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KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
METEOROLOGY. 
RED SKIES. 
ISAAC P. NOYES. 
It is doubtful if anything ever created a greater commotion in the scientific 
world then the red sky so conspicuous the past year. The scientists almost to a 
man seem to have found, for them, a reasonable solution therefor in the dust 
theory-dust either from meteors or from the volcano at Java, which occurred the 
latter part of August, 1883. 
I, as a student of the Weather-Map, take exception to this dust theory and 
maintain that this delicate redness in the sky is the result of the presence of a 
minimum quantity of moisture in the air-and that water and not dust is the 
cause, and that it is not peculiar to times of meteoric showers or volcanic erup- 
tions, but to those conditions which we term high-barometer, when there is the 
least possible moisture present in the atmosphere. 
The objections to volcanic dust and meteoric dust are not altogether the same, 
yet they are similar and in some respects identical. First, as to meteoric dust: in 
the absence of any remarkable display of meteoric showers it could not be from 
near meteors; and had this phenomenon produced any such effect the dust pro- 
ducing it would have been so plenty all over the surface of the earth as to have 
left a such matk, or evidence, that it would have been useless to deny that it had 
occurred, and there being some possibility of this red-sky effect being produced 
by it. But then showers of meteors as a rule are not so universal in their distri- 
bution; they are more apt to be local; and when they do occur they are plainly 
seen. So this would seem to shut out near or local meteors. 
It may be claimed that it came from his distant meteors within the orbit of 
the earth; that as the earth came around to their point the whole atmosphere 
would then be affected. In this case the dust would have been so far away that 
it would have made no difference as to time of day when, with a clear sky, it 
might have been seen and its effect noticed. It would not have been necessary 
first to have the Sun go below the horizon. At so great a distance the Sun would 
shine through it, equivalent to us, perpendicularly to the plane of the earth. 
This being the case it ought to have given, if dust would give such an effect, a rosy 
tint to the sky at all hours of the day. Again, this effect would only have been 
for a short time when the earth was passing the locality of these supposed meteors; 
and then from this distance we would either have had an abundant supply of 
dust to gather as evidence, or there would have been none at all to have been 
examined by a microscope; i. e. there would be no "half way doings " about it. 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 lighter 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. 402 
EANS AS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
The great Michigan fire in September, 1881, might be brought forward as 
evidence of extensive discoloration of the sky by smoke, then the query may be 
raised : if smoke may thus discolor the sky, why not dust ? 
If one will refer to the Weather-Map for that date he will see that on that 
day we had an area of low-barometer on a high line of latitude. The smoke 
effect took place in the track and within the influence of this "Low," and no- 
where else; and it only lasted a few hours, in all about half a day. It did not 
continue on around the world, west as well as east, and continue for months. 
We occasionally have a tornado. The dust raised from this source is local, 
but at times it spreads over a great extent of territory End fills the air with fine 
dust, and dust that ought to remain in the air as long as any volcanic dust from 
Java, and yet who ever heard of this dust for even one day producing a red sky? 
As to the properties of dust, it will not, even under the most* favorable circum- 
stances, compare with water in the power of refraction; as for its power of reflec- 
tion it must be of very bright surface to produce much effect in this. line. Water 
will produce such effects; the evidence thereof is daily before us; we have but to 
look at the clouds, at the ocean, and at the rainbow. 
In meteorology we have high and low-barometer; the one may be termed 
the atmospheric-hill, the other the atmospheric valley. "Low" or low-barom- 
eter is the is the agent of the storm ; the centre to which the winds are gathered. 
The clouds are being formed wherever there is heat and moisture; as the clouds 
are formed the winds carry them along towards " Low." On the surface of the 
earth this movement is from the " High" to the " Low," the result is that there 
is little moisture at " High," but then it is impossible to remove all the moisture 
from " High " and it is just the little, the minimum, zuhich remains that produces the 
delicate pink or red sky. In the area of " High " there are few or no clouds pre- 
sent-the sky is clear. The moisture present is so thin that we do not see it 
when the sun-light is at right angles to the cloud stratum or moisture. It is not 
until the Sun is below the horizon, when, as it were, we see through this thin 
atmosphere edgewise, that the effect is produced; also in addition to this the Sun 
shines up underneath this delicate cloud formation and illumines the under side 
of it. This is well illustrated by a piece of glass; hold it so the plate or pane is 
perpendicular to the light and we see no color, turn it edgewise to the light and 
we have quite a strong green color. We also see this same general effect in the 
Moon, when it rises of a clear night, while at the horizon, when we see it through 
the lower stratum of atmosphere, through the atmosphere edgewise, it appears to 
be of a deep red color; when it has ascended to mid-heaven, if it is a clear night 
it is of a bright silver-white, yet it is the same Moon that at the horizon was a 
deep red. The Moon has not changed, it is only the different atmosphere through 
which it is seen that produces the effect. So there is no doubt as to the power 
or property of water to produce this phenomenon. 
Those who have earnestly supported the dust theory have considered it con- 
clusive that this red-sky phenomenon was seen in " foggy England," and yet a 
little further on they say that the atmosphere was the while " remarkably free EEE> SKIES. 
403 
from moisture." A fact is of no value in an argument unless it effects the evi- 
dence. How nicely these two facts support the water rather than the dust theory. 
Seen in " foggy England," but only seen when there was no fog in the air ! When 
it was clear atmosphere. Now they cannot have a clear atmosphere even in fog- 
gy England without the presence of high-barometer. 
