Newark post., 1921-02-23
A STUDY OF MORNINGS
Some Interesting Facts Con
corning Natural
Phenomena

feel that are few loveller slghts
that a dewy, midsummer morning.
Then every ieweled leaf and flower
and blade of grass sparkles IN the
sunshine, the webs which the IN
dustrious spiders have spun over
night CLEAN like silver filagree,
and even the lazy, fuzzy cater
pillars are encased in armor which
flashes light from thousand
prismatic points. 1t is wonderful
to see, and the reason OF 1t all Is
still more wonderful to under
stand.
What we call the falling OF
the dew is really the collection, or
gathering together of the moisture
which the air holds at all times,
though in varying degrees. Tins
takes place after the sun sets,
when the surface Of the earth and
all that grows upon it begins to
cool off. The invisible particles OF
water gather first upon the things
which are fine or pointed. Hence
the pearls strung on the spider
webs, and the spangles winch
adorn the caterpillar.
The "fall" Of the dew is de-
termined by the humidity OF the
air-the amount of moisture which
it holds in suspension. If the air
is dry there is little dew. When
there is much moisture afoat, we
are treated to the sight OF a dewy
morning. That it is a common
sight does not make it any the less
beautiful.
Dew does not fall in the day
time, because then the sun IS shin
ing and it's rays keep the tiny par
ticles of moisture dancing about at
high speed. They do not have a
chance to "settle' anywhere. They
are in constant motion, like water
boiling in huge kettle. But when
the sun has set this fairy dance
slows down. The motion becomes
less and less until the atoms come
to rest on leaves and grass and all
the countryside is wet with dew.
A foggy morning is just the re-
verse Of a dewy one so far as
beauty is concerned, but the reason
of it is much the same and just as
interesting. Perhaps it is a bit
more curious. When the morning
is gray with fog, the air is heavily
laden with moisture, and each tiny
drop has chosen for its steed par
ticle Of dust which also is always
in the air. On bright days we can
see it dancing about in the sun
beams, but when there is no sun
shine the tiny riders hide it in
their flowing robes Of gray.
A noted scientist has made ex-
periments which show that fog
may be scattered by electric waves,
and in passing let us notice the
reason of another natural wonder
which we call cheat lightning. y
In this, also, dust particles play an
important part. When the air Is
dry and the electric current very
powerful, the dust particles be
come so hot that they glow with &
white heat. This is the cause OF
the lightning fash which we see il
the sky. We never see the electric
flash. The "visible' lightning i!
really a series Of dust particle
heated white-hot as the curren
passes through them.
Let us glance at another beauti
full morning. frosty one thi
time. Instead Of the emerald brill
ance of "a dewy dawn in midsum
mer, we see landscape yelled IL
lace finer and more delicate THAI
can be wrought by human hands
AS the sun touches it, it fiashe
with all the rainbow colors of tn
diamond. Yet the "falling' o
the dew and frost are just tn
same-with the element Of coli
added to the latter.
If the weather turns cold in tn
night and the temperature drop
below the freezing point while tn
tiny drops Of water are settling
down after their midday dance
they turn into crystals of wonder
ful beauty and variety of form
Then the bare trees and withere,
grasses which crept into the tri
light, gray and unlovely awake t
find themselves robed for the sun
rise in garments of splcndOr. n
wonder the poets speak of the hoa
frost as "the treasure of tn
SHOWS"
And so all through the year tn
mornings come and go, each wit
its own charm. They are beautifr
4n oil b1,f 10 +ba wind ,,yl, oh coI