Storms and Atmospheric Phenomena
Extract from the St. Leonards Gazette of Oct 10th, 1862. "Many of our readers will remember that, a few weeks back, we started the problem whether the planet Saturn's close proximity to, and transit across the earth's would not engender a series of storms and much unsettled weather, as was the case when similarly posited in the month of January last? We have now to say that the problem has been solved in the most affirmative manner. On the 2nd of September that ponderous orb crossed the equatorial line, and during the previous week and a subsequent period of three weeks, it remained within one degree of the Equator. Now, on the 25th of August - taking that as a starting point - the barometer commenced a continuous and very considerable declension, and a break-up of the generally fine summer soon became apparent. A severe thunder-storm occurred in London and elsewhere on that day, and for more than a fortnight there was a succession of gales, rain-squalls, hail, lightning, &c., throughout the greater part of England as well as in many Continental countries. In America the storms did immense damage both on sea and land, while the extraordinary (Saturn being a refrigerating agent) are said to have destroyed the corn and tobacco crops to the extend of one third. Even in our own favoured locality, the period referred to was of a turbulent and rainy character, as our regatta and flower-show postponements proved; there being between the 24th of August and the 10th of September but one day free from wind and rain or other atmospheric disturbance. This one fine day was the 3rd of September, when the warm and drying influence of Sol and Jupiter came into play, as preintimated, thus:-
"What Saturn may produce 'tis hard to say,
But other orbs bespeak a pleasant day."
On the early morning of the 10th there was a storm of lightning, thunder, hail, rain and wind, thus closing as it commenced a stormy period of about 17 days. From the 10th to the 14th, there was a steady and continuous rise of the barometer, and, as foretold, a more settled atmosphere; but from the 14th to the 18th, the barometric pressure was exhibited in a contra ratio, when on the evening of the last-named day the peculiar appearance of a distended and distorted moon afforded a palpable sign that
"Unsettled weather comes again -
Condensive air for wind and rain.
At this time the sun was in quartile position with Uranus, while Mars was in parallel declination to Saturn, and the moon also approaching her maximum declination. As the result of this planetary combination writes a London correspondent, "we had on the following day a furious storm, of which the Admiral [Fitzroy] gave no forecast, but which was predicted by Zadkiel[a]! Mr W. H. Wood, of -
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