Q. Why does the steam of a railway boiler often pour down, like fine rain, when the steam is “let off?”
A. The steam from the steam-pipe (when the air is cold) is condensed by contact with the chill air, and falls like fine rain.
Q. Why is there less dew when the wind is easterly, than when the wind is westerly?
A. Easterly winds cross the continent of Europe, and, (as they pass over land) are dry and arid; but westerly winds cross the Atlantic Ocean; and (as they pass over water) are moist and full of vapour.
Q. How does the dryness of an eastern wind prevent dew-falls?
A. As the easterly winds are dry, they imbibe the moisture of the air; and, therefore, there is very little left to be condensed into dew.
Q. How does the moistness of a western wind promote dew-falls?
A. As the westerly winds are saturated with vapour, they require a very little reduction of heat to cause a copious deposition of dew.