120 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



THEORY OF THE SUN'S LIGHT AND HEAT. 



Messrs. Editors. 



IN the June number of "The Popular 

 Science Monthly," a new theory of the 

 origin of the light and heat of the sun is 

 attributed to Dr. II. R. Rogers, of Dunkirk, 

 New York. An able and succinct statement 

 of the theory was given by Dr. Rogers, in a 

 paper read before the American Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, in Cincin- 

 nati, August, 1881. But many persons had 

 already become acquainted with this electric 

 theory, through a work in which it is fully 

 and clearly stated, entitled " Light, Heat, 

 and Gravitation," published in 1879, two 

 years before the reading of Dr. Rogers's 

 paper. This work was written by lion. 

 Zachariah Allen, a well-known scientist and 

 distinguished citizen of Providence, Rhode 

 Island. Mr. Allen's new cosmical theory was 

 the result of a long period of devoted study 

 and experiment, but, though known to inti- 

 mate friends, it was not given to the world 

 till about three years ago. II. P. II. 



Peovidence, E. I., June 23, 1882. 



ORIGIN OF STORMS. 



Messrs. Editors. 



While out on the prairies of Dakota 

 this summer I have observed certain pecul- 

 iar storms which may throw some light on 

 the origin of storms. The birth of a storm, 

 as a writer in "The Popular Science Month- 

 ly " some time since declared, is a matter 

 upon which we have as yet no accepted the- 

 ory. 



About a month since I observed late in 

 the afternoon a thunder-storm moving north- 

 east, the rain of which barely touched the 

 part of the country where I was. As this 

 edge of the storm was passing over, there 

 came an undercurrent of scudding clouds 

 from the northeast. These two currents 

 coming in conflict, there formed over and 

 near us rings and funnels. A large ring of 

 clouds would rotate for some minutes, send 

 down a funnel, perhaps, and then disappear, 

 forming a cigar-shaped cloud. One large 

 ring, no doubt more than a half a mile in 

 diameter, had the appearance of an invert- 

 ed crown, jagged clouds extending from it 

 earthward ; and another looked like a tur- 

 bine water-wheel. Through the whirlwinds 

 darted vivid lightning, followed by pecul- 

 iarly loud and ominous thunder. The light- 

 ning seem confined to the clouds. In about 



twenty minutes the whirlwind passed over, 

 and the heavy thunder-storm traveled rapid- 

 ly to the northeast. 



About a week since I saw almost similar 

 phenomena. A storm, apparently quite 

 light, was coming from the northwest, and 

 a light breeze was blowing from the op- 

 posite quarter. Scud soon came from the 

 southeast, and, the winds coming in con- 

 flict, whirlwinds appeared, resulting in cigar- 

 shaped clouds that rolled off to the southeast. 

 The rain was very heavy, but there was lit- 

 tle thunder or lightning. 



While on the south coast of Lake Su- 

 perior two summers ago, I saw a storm gather 

 which presented similar features. Like the 

 two preceding cases it occurred late in the 

 afternoon of a rather warm day. There 

 formed a great ring of heavy cumuli which 

 extended around the whole heavens 20 or 

 30 from the horizon, and after rotating for 

 some minutes the cumuli were heaped to- 

 gether in the south quarter of the sky, and 

 the thunder-storm passed south. 



From these instances I infer that some 

 storms have their origin in conflicting cur- 

 rents of air. Clouds form because of the 

 difference of temperature, and first assume 

 the form of rotating rings, sometimes with 

 funnels attached. These rings part, and 

 form themselves into rolling, cigar-shaped 

 clouds, which ultimately become ordinary 

 nimbi. Very truly, II. Stanley. 



FOEESTBUEG, DAKOTA, AuQUSt 5, 1882. 



CENTRAL AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL 



NAMES. 

 Messrs. Editors. 



I do not know whether it has ever be- 

 fore been noticed, but, if not, I should like 

 to call the attention of scholars interested 

 in the subject to the noticeable repetition, 

 in Central American geographical names, of 

 one of the principal (the accented) syllables 

 in the word " Atlantic," if we may divide it 

 thus: A-tlan-tic. 



Some of these Central American names 

 are Minatitlan, Hidalgo-titlan, Abasolotit- 

 lan, Morelotitlan, Barragantitlan, Allende- 

 titlan. There are, doubtless, a great many 

 more. 



Without some proof to the contrary, 

 this coincidence would seem to add a little 

 weight to the belief that Central America 

 was the fabled (?) A-tlan-tis. 



Yours respectfully, Berry Benson. 

 Augusta, Geoegia, August 29, 18S2. 



