Additional Objections to Redfield's Theory of Storms. 139 



ed by earth, the principle in question must also pervade the space 

 beyond that portion of the atmosphere which is sufficiently dense 

 to insulate, or to perform the part of an electric. 



89. Thus there are three enormous concentric spaces, of which 

 the intermediate one is occupied by an electric, while the inner- 

 most one and the outer one are occupied by conductors. The 

 two last mentioned may be considered as equivalent to two 

 oceans of electricity, of which one may be called the celestial, 

 the other the terrestrial electric ocean. For an adequate cause 

 of diversity in the states of the electric oceans, it must be suffi- 

 cient to refer to the vaporization and condensation of water. 

 The power of this process to electrify, has recently been confirm- 

 ed by the electrical sparks caused by the escape of high steam. 



90. When either electric ocean is minus the other must be plus, 

 and at the same time any intermediate stratum of the atmosphere 

 enclosing a stratum of clouds, must be charged by induction if 

 not by communication. Between the concentric strata of air, 

 severally bounding the celestial and terrestrial ocean, there must 

 be an electrical attraction tending to counteract gravitation and 

 thus to influence the density and pressure of the lower stratum of 

 the atmosphere. 



91. The proximity of a stratum of clouds electrified by the ce- 

 lestial ocean, must cause an accumulation of electricity in any 

 portion of the terrestrial surface immediately subjacent ; and by 

 counteracting gravitation, cause a local diminution of atmospheric 

 pressure which is, it is well known, a precursor and demonstrably 

 a cause of wind and rain. 



92. Those enormous discharges of electricity which take place 

 during hurricanes, may be accounted for by supposing that they 

 result from discharges between the celestial and terrestrial electric 

 oceans. Thunder clouds may owe their charges not only to the 

 vaporization and condensation of water, but also to the celestial 

 ocean previously charged by that process. Auroras may be the 

 consequence of discharges from one part of the atmosphere to an- 

 other, through the rare conductive medium which is occupied by 

 the celestial ocean : or they may result from discharges from oth- 

 er planets or suns, or from any part of space however remote. 

 Since, agreeably to Wheatstone's experiments, electricity flies 

 with a velocity not less than that of light, distance can create no 

 obstacle to its passage. 



