THE LITERARY 



OF THE LINNjEAN ASSOCIATION OP PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE. 



Vol. if. AUGUST, 1846. No. 10. 



PHILOSOPHY OP STORMS. 



BY PROF. WASHINGTON L. ATLEE, M. D. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



Dear Sir : In the Summer of 1839, Professor Espy visited Lancaster, Pa., 

 by invitation, for the purpose of explaining to a class his views upon the laws of 

 storms. Great interest was excited in the subject by the lecturer among the few 

 who formed his audience. Those who had previously been acquainted with the 

 principles upon which his theory was based, easily comprehended the truthfulness 

 and beauty of their application to these meteorological phenomena. While others, 

 more ignorant of science — yet presumed by the lecturer to be well-informed — 

 could not clearly understand the details of his theory. The condition of the latter, 

 however, was far better than that of the out-door community, who had been led 

 by many of the newspapers to look upon the "Storm King" with little else than 

 ridicule. 



Under these circumstances a few of Mr. Espy's friends requested me to draw 

 up a popular account of his theory for one of our papers, which, with his approba- 

 tion, I consented to do: and having taken notes of the leading points of his lec- 

 tures, I made these the ground-work of the several communications which follow. 

 Two years after their publication JVIr. E?py issued his work on the Philosophy of 

 Storms. Whatever errors, therefore, may have been promulgated, in the first edi- 

 tion of these essays, can now be corrected by my referring to Prof. Espy's book 

 while issuing this second edition. 



If, therefore, the character of the subject be consistent with the object of your 

 Journal, and the style of the communications be not too familiar for the taste of 

 its readers, I will revise them for your pages.* In order to avoid explanations 

 hereafter, I would premise that they were originally written and published in Lan- 

 caster, and that I shall, for certain reasons, retain that locality in the body of the 

 essays. This will account for the apparent discrepancy of issuing them from Phil- 

 adelphia, the place of my present residence. 



* We doubt not our readers will be highly gratified to learn that the present 

 number is to be the first of a series of articles, by Professor Atlee, upon a subject 

 embracing so much that is interesting and practically useful. The Record and 

 Journal will, we expect, during every successive month for a year to come, contaia 

 one of these articles. — Ed. 

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