RED SKIES. 401 



For these reasons, and other reasons to be mentioned, I do not believe that it 

 could have come from meteors distant or near. 



The volcano at Java, August 27, 1883, being the only volcanic dust claimed 

 as having produced this effect, to that we will direct our attention. It is said that 

 it was an immense volcano and that the world never saw such a phenomenon in 

 this department before — it excelled all others — that the air for miles around was 

 thick with dust and ashes; that the dust was thrown 3,000 feet! in the air. 

 From the height at which the dust was thrown it would seem, to one not posted 

 in modern meteorology as revealed by the Weather-Map, and as to the height 

 that the clouds move, that 3,000 feet was a great distance. A monument 600 

 feet high would be extraordinary and of immense height, but what would such a 

 height be beside a mountain six miles high ? The highest clouds, it is said from 

 good authority, move at an elevation of 23,000 feet, or over four miles, showing 

 that the currents of winds are at least that high, and the chances are that they 

 are even much higher. What is 3,000 feet to this? But, it may be asked what 

 has this to do with it? If one will study the Weather-Map and note the storm- 

 centres thereon — how they move, how they create the currents that gather the 

 clouds, that produce the rain, he will see that these storm-centres are located 

 over the world, from 1,000 to 2,000 miles apart, that they travel in belts and on 

 all sorts of lines. That between the centre of the United States and Java there 

 must be at least six of these centres on one line. We cannot, at present, for 

 want of stations, prove how many belts there are between these points, but as 

 near as we can ascertain there must be about three between there and here. At 

 each one of these storm-centres the wind is blowing from all points of the com- 

 pass, north, east, south and west, at the same time; and, as above stated, these 

 storm-centres affect the movement of the clouds at least to the height of 23,000 

 feet, and the Hghter atmosphere undoubtedly above this point. This being the 

 case, it would be impossible for any material like dust or even a balloon, that 

 could only attain the height of 3,000 feet, to pass over one of these centres or 

 the atmosphere centering to them, and pass on to some remote part of the world. 

 Before we had the Weather-Map we could not be blamed for thinking that our 

 atmosphere followed the surface of the earth around as the water poured on a 

 grind-stone follows the stone around, but it does not. The water on the grind- 

 stone is no parallel. 



This dust would be gathered by the first storm-centre within its locality, 

 whether, east, west, north or south ; and after it had reached the centre there 

 would not be much dust remaining in the air to be passed on to some other point. 

 It would be precipitated then and there. It might travel 1,000 or 2,000 miles, 

 but would not get beyond that limit. But it is said that dust has been seen in 

 the air and gathered, and is now held as testimony in the case. I have not the 

 least doubt but what a little dust can be found in the atmosphere at any time, for 

 the wind is always raising more or less, but this does not reach a very high ele- 

 vation, at least independent of high elevations. It may be found on a high 

 mountain, but that would be only relatively high. 



