observed several in
stances OF the kind. On one occasion
n rare plant, called the "bloody fin
gcr grass. ~ suddenly began to grow
in his garden. hut it disappeared after
Z single season. His explanation was
that its. seeds had been brought
through the atmosphere and that the
plants, after flourishing q single sum
mer, perished for lack of proper nour-
ishment in the soil.
On another occasion his garden, near
London. was suddenly animated with
the presence Of species Of wasp,
which is never found in England. but
sbounds in France These insects also
disappeared after a single season.
The fact is that the atmosphere is
wonderful transporting agent, ex-
tremely tickle in its action, filled with
unseen currents, and vet containing
many mysteries, such as the barome-
tric holes" into which aeroplanes
sometimes plunge. that remain to be
saticfacforily eYnIaiued