HAILSTORMS. 299 



earth, there, by Nature's chemistry, become 

 perfectly ridded of their dangerous contents, 

 and rise pure and sparkling to the surface 

 again, now admirably adapted for all the pur- 

 poses of man and animals ! 



When rain-drops in their course toward the 

 earth become exposed to a degree of temperature 

 below freezing point, or 32 of Fahrenheit's 

 thermometer, they become congealed into solid 

 masses, and in this condition are known as Hail. 

 It has been considered by some that hail is pro- 

 duced by the rapid descent of the rain-drops 

 when first formed, causing a rapid superficial 

 evaporation, the cold produced by which freezes 

 the rest of the globule. Hail is also produced 

 from a nucleus of snow, which gathers weight 

 as it descends. As the frozen drop falls, con- 

 densing 'continually more watery vapour around 

 it, which, becoming also frozen, adds to its 

 size, it proceeds with accelerated rapidity until 

 it reaches the earth, striking on its surface fre- 

 quently with considerable violence. It is sup- 

 posed by others that the origin of hail is attri- 

 butable to the sudden encounter of two masses 

 of cloud of very unequal temperature. Hailstones 

 of a very large size are frequently found in 

 summer hailstorms; and the force with which 

 they fall is proportionate to their size. Hail- 

 stones of the size .of a. goose's egg have 