This redness may also be produced partly from artificial source. Let the 
air of an evening be quite thick with moisture; like what it is when the " Low " 
centre is off to a great distance; not thick enough for a fog but a slight presence 
of suspended moisture. Let this be over a city or where there is considereable 
light. The light shining on and through this mosture will produce the same 
general effect of redness. 
The evening of June 12, 1884, in Washington we had a peculiar effect of 
red sky, only a part of the sky, a space of about 30° was of this delicate pink 
color, while the rest of the heavens was a delicate green. In the first place it is 
very queer if this pink or redness is caused by dust that the dust should be so 
peculiarly suspended in the air, and again that this dust should remain so many 
months thus suspended. 
This peculiar line was evidently caused by the formation of the clouds below 
the horizon. We cannot prove this but it is the only reasonable cause, and is 
most reasonable. 
Again on the evening of June 28, 1884, ten months from the time of the 
volcano at Java, we had in Washington, D. C., a most brilliant and magnificent 
display; the sky was clear, without a cloud; no grander display have we had 
than this. On all of these occasions the area of high-barometer has been over 
us. In addition to all this another important fact must not be overlooked. 
Even when it is quite cloudy, when "High" is uport or near us, this delicate 
pinkness will occur whenever there is a piece of clear sky, between the heavy 
cloud patches. This coloration is from the same cause as produces the extended 
coloring with a general clear sky, wherever there is clear sky, whether in patches 
or in mass, between clouds, or freedom of clouds, the effect is the same. When 
in small patches the effect is local, when in mass it is general. When this effect 
occurs, as to time, its strongest and best exhibition is when the Sun is some dis- 
tance below the horizon; it shines up and illumines underneath the vault of the 
grand dome of the heavens above us. The further the Sun is down, until it has 
passed beyond the limit, the higher up on this vault, or underside of dome, does 
throw its light. This is conclusive proof in itself that it cannot be the dust from 
afar; from distant meteoric dust. If it was from near dust, and if dust could 
produce such an effect, the amount of dust that it would take to produce it would 
be of such a quantity as to leave its mark upon the earth, a mark that would not 
be overlooked or slighted. 
In opposition to all these facts and impossibilities those who advocate the 
dust theory have only one point of importance, and that is they say that they 
have gathered some of the dust and that on examination the particles agree in 
formation with the particles from Java. 404 
KANSAS Cl TV REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
Now in any case of evidence where there were so many strong facts on one 
side and only one on the other would any jury in the land give a verdict against 
the side of many facts in favor of the one fact no stronger than any one of the 
facts on the other side? Would they not be apt to say, if this phenomenon is 
produced by dust, why not gather more of it-quantites of it-right here when 
the phenomenon occurs? When the phenomenon continues for month after 
month, and is so conspicuous and general would they not be apt to hold that this 
dust ought to be so thick in the air as to cause a universal discomforture there- 
from; would they not be apt to require a sample of dust possessing such lumin- 
ous qualities, not a mere grain or two but a quantity 1 I think they would at 
least demand this much if not more. 
On the other hand there would be no difficulty in proving to them that this 
phenomenon occurs, every time, under certain conditions of the atmosphere ; and 
only at these times. That moisture is thus suspended in the air, and that it has 
all the qualities to produce such an effect. 
People not familiar with the Weather-Map cannot well appreciate the full 
force of this presence of delicate moisture. They may think it peculiar not to 
have it regularly, at stated times, and as much or little one year as another. 
But herein is one of the special beauties of this wonderful map. It shows us that 
nature is never twice alike. Here in the United States the year of 1883, as a 
whole was conspicuous for a prevailance of " High." What were the conditions 
over the rest of the world we cannot prove, as here, by actual observation, but 
if a certain condition is the cause of a certain natural phenomenon here it is safe 
to say that a like effect in other countries will be produced by a like cause, and 
more particularly so when we have all the indirect proof, sky and color, which is 
the natural result of this condition. 
The areas of high and low-barometer travel around the world in belts. 
These belts vary in line and form and are never twice alike. The peculiar juxta- 
position and course of " Low" and " High " is what makes the variation in our 
weather. A high " Low " giving us hot, dry weather with occasional local show- 
ers; " High " over us giving us cool, pleasant weather that does not require much 
moisture, for not much is used. In this case the moisture is not taken away, out 
of the ground, etc., and transported somewhere else, as with high-"Low" and 
southerly winds over a great extent of country. With " High " the sky is clear 
and quite free of clouds; there not being much moisture and heat to generate 
them, nor wind to bring them from afar. What moisture then is present is dis- 
seminated to such a degree that the direct rays of the Sun, at right-angles to the 
earth, does not reveal its presence; it is only when the Sun is below the horizon 
that its presence is realized. 
If this phenomenon is caused by dust it would seem that we ought to have 
the supply of dust replenished quite often, but we have had no new supply and 
yet the phenomenon continues. 
Unfortunately the Weather-Map is a new thing and the scientific world there- 
fore knew little or nothing about it. Hence it is not surprising that they should THE KANSAS WEATHER SERVICE. 
405 
have been thus misled by this great eruption at Java, but now that the phenom- 
-enon continues it seems most absurd to hold on to so unsatisfactory an explana- 
tion, when we see the many facts that can, mostly through the Weather-Map, be 
brought to disprove it. This dust theory may have answered very well, like the 
absurd theories of the weather prophets, for years gone by but for the present, 
with the light of the Weather-Map it seems too absurd for intelligent persons to 
believe. 
Washington, D. C., July, 1884.