Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-03-29

WV
fect becomes more marked as the parti-
cleS coalesce. Hence, when The atmos-
phere is heavily charged with dust parti-
cles that have become water laden we
see the sun as fiery red ball.
Next TO the color OF the sun, the ap-
pearance OF the sky is the favorite me-
dium in the hands Of prophets TO foretell
the coming weather. From an old poet
we have:
A red morn that ever yet oetokened
Wreck TO the seaman, tempest to the held,
Sorrow TO the shepherds, woe unto The
birds,
Gusts and foul flaws TO herdSmen and to
herds.
There are other and more easily re-
membered lines that express the same
thought; such, for example, as:
Sky red in the morning
Is sailors sure warning
Sky red at night
Is sailors delight.
In many ways the most interesting OF
the proverbs that deal with the connection
between the weather and the color OF the
sky is the one that, according 10 Matthew,
Christ used to answer the Pharisees when
they asked that He show them a sign from
heaven:
He answered and said unto them, When
il is evening, ye say, II will be falr wealth
er; for the sky is red. And in the morn
ing, II will be foul weather today for
the sky is red and lowering.
The cause OF the fair weather that fol-
lows red sunset and OF the foul that
comes after red sunrise is well known 10
scientific meteorologists and, because it
is as nearly intallible as any general fore
cast can be, the proverbs OF this nature
have been officially approved by the
Weather Bureau.
Shakespeare, who appears ohave been
good weather prophet, gives US another
sign by which TO interpret different kind
Of sunset:
The weary sun hath made a golden set,
And by the bright track OF his fiery car
Gives signal OF goodly day tomorrow.
This is the expression OF the scientific
truth that an absence OF moisture in the
air brings into prominence the yellow
(shorter- -wave-lengthl colors and there
fore presages dry weather.
II, however, the sky be neither red nor
yellow, but is overcast with a uniform
gray, we know that innumerable tiny
water globules are present. condition
that favors rain and justifies the proverb:
II the sun is set in gray,
The next will be rainy day.
Many proverbs foretelling rain and bad
weather are based on the appearance OF
solar or lunar haIos and coronas, and as
these form only when there is much mois-
ture in the air, the proverbs OF this class
are well founded. Typical OF such say
ings is that OF the Zuni Indians, which
predicts, "When the sun is in his house,
if will rain soon."
Others refer to the apparent diameter
OF the circle in connection with the prox-
unity ofthe bad weather. Thus we have.
"The bigger the ring The nearer the wet"
"When the wheel is far, the storm is n ar
when the wheel is mar, the storm is
far"
Many persons have supposed, and
some still maintain, that the moon con-
trolls the weather, and there are numerous
proverbs based on this assumed relation.
That belief IS no doubt due TO the fact
that the appearance OF the moon depends
upon the conditions of the atmosphere
and, therefore, proverbs based upon
phenomena of this nature are more or less
sound and Of much value when applied
10 local conditions.
Thus "Clear moon. frost soon" and
Moonlight nights have the heaviest
frosts" are true because on the clearest
nights the cooling Of the earth's surface
by radiation is greatest and most likely
to cause precipitation in the form OF dew
or frost.
"Sharp horns Co threaten windy wealth
er" is another interesting provero based
on the fact that when Tie ar is clear sight
is interfered with by atmospheric inc
qualities that wind will eliminate. There
fore, when the moons horns appear
sharp, we know that these inequalities
do not exist, and The. natural Inference is
that they have been smoothed out by
strong winds. which will later reach The
surface OF The earth.
] Like the sun and the moon, the stars