METEOROLOGICAL NOTES. 641 



Storms not coming from the tropics, where do they come from ? Nowhere. 

 This may seem queer to the reader, and he may say. What! such a positive thing 

 as a storm come from nowhere ? Yes, so far as locality is concerned. The storm 

 comes from " Low" or is caused by the centre of the area of low barometer. 

 But where does this come from ? may be asked. These pages have explained 

 over and over again, that "Low" is the concentration of the Sun's rays, best 

 represented by a magnifying glass (double convex lens) so held as to throw upon 

 a sheet of paper a ring of light which being moved over the paper well illustrates 

 the movement of " Low." 



From what information we have it is quite evident that this area of " Low" 

 continually travels around the world, on irregular lines toward the rising sun. 

 These "Lows" appear in the west, sometimes on a high line, sometimes on a 

 low line, and, as repeatedly said in these pages, travel on various lines toward the 

 east. Wherever they are there will the storm be, and without them there can be 

 no storm. This is where the storm comes from. 



The Peculiar Mission of " High."— A number of times I have said that 

 in " some future paper I would more particularly refer to 'High,'" but some- 

 how or other " High" has always been crowded out by " Low," and yet it per- 

 forms a most important part in our meteorological economy; generally not so im- 

 portant as " Low," yet once in a while it plays a most important part and chang- 

 es the whole aspect of a storm, modifying it or changing its course in such a 

 manner as to create an entirely new condition of things — making it pleasant 

 weather where the day before it indicated a storm, and sending a storm when the 

 day before it would seem that pleasant weather would be the order of the day. 

 "High" travels as regularly from the west toward the east as " Low." When 

 " Low " is in the south it is cold, but if perchance " High " lies in an extended 

 line east and west, the north wind will not be far from the north, therefore not 

 very cold. When "Low" is in the north and "High" holds the same rela- 

 tive position in the south the wind will not be so very warm; in other words 

 " High " acts like a barrier — like a high wall and shuts off the heat or cold as 

 the case may be. 



Then if " High" is immediately in front of " Low " as the two are moving 

 toward the east, it will retard " Low" so its speed will not be so rapid. Again, 

 as in the Chicago snow-storm of the 19th of March, 18S1, two " Highs " may be 

 near together and the space between them act like a huge canon, which increases 

 the speed of " Low " as it is drawn toward the narrow file that separates them, 

 or its course be altered, as in the case of the " Low " that centered off Charles- 

 ton, S. C, on the 27th of August, 1881. August 26th and 27th "High" was 

 moving off the coast from Virginia to South Carolina. Notwithstanding this, it 

 was expected that the " Low" from St. Thomas would follow the Gulf Stream 

 along the coast — danger signals were ordered along the line. But from this point 

 " Low " moved very slowly. " High " not only held it in check but was of suffi- 

 cient power to deflect it to the northwest, and we saw, what is quite uncommon, 

 a " Low " reversing its course — traveling toward the west! And this it coniin 



