Distant Thunder Research Articles

Letters to Editor

“A METEOR SHOWER AT NORTHWICH.—At Northwich on Monday night, February 3, about ten o'clock, a very brilliant meteor was observed in the sky passing from east to west. The meteor displayed an intense white light in its course, and emitted sparks which appeared of various hues. It was visible about six or eight seconds, and from one to two minutes after the passage of the meteor a loud rumbling report like distant thunder was heard. The night was very clear, and starlight at the time.”

Letters to the Editor

YESTERDAY this neighbourhood was visited by a most terrific thunderstorm, such as I have never before seen in England. Indeed, it is stated that the last storm of similar severity occurred exactly 33 years ago to a day—rather a singular coincidence. The storm commenced here about half-past one, though distant thunder was audible at one o'clock. It was accompanied by violent wind, rain, and hail, and lasted about an hour, during which o 66 in. of rain fell. The wind was S. E. at the time, but the storm came from the W. The hailstones are described as being, many of them, larger than marbles, and did a good deal of damage to glass. Several fatal accidents have occurred from the lightning, which for some time was almost incessant. I examined its spectrum with a miniature spectroscope, and succeeded in observing four or five lines. Their approximate positions, which I give below, are very roughly determined, and especially so toward the red end. They were obtained by comparison with the Fraunhofer lines, and with the carbon spectrum of a Bunsen burner. The former were mostly very faint from the darkness, but the atmospheric absorption bands near D were very marked. I am strongly of opinion that the spectrum is that ordinarily given by a spark in air, but was unable to make direct comparison. I have since examined a feeble spark by the same spectroscope, and the general appearance is very similar. I also tried observation of the long zig-zag flashes with a simple prism, but without much success, though I was able to see the spectrum.

Fearful Earthquake in China

THE American Minister in China, General Lowe, has just forwarded to the Secretary of State at Washington the following account of the fearful earthquake which occurred in the Bathang, in the province of Szchuen, on the 11th of April, which he has had translated from the report of the Chinese Governor General of the province in which it occurred:—“Bathang lies on a very elevated spot beyond the province about 200 miles west of Li-Tang, and about thirty post stations from the district town of Ta-tsien, on the high road to Thibet. About eleven o'clock on the morning of the 11th of April, the earth at Bathang trembled so violently that the government offices, temples, granaries, stone houses, storehouses, and fortifications, with all the common dwellings and the temple of Ting-lin, were at once overthrown and ruined; the only exception was the hall in the temple grounds, called Ta-Chao, which stood unharmed in its isolation. A few of the troops and people escaped, but most of the inmates were crushed and killed under the falling timber and stone. Flames also suddenly burst out in four places, which strong winds drove about until the heavens were darkened with the smoke, and their roaring was mingled with the lamentations of the distressed people. On the 16th the flames were beaten down, but the rumbling noises were still heard under ground like distant thunder, as the earth rocked and rolled like a ship in a storm. The multiplied miseries of the afflicted inhabitants were increased by a thousand fears, but in about ten days matters began to grow quiet, and the motion of the earth to cease. The grain collector at Bathang says that for several days before the earthquake the water had overflowed the dykes, but after that the earth cracked in many places, and black, foetid water spurted out in a furious manner. If one poked the earth the spurting instantly followed, just as is the case with the salt wells and fire wells in the eastern part of the province; and this explains how it happened that fire followed the earthquake in Bathang. As nearly as can be ascertained there were destroyed two large temples, the offices of the collector of grain tax, the local magistrates' offices, the Ting-lin temple, and nearly yoo fathoms of wall around it, and 351 rooms in all inside; six smaller temples, numbering 221 rooms, besides 1849 rooms and houses of the common people. The number of people killed by the crash, including the soldiers, was 2,298, among whom were the local magistrate and his second in office. The earthquake extended from Bathang eastward to Pang-Chahemuth, westward to Nan-Tun, on the south to Lintsah-shih, and on the north to the salt wells to Atimtoz, a circuit of over 400 miles. It occurred simultaneously over the whole of this region. In some places steep hills split and sunk into deep chasms, in others mounds on level plains became precipitous cliffs, and the roads and highways were rendered impassable by obstructions. The people were beggared and scattered like autumn leaves, and this calamity to the people of Bathang and the vicinity was really one of the most distressing and destructive that has ever occurred in China.”

A few remarks on the helm wind

On the western declivity of a range of mountains, extending from Brampton, in Cumberland, to Brough, in Westmoreland, a distance of 40 miles, a remarkably violent wind occasionally prevails, blowing with tremendous violence down the western slope of the mountain, extending two or three miles over the plain at the base, often overturning horses with carriages, and producing much damage, especially during the period when ripe corn is standing. It is accompanied by a loud noise, like the roaring of distant thunder: and is carefully avoided by travellers in that district, as being fraught with considerable danger. It is termed the helm wind ; and its presence is indicated by a belt of clouds, denominated the helm bar , which rests in front of the mountain, three or four miles west of its summit, and apparently at an equal elevation, remaining immoveable during twenty-four or even thirty-six hours, and collecting or attracting to itself all the light clouds which approach it. As long as this bar continues unbroken, the wind blows with unceasing fury, not in gusts, like other storms, but with continued pressure. This wind extends only as far as the spot where the bar is vertical, or immediately over head; while at the distance of a mile farther west, as well as to the east of the summit of the mountain, it is not unfrequently almost a perfect calm. The author details the particulars of an expedition which he made with a view to investigate the circumstances of this remarkable meteorological phenomenon, and proposes a theory for its explanation.