Year: 1872

For more than a week we have had UNUSUAL
indications of some very marked perturbation
in the aerial ocean On the morning of the I'd
inst. the meteorological reports mention the
appearance on the Upper Lakes Of one Of those
immense waves of cold air and high barometer
which descend from the higher latitudes south
eastward1y and roll onward to the great tropi-
col sea This phenomenon is most remarkable
and suggestive. The season has SO far adj
vanced that the sun has lost its power in the
high north, and every day the refrigeration OF
the air over the circumpolar regions rapidly
increases. The movement Of large masses OF
this refrigerated atmosphere southwark and
their injection or irruption into the warm and
humid air Of the superheated equatorial seas Is
doubtless the signal for most serious cyclonic
disturbances in the latter, and also for the OPEN
ing of the grand battle Of the Equinox. In the
opinion of an eminent meteorologist of this
country the sudden commixture OF the hot and
cold currents in the West Indies is the cause OF
the formation of the low barometer which warns
the seaman and premonishes the hurricane in,
the neighborhood of the Windward Islands.
It Is highly probable that these large aerial
waves, which often pursue each other in rapid
succession, are due to the reversal of the set
of the atmosphere in the normal struggle OF
the cold and heavy current to find its WY
home to the southwark and of the light and
warm current to push itself northward. Such
movement is clearly traced in the aqueous
ocean, where the Gulf Stream and the ice
stream of the Atlantic move in contrary direc-
'tions, as two vast rivers-one on the surface,
the other over the marine floor and IN the deep:
sea bed.


The interesting reports Of the English mete+
orolopists at Natal, on the southeastern coast
of Africa, reveal the not unmeaning fact that
the violent hot wind from the northwest,
which occasionally prevails in this colony, Is
clearly and causally connected with the
| furious Winter gales Of the South Atlantic.
that so frequently ravage the Cape OF
Good Hope. Analogy would suggest that,
,n,dat;s rnutaudis, the phenomAnon Of our
cold waves of atmosphere On the northern
side of the Equator, is indirectly concerned


in the generation of eqyinoctial cyclones and


NAV be regarded as premonitions of extensive


and violent tempests. The opening of the


hurricane season seems to have been deferred


this year in the West Indies, but it will not be


surprising if th6 telegraph brings us early


intelligence of disastrous gales on the South.


ern and Gulf coasts When they fairly set in


for the Fall we may also look for similar storm 4


on our entire Atlantic seq front, and 'ou


shipping guardians and life-saving autho fitie


should now be sleepless id their vigilan &c ant


thoroughly equipped for every emergency tina


may arise


1t is.a noteworthy fact that the two cyclone


of last Summer, which occurred August Il
and 26 were preceded by just such atmos


pheric waves of high range in the baromete
a1d low range in the thermometer
| those we now record. 1t is greatly to
:, hoped that, at the earliest moment deep SO
3 telegraphy rendors it possible, we may hav
4 cooperative sytem of storm. signals cnnec
4 inc with the island of Barbados-the outpss
3, of West Indian meteorology and the mos
o favored point for watching the approach I
"a storms. When this is realized, in the tn
J. perative interests Of commerce and citiliz
d ton, the forcwarning Of hll endangered ~
10 will be matter of p5solute certainty.