Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-07
SUMMERTIME
BY d. C. PEATTIE
Thunderstorms.

OF burning Summer day the great
Spanish galleon or dream-castle clouds
pile up in the West: they appear ia
grow before the very eyes, and per-
haps, indeed, they do. Scientists call
them cumulus clouds, which merely
means. take it, clouds that accumu-
late swiftly. 1t appears impossible that
anything so fantastic and topping
could stand up, and it would be i'm
possible except for the fact that every
such cloud is upheld by an uprushing
current of air from the overheated Law.
ers Of atmosphere near the ground.
That explains why cumulus or dream.
castle clouds are never seen in Winter,
or at any time except when warm
Westher prevails over wide stretches.
When the wind drops, at shutdown.
you may see the galleons crumbling
and sinking on the Western horizon,
Without wind to uphold them, as
bouyancy in water holds up an armada,
the clouds must necessarily collapse
and all their moisture be absorbed in
the warm strata of air But if the
clouds with their heavy freight of water
are blown up to strata where the air
Is cold and the saturation point is low,
then the moisture must condense as a
shower. and down 1t comes tumbling,
washing the air of dust and, really.
drying the air, since the water vapor
that gives us the CLOSE, oppressive
feeling" just before a storm is largely
swept out of the atmosphere by the
rain drops: We say, How fresh the
alr!' But it is not new air, merely air
that has been dried and stirred.
Let the clouds hover half way too
long, collecting moisture as they grow
their saturation point ever rising as a
result OF rising temperature, and their
moisture content in consequence in
creasing terrifically, and it is certain
that something will eventually explode.
Every drop Of water is electrically
charged; the surface of the earth is
also electrically magnetic; there is a
squirt OF fire, leaping from one water
crop TO another, collecting or sweeping
up all the surcharged electricity into
one long tongue OF electric fire which.
unoer impetus and magnetic pull. must
leap TO earth-and the lightning bolt
falls
There Is nothing so splendid and
terrible as the simple phenomenon Of
lightning. Poetic and courageous souls
love to rush out in an electric storm
to let the wind whip them, the ram
beat on them, the heavens spit death
around them. AT the opposite extreme
is a large class OF peop4a with a ctuala
hysterla regarding ligntning-a tear of
II that passes their intelligent control
others, who are not afraid desplsa a
strong man for trembling in an C.cc,r.c
storm. But If the brave" souls were
as scared as the lightning -pnobes. they
would be in faint under The table.
People who feel no fear should not
consider themselves brave for absence
OF fear means blunt nerves and igno-
rance. Bravery is the will to hold
your ground wnen you're scared white.
l have seen a man with hysterical fear
OF lightning do just that
Ihese are, par excellence, the thun-
derStorm weeks of the year Weather
maps show that the southeastern track
OF the Summer cyclonic lows" is the
thunderstorm quarter of the country,
and we are in it. Sooner or later at
this season you are going to meet some
of the folk with a weakness such as I
have described, and hope NOBODY viii
laugh at them. One was cured by the
World War. while many children sim
ply outgrow it,
1t is some comfort to such unfortu-
mates to realize that if you see the
flash you are safe. for a bolt destined
TO hit you would strike you before you
Gould realize it, as it travels with the
speed OF light. of radio waves.
Whether you're rabidly afraid or
not. don't stand in drafts or open
doors. Avoid barns, for, if struck
while full of hay, they may burst into
flames all in an instant Avoid seek
ing shelter under a tree. Remember
that lightning usually does strike twice
in the same place A spot with cleo
tromagnetic attraction is going to be
struck over and over Telephones in
cities where the wires are all buried
are little dangerous; in the country
they are quite unsafe.
Cutting out the house electric cur
rent at the main switch is. so my
meter reader tells me. positively dan
gerous. People behind closed doors
and windows are on the whole per-
fectly safe. or at least so safe that get
ting under a feather bed is a childish
rorera1ltiOD