3, 15p.m 66 29-42 gale S. W. Blue sky, with a positive Strong steady divergence until variety of cirrus brisk W. Cumulo floccossus neutral obscuring the sun. one P. M. 2 p.m. 65 29 42 increasing Clouds divide, and positive Frequent moderate divergence night large flocculent masses arrive in until approach of sunset. neutral Rising barometer. Fine driving rain. breeze, Manifold fleecy cu- positive Moderate divergence, increased 12,45p.m 3, 40 p.m p.m. night 10 morning. slight, none with haze. invisible. Fine rain. Cloud and thick neutral haze. when solar rays penetrate the clouds. Increased dirvergence. Divergence ceases, having declined since sunset. Haze dispersing.-positive Immediate divergence, continu- ing only a few seconds. Nimbus cloud and positive Free discharge of sparks. hasty shower. Clear blue sky. positive Free divergence until sunset. Serene clear sky, neutral Annual "meteoric shower," observed from eleven until one. 8, 40 a.m An immense nimbus negative S. W. p.m. 64 29-04 breeze, S. W. stormy, S. W. gale, S. W. abated Tremendous torrent of sparks, effecting rapid decomposition of fluids. positive Occasional divergence. variable Frequent powerful currents. Driving distended neutral sheet of cloud. Blue sky and fleecy positive Slight divergence. cirri. Gentle showers. neutral Obstinate diarrhoea is somewhat prevalent. Blue sky, with oc- positive Strong divergence. casional cirrus clouds. Modifications of cu- positive Free divergence almost unimulus, with cirri in a higher region. formly. Light nimbus clouds negative Moderate divergence. without rain. Several showers. Various neutral modifica- positive Occasional moderate divertions, with cirri in gence. a higher region. from S.W 15 morning. S.W. very fine rain. breeze, Several showers of neutral breeze, W. by N. Various modifica- positive Moderate divergence generally. tions, with feathery cirri in a higher re decreased Hazy upward. breeze, variable. zephyrs, Clear blue sky. gence. neutral positive Trivial divergence at times, when sunbeams momentarily penetrate. positive Steady moderate divergence. Blue sky without a positive Steady moderate divergence light 4 p.m. S.W. cloud. Transparent from sunrise to sunset. blue positive Continuous current of minute sparks from sunrise to sunset; moderate divergence continued until wind ceased about 9 P.M. Clouds with inter- positive mediate haze, pe netrated by sun's rays, at times. Moderate divergence when sun's rays penetrate. Nimbus clouds, with negative Currents of minute sparks. from S.W. to W.N.W. breeze, Picturesque skies neutral from cirro-cumu lus and distant cumulo-stratus. Blue sky, with positive Free divergence, with short fleecy and rocky intervals of suspension. cumulus at times. 25 breeze, N.E. by E. fibrose cirro. 2,35 p.m 63 29-66 very light Occasional fine rain. neutral S.W. faint zephyrs from S.W Manifold cumulo positive Slight occasional divergence. floccossus in a blue sky. Blue sky with cu- neutral General sensation of sultry mulo floccossus oppressive heat, extreme lassitude, head-ache and slight nausea. No trace of free electricity can be detected. positive Trivial degree of divergence until 6 P.M. with positive Continuous free electric cur vacillating A limited thin veil positive A remarkably strong and well between of cirrus, passing N.N.E. rent; pendulums strike frequently. defined solar halo lasting 18 minutes. Free divergence until approach of sunset. S. by W. The continuation of electroscopic divergence until a late hour after sunset, on the evening of the 7th, with a transparent blue sky, and the wind at S.W., is an unusual circumstance, and might possibly have some relation to the neutral state of the atmosphere which prevailed during the next thirty-nine hours, and to the phenomena immediately succeeding on the afternoon of the 9th. The commencement, as I presume, of the annual August "meteoric shower," about eleven o'clock on the night of the 9th, was seen here, by myself and a friend, to great advantage. The first observed flight of these brilliant bodies (some twenty in number) occurred at an altitude nearly midway between the horizon and the constellation Ursa Minor, apparently leaving luminous trains parallel to each other, and to the horizontal plane, for the space of a second or two; the latter appearance might probably be merely a delusive effect, produced by a sudden impression upon the retina. Within the space of thirteen minutes, subsequent to the first flight, seventeen other meteors were distinctly counted by myself, in addition to four seen by my