Creator
Alexander G. McAdie
Recipient
John Muir
Preview
Transcription
Address correspondence toOfficial In Charge Local Office, Weather BureauU.S..DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURELOCAL OFFICE OF THE WEATHER BUREAUMerchants Exchange. Rooms 1500-6SAN FRANCISCO, CAL.March 19, 1910.Mr. John Muir,Martinez, Cal.Dear Mr. Muir:-I have not forgotten your request regardingthe number of water drops in a cloud; but I find it hard to get down to definite statements. I'd much rather talk it. over with you, and yet that wouldn't do either, for we'd get off on other matters of equal and everlasting interest.First, as you look up into the sky, remember that the seemingly limitless ocean of air, at the bottom of which we waddle, is not much deeper than the distance from one great peak in the Sierra to another. When you stood on Whitney you were up nearly four-tenths of the way, that is, nearly half of the so-called homogeneous atmosphere is below one at a height of 5,500 meters (31/2 miles). At an elevation of six miles nearly, two-thirds of the atmosphere is below us. At this elevation you are above what we may call "the muddy" or dirty part of the atmosphere. It is clean mud, almost entirely water. Most people call it clouds; but it is none the less a sediment of water and fine dust. Below the level named, the air is in a turbulent condition as a rule, convectional currents rising, falling and in fact swirling in every direction. I sometimes04734
Location
San Francisco
Date Original
1910 Mar 19
Source
Original letter dimensions: 25 x 20 cm.
Resource Identifier
muir19_0255-let.tif
File Identifier
Reel 19, Image 0255
Copyright Status
Copyright status unknown
Copyright Statement
Some letters written to John Muir may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Owning Institution
University of the Pacific Library Holt-Atherton Special Collections. Please contact this institution directly to obtain copies of the images or permission to publish or use them beyond educational purposes.
Page Number
Page 1
Keywords
John Muir, correspondence, letters, author, writing, naturalist, California, correspondent, mail, message, post, exchange of letters, missive, notes, epistle
