The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-11-19
WEATHER FRANKS.
Oddities Of Atmosphere, Clouds,
Fogs and Lightning.
THIRSTY WINDS OF THE ALPS,
They Drink Up All Moisture So Quick
" That Everything Becomes as Dry
as Tinder-Andes Lightning and tho
Fire Ship of the Bay of ChaIeur.


Fire Ship Of the Bay Of chaIeur.
Cloud caps form on mountain tops
when a current of moist air ascends
the slope of the mountain, for the air
cools as it rises and the moisture in it
cOndenses.
On the fiat top of Table mountain,
near Cape Town. a strong southeast
wind produces a horizontal sheet of
cloud known as the ''tablecloth." This
cloud often appears to pour over the
steep leeward side of the mountain
like mighty cataract. The "spread-
ing Of the tablecloth" is a sign of bad
weather. At little distance from the
mountain a second cloud often FORMS
A similar pair of clouds often seen
near Cross fell, in England, are known
as the helm and bar" The helm, or
helmet, forms over the mountain when
a violent wind known as the helm
wind" is blowing The bar appears a
mile or two to leeward.
At Callao, on the coast of Peru, sail
ors often encounter foul smelling
fog that deposits a brown Shiny coat
ing on white paint and metal and hence
lis called the "painter."
Another remarkable fog on the Peru
Wan coast is known as the 'sgarua."
1t occurs in region where rain is
unknown and supplies sufficient mois-
ture to support vegetation.
Red fogs frequently occur off the
northwest coast of Africa, between
the Canaries and the Cape Verde is
lands. They are sometimes so dense
as to make navigation difficult. The
color is owing to dust that the trade
wind brings from the Sahara desert.
Certain valleys in the Alps are Of
ten visited by a very warm and dry
wind known as the "fohn." The effects
of this wind are particularly striking
in winter. The snow melts and evap-
crates as if by magic; woodwork be-
comes as dry as finder, and great pre-
cautions are necessary to prevent the
occurrence of the disastrous fires
known as "fohn fires that often de-
stroy whole towns and villages. No
cooking is permitted while the fohn
is blowing, and not even a pipe or
cigarette may be lighted. Many per-
sons suffer with ''fohn Sickness when
ever this wind prevails. The chinook
of the western United States is similar
in character and origin to the fohn.
Over the waters of the bay of Cha
leur, in Canada, mysterious phenom
enon known as the "fire ship" is some
times seen by night. It is roughly
hemispherical mass of luminosity. with
its flat side to the water. but some
times it rises in slender moving col
umns that resemble the flaming rig
ging of a ship. 1t is supposed to fore
tell storm. No satisfactory explana-
ton Of this phenomenon has ever been
given.
"Andes lightning" is the name given
to very striking luminous discharge
Of electricity seen over the crest of the
Andes, in Chile, in a region where or
binary thunderstorms are almost IN
known. The mountains appear to act
as gigantic lightning rods. between
which and the clouds silent discharges
take place on a vast scale A contin-
uous glow is seen about the SUBMITS,
with occasional outbursts like the
beams of a great searchlight. These
displays have been seen by vessels
300 miles from the coast.
Among the snow clad Alps a curl
| GUS and beautiful phenomenon is some
times observed at the close of the day.
The rosy illumination of the mountain
SUBMITS passes away, from below up
ward, as the sun sinks below the op-
posite horizon, and for a few minutes
the peaks. with their rocks and SHOWS,
have livid appearance; then gradual
ly they are lighted up with a second
rosy glow, and this may last for as
much as an hour after sunset. This
is called the ''recoloration of the Alps"
or, in the case Of the giant of the
group, the resurrection of Mont
Blanc" The whole series of phenome-
ma IS called the "alpenglow."-Youth
Companion.