The Rain Cloud or, An Account of the Nature, Properties, Dangers and Uses of Rain in Various Parts of the World   By: Charles Tomlinson (1808-1897)

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CHAPTER I. p. 10. RAINS PECULIAR TO EACH SEASON—SPRING SHOWERS—MIDSUMMER RAINS—RAINS OF AUTUMN AND WINTER—MEANS OF SUPPLYING THE EARTH WITH RAIN—RAIN CLOUDS—DECEPTIVE APPEARANCES OF CLOUDS—THEIR LIGHT AND SHADE—EFFECTS OF CLOUDS IN MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRIES—ASCENT OF MONTE PIENTIO—ASCENT TO THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE—GRAND EFFECTS OF CLOUDS IN THE PYRENEES—VOYAGE IN A BALLOON THROUGH THE CLOUDS. CHAPTER II. p. 37. EFFECTS OF RAIN IN MOUNTAINOUS DISTRICTS—THE DISTRICT OF MORAY—THE GREAT FLOODS OF 1829—COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAIN—THE SWOLLEN RIVERS—DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF THE FLOOD—MEANS ADOPTED FOR THE RESCUE OF COTTAGERS—KERR AND HIS BRAVE DELIVERERS—RESCUE OF FUNNS AND HIS FAMILY—FLOODS OF THE RHONE IN 1840—OVERFLOWING OF THE MISSISSIPPI. CHAPTER III. p. 74. VARIOUS FORMS OF CLOUDS—THE CIRRUS, OR CURL CLOUD—THE CUMULUS, OR STACKEN CLOUD—THE STRATUS, OR FALL CLOUD—THE CIRRO CUMULUS, OR SONDER CLOUD—THE CIRRO STRATUS, OR WANE CLOUD—THE CUMULO STRATUS, OR TWAIN CLOUD—THE NIMBUS, OR RAIN CLOUD—ARRANGEMENT OF RAIN CLOUDS—APPEARANCES OF A DISTANT SHOWER—SCUD—CAUSE OF RAIN—FORMATION OF CLOUDS—MISTS—HEIGHTS OF CLOUDS—APPEARANCE OF THE SKY ABOVE THE CLOUDS. CHAPTER IV. p. 107. ON HAIL—THE HAIL STORMS OF FRANCE—THE DISASTROUS EFFECTS OF HAIL—THE HAIL STORMS OF SOUTH AMERICA—THEIR SURPRISING EFFECTS—ORIGIN AND NATURE OF HAIL—PERIODICAL FALLS OF HAIL—HAIL CLOUDS—HAILSTONES—THEIR VARIOUS FORMS—EXTRAORDINARY SIZE OF HAILSTONES. CHAPTER V. p. 117. METHOD OF MEASURING THE QUANTITY OF RAIN THAT FALLS—THE RAIN GAUGE—METHODS OF OBSERVING FOR RAIN AND SNOW—EFFECTS OF ELEVATION ON THE QUANTITY OF RAIN—DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOP OF A TALL BUILDING AND THE SUMMIT OF A MOUNTAIN—SIZE OF DROPS OF RAIN—VELOCITY OF THEIR FALL—QUANTITY OF RAIN IN DIFFERENT LATITUDES—EXTRAORDINARY FALLS OF RAIN—REMARKS ON THE RAIN OF THIS COUNTRY—INFLUENCE OF THE MOON—ABSENCE OF RAIN—REMARKABLE DROUGHT IN SOUTH AMERICA—ITS TERRIBLE EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES—ARTIFICIAL RAINS. CHAPTER VI. p. 137. THE RAINBOW—DECOMPOSITION OF WHITE LIGHT BY THE PRISM—FORMATION OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY BOWS—RAINBOWS IN MOUNTAIN REGIONS—THE RAINBOW A SACRED EMBLEM—LUNAR RAINBOW—LIGHT DECOMPOSED BY CLOUDS—THEIR BEAUTIFUL COLOURS—EXAMPLES. CHAPTER VII. p. 157. REMARKABLE SHOWERS—SHOWERS OF SAND—OF MUD—SHOWERS OF SULPHUR, OR YELLOW RAIN—LUMINOUS RAIN—RED RAIN, OR SHOWERS OF BLOOD—SUPERSTITIONS CONNECTED THEREWITH—EXPLANATION OF THE CAUSE—SHOWERS OF FISH—SHOWERS OF RATS—SHOWERS OF FROGS—INSECT SHOWER—SHOWERS OF VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES—MANNA—WHEAT—SHOWERS OF STONES—METEORIC STONES, OR AEROLITES—METEORIC IRON—SUPPOSITIONS RESPECTING THEM—FOSSIL RAIN... Continue reading book >>