SULPHUR FROM THE AIR.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 4 December 1929, Page 4

SULPHUR FROM THE AIR.

NOT DUE TO ELECTRICAL DISCHARGES.

What appeared to be a fall of su'lI phur was observed on November 7th. by Mr H. H. Donaldson, who takes the meteorological readings at Levin, and he found on inquiry that other persons had noticed the phenomenon. The theory was advanced that it was due to a thunderstorm, apparently in the vicini?y of Shannon. Mr Donaldson wrote to Dr. Kidson, Government Meteorologist, who replied a,s follows: ''Thunderstorms are popularly supposed to produce sulphur. There is, however, not the slightest foundation for such a belief. Sulphur is one of the eighty-three fundamental chemical elements which have eo far never been, manufactured or transmuted from on« to the other 'jv electrical or other means. "If the deposit actually was sulphur it may have been from Ngaruhoe or possibly from White Island. On the morning of the 6th November a strong. N.W. wind, velocity of about 30 m.p.h., was reported at Opotiki ami in the afternoon a northorly wind of about 20 m.p.h. velocity at East Cape. An intense cyclone centred about 500 miles west of Cape Maria Van Diemen would probably set up winds of considerably greater velocities than, these in the higher level of the atmosphere. "You may be quite certain that the sulphur was not caused by the presence of thunderstorms in your vicinitv.'»