388 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XV. No, 386 



a particle of mist to settle to the bottom. Under the com- 

 pressions employed by Espy, the cloud or mist entirely dis- 

 appears in a few seconds, and not an atom of moistare 

 reaches the bottom of the jar. Suppose, now, that, at the 

 instant of expansion, latent heat were liberated by the for- 

 mation of the cloud, which would prevent a further cooling. 

 It is very plain that it would be used up immediately ia the 

 evaporation of the cloud ; and the disappearance of the mist 

 proves that the sensible heat has again become latent, and 

 can have absolutely no effect in expanding the air or in 

 causing a iinal higher gauge reading, as Espy thought. 



A note should be made of the condition of Espy's moist 

 air. The presence of a haze or cloud is no evidence of sat- 

 urated air, for such cloud has been produced in air having 

 only two per cent of moisture. When air is pumped in 

 from the room, it has an enormous number of dust-particles 

 in it, and these give the semblance of fog on sudden expan- 

 sion Espy tried to saturate his air by putting a little water 

 into his jar, but it is certain that this expedient would be 

 of little or no effect. Bubbling air through three inches of 

 water will not saturate it, and it was found that nearly all 

 expedients failed to do so. The only satisfactory saturation 

 could be effected by passing the air through a bottle full of 

 small pieces of sponge saturated with water. While we 

 cannot think that Espy's air was saturated, yet it is certain 

 that the experiments in 1889 were with saturated air, and 

 hence must have shown a difference between dry and moist 

 air, if any could have done so. The delay of several days in 

 some of Espy's experiments after compression before explo- 

 sion should have served, and probably did serve, to increase 

 the moisture in the air, and not to diminish it, as he thought, 

 and as his researches seemed to indicate. It might be 

 thought essential, in order that this question may be settled 

 beyond all doubt, that there be some explanation of Espy's 

 results showing a slightly greater rise in the gaiige after 

 expanding dry air than when moist or partly moist air was 

 used. Undoubtedly, if all the conditions were known, the 

 difference could be easily explained. It is absolutely cer- 

 tain that it was not due to any latent caloric of elasticity 

 that was given out by the moist air. 



I think this discussion will enable us to reason more or 

 less effectively as to what are the probable heating and cool- 

 ing effects in the free atmosphere from descending or ascend- 

 ing currents, and the resultant liberation or production 

 of energy. It is well known that the most perfect locomo- 

 tive makes use of only five to ten per cent of the total en- 

 ergy developed. We have just seen, that in condensing air 

 to 10 inches, instead of obtaining an increase of temperature 

 of 163°, as theory seems to indicate, we have barely reached 

 4°, or one-fortieth of the theoretical amount. It is plain 

 that this is due to the loss of heat into the environment of 

 the air. Suppose, now, we take away this confining jar; 

 suppose we make steam in the open air instead of our loco- 

 motive boiler; or suppose, instead of trying to compress air 

 in our jar, we had the total horse and steam power of the 

 whole earth engaged in compressing the free air by forcing 

 it through syringes or force-pumps into the atmosphere. 

 What would be the result ? The utter absurdity of all this 

 is most plainly manifest, but is it any more so than the at- 

 tempt at developing effective energy in the free air, as has 

 been theoi'etically accomplished by some ? If there is this 



enormous dissipation of heat under conditions which we can 

 control, must there not be a very much greater dissipation 

 of heat in all out-doors ? Is it not highly probable that 

 many of the theoretical deductions find their only shadow 

 of support in the fact that the assumptions call for a perfect 

 engine without loss of a particle of energy? Has theoretical 

 meteorology ever produced even a single essential effective 

 element or part of this perfect engine ? If the considerations 

 herein set forth are borne out by subsequent researches, we 

 must most certainly come to the conclusion that thus far 

 theoretical meteorology has not had a single well -supported 

 fact on which to base its profoundest theories of tornado- 

 generation and movement. Professor Wild of St. Peters- 

 burg has well said, "Without exact and satisfactory data, 

 meteorology cannot develop as a science, but will be, a& 

 heretofore, mainly a tumbling-ground for vague speculations 

 and dilettanti investigations."' H. A. Hazen. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



*** Correspondents are requested to be as brief as possible. The writer^s name 

 is in all cases required as proof of good faith. 



TIte editor will be glad to publish any queries consonant with the character 

 of the journal. 



On request, twenty copies of the number containing his communication wili 

 be furnished free to any correspondent. 



Ohio Meteorites. 



Under date of June 13, Mr. George F. Kunz, in an article in 

 Science upon meteorites, mentions two copper ear-rings found by 

 myself in an Ohio mound as partly composed of meteoric iron. 

 Mr. Kunz is in error as to the locality of the find. It was made 

 at Frankfort, Ross County, O., and not in the neighborhood of 

 Fort Ancient, as stated in the article. 



The ear-rings are coated with a heavy plate of the iron, and are 

 splendidly preserved, the iron having resisted atmospheric agen- 

 cies remarkably well. It is slightly corroded in one [ilace only. 



The state of preservation is due to the placing of the objects in 

 a layer of fine, dry gravel by the builders of the mound. The 

 nearest skeleton was distant five feet, and the ear-rings did not 

 accompany any remains. However, there were three copper 

 hatchets placed alongside these ear-rings, and five other spools or 

 ear-rings, too; but these latter were not covered with meteoric 

 Iron, or any other substance. The mound was examined in April, 

 1889. Waeeen K. Mooeehead. 



Xenia, O., June 18. 



Vertical Components of Motion in Cyclones and Anticyclones. 



In saying that there is an ascending component of motion in 

 cyclonic areas, and a descending component in anticyclones {Sci- 

 ence, May 30), I meant that the winds in these areas of low and 

 high pressure do not move horizontally, but obliquely upwards or 

 downwards. The evidence of this has been presented and dis- 

 cussed by Loomis, in his '-Contributions to Meteorology," in the 

 American Journal of Science; and an abstract of these has been 

 prepared by Clayton for the American Meteorological Journal. 

 Hann and others have also discussed the matter. If Mr. Vel- 

 schow, who makes inquiry on this point in Science, June 20, is 

 not already acquainted with the writings of these authors, a ref- 

 erence to them would perhaps satisfy him. W. M. Davis. 



Cambridge, Mass., June 21. 



BOOK-REVIEWS. 

 Locke. By Alexander Campbell Fkasee. Philadelphia, Lip- 

 pincott. 16°. $1.25. 

 This the latest volume of Blackwood's "Philosophical Classics" 

 is one of the best of the series. It opens with a quite full account 

 of Locke's early life and education, with brief sketches of his 

 family and the various persons with whom he came in contact in 

 those years, and by whom he may be supposed to have been in- 

 fluenced. It then recounts his entrance into political life, and the 