companion in a southerly direction. The meteoric bodies observed to the northward seemed, as it were, to start suddenly out from the sky, by one, two, and three identically, passing, like the first shower, from E. N. E. to W. S. W. parallel to the plane of the horizon. A transparent blue sky had predominated from an early hour in the evening. The moon, just entering her last quarter, was rising at the moment these beautiful phenomena first became apparent; yet, between the hours of eleven and one, certainly more than one hundred meteors might have been successively enumerated, proceeding from a common centre, constituting a space in the heavens extending over about thirty degrees of a circle to the right hand, and considerably below Ursa Minor. As the moon gained in altitude, the reappearance of these splendid bodies became proportionately lessened; only those of the greatest magnitude probably escaping the influence of her increasing light. I had hoped to renew my observations on the meteoric shower during the night of the 10th; but we experienced here a densely clouded atmosphere, with a storm from the southwest, accompanied by drenching rains and powerful electric currents. I think it will be sufficiently obvious, on reference to the preceding register, that the thunder-storm on the afternoon of the 31st, although it occurred about eight miles to the N.N.W., must have exercised an influence over the vicinal atmosphere of our exploring wire, thereby inducing a neutral condition in its immediate locality, at the identical time the distant storm was raging. The general state of the atmosphere, during the month of August, would appear to have exercised a highly salubrious influence over the animal system; whence has resulted a freedom from disease beyond the average standard, not only in this district, but throughout the eastern parts of England. The only remarkable departure from the above condition in my immediate vicinity was incident to about ten days after the 14th instant, when I noticed the frequent occurrence of somewhat obstinate aphthous affections, with swelling of the parotid and submaxillary glands in young persons, especially in females. Sandwich, Sept. 1841. Electrical Phenomena, in a Letter from JAMES MARSH, ESQ., to WILLIAM STURGEON, ESQ., Royal Victoria Gallery, Manchester. Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, Dec. 28th, 1841. My Dear Sir,-If you think the following worthy of a place in your excellent Annals of Electricity, &c. &c. &c., you will greatly oblige me by giving it a corner. I am, my dear Sir, yours truly, Some years since I happened to be in the shop of Mr. John Fry, grocer, &c., in High-street, Woolwich, and while there I had my attention drawn by his shopman to what appeared to him a very extraordinary phenomenon. He was engaged grinding of newly roasted coffee, and had observed, on former occasions, that when the receiving tin can, placed under the spout of the iron coffee mill, was at a short distance (say of an inch, or less in some cases) from the edge of the spout, a stream of electrical sparks were observed to fly from the edge of the iron spout of the mill to the edge of the receiving tin, which was placed on a block of wood close to the wood-post to which the coffee mill was attached. I made several experiments with an electrometer, dry tin cans, &c. &c., and under all circumstances was enabled to obtain a large quantity of sparks, but more in particular when the atmosphere was in a dry state, and everything about the mill dried and dusted. We know that in the case of chocolate and many other substances, in cooling, and others by being heated, such as the electrical tourmaline, the calamine, &c., that signs of electricity are perfectly evident by their attracting light bodies towards them; but I do not recollect ever having seen the developement of strong sparks in succession, by the means herein described. If any of your correspondents have observed a similar phenomenon, or if it has fallen within the range of your extensive acquaintance with the developement of this extraordinary agent, under the circumstances before stated, you will greatly oblige me by mentioning it in the next number of the Annals, or at your first leisure. Some friends of mine have been amusing themselves by firing at penny pieces thrown up into the air at a few yards from the muzzle of the gun in some cases rifle shot was used, but in other cases mostly small bird shot was employed. I send you a specimen of the effect of each, as I think the coins perforated by the bird shot |