The philosophy of storms |
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afternoon annulus appear atmosphere Barbadoes barom barometer began blowing breeze Brunswick tornado calm caloric of elasticity Cape Hatteras cause central line centre changed round Châtenay cloud cold commenced condensation continued descend dew point direction distance earth Espy Espy's facts fall feet fell Franklin Institute Gulf stream hail half past heat heavy gale height Hollidaysburg hundred yards hurricane inches increased Island latent caloric light meteor Meteorology middle midnight miles moderate morning mountain move nearly night noon north east north west o'clock observations outwards passed phenomena Philadelphia produced Professor rain Redfield region rise says ship shower side snow south east south west specific gravity spout squalls storm strong gales surface temperature theory thermometer thunder tion tornado trees tricity upmoving upper current upward motion vapor veered velocity violent volcano vortex weather whirlwind whole wind blew wind changed wind N. E.
Popular passages
Page 506 - During these bursts, the most vivid flashes of lightning continually issued from the densest part of the volcano ; and the cloud of smoke, now ascending to an altitude much above the highest point to which the ashes were projected, rolled off in large masses of fleecy clouds, gradually expanding themselves before the wind in a direction nearly horizontal, and drawing up to them a quantity of water-spouts, which formed a most beautiful and striking addition to the general appearance of the scene.
Page 210 - But even the method he then used was entirely unfitted to give answers to the questions which meteorologists were asking. Some of those questions were stated in circulars issued by the joint committee of the American Philosophical Society and the Franklin Institute...
Page 194 - October, but it was not apprehended until next day that there would be any thing more than such a gale of wind as they experience, from time to time, in this island at that season. On the evening of the 10th, the wind rose to such a degree of violence as clearly to amount to what is called a hurricane. At 8 PM, it began to make impression on all the houses, by tearing off the roofs, and overthrowing some of the walls. As the inhabitants had never been accustomed to such a convulsion of nature, they...
Page 501 - Sunday, about one o'clock in the night, when flames of fire were seen between the hot baths and Tripergola. In a short time the fire increased to such a degree that it burst open the earth in this place, and threw up so great a quantity of ashes and pumicestones, mixed with water, as covered the whole country. The next morning...
Page 166 - Thus proving beyond a doubt, that in land-spouts the wind blows towards the centre of the spout. How is it at sea? In several great storms in the United States, of several hundred miles in diameter, which have been investigated with great care by the Joint Committee of the American Philosophical Society and the Franklin Institute...
Page 63 - ... of a true theory) what would be the phenomena, on the supposition that there is a horizontal whirlwind, say of one hundred miles in diameter, moving with a velocity of seventy-five miles an hour, or 110 feet per second. It is demonstrated in mechanics that if a body moves in a circle, with a radius of sixteen feet, and a velocity of sixteen feet per second, its centrifugal force will be equal to its gravity. And as centrifugal force is directly as the square of the velocity, and inversely as...
Page 267 - Its brilliancy and the spattering of its particles on meeting the earth, gave it the resemblance of a body of quicksilver of equal bulk.
Page xiv - The commencement of up-moving columns in the morning, will be attended with an increase of wind, and its force will increase with the increasing columns ; both keeping pace with the increasing temperature. This increase of wind is produced partly by the rush of air on all sides at the surface of the earth towards the centre of the ascending columns, producing fitful breezes; and partly by the depression of air all...
Page 236 - A most extraordinary phenomenon presented itself to windward, almost in an instant, resembling a solid black perpendicular wall, about fifteen or twenty degrees above the horizon, and disappeared almost in a moment; then in the same time made its appearance, and in five seconds was broken, and...
Page 267 - The horrible roar and yelling of the wind, the noise of the ocean — whose frightful waves threatened the town with the destruction of all that the other elements might spare — the clattering of tiles, the falling of roofs and walls, and the combination of a thousand other sounds, formed a hideous and appalling din.