Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-08-16
THE wHIRLwrND THEORY OF STORMS.
1T Dn. noBInr HAZE.


TT Oh. ROBERT HAZE.
An effort to reue the wroind theory or IN 0'Aer 'voas
n r,te the opinion that toradoes and other fra'eng
storms The ao Of The air comprised 'cahnIne 'aea'e
,,ormv motion rerores about common centre, WniN
], be same time aeiuated by progressive notion
Various observations recorded BY RIDrIEID seem 10 hass
established that certain sorms oftha. kind IN which inc
blow in various and opposite directions, and when arc CON-
seoueny called hurricanes, commence IN 'ne
travel first norhwesterly towards the Gull OF AeAoo, ~
then gradually bending their course into noIaeary "
recton proceed nearly parallel with Inc coast o. VIC
States percung distance Of from fifteen hundred 70 Two
thousand miles, with progressive veioc'ty ivan
ing TO forty miles per bour.
;;n !, admit that there may be storms which cor
,ssoo,a with this description There great anslogy be-
,-seo The prorYessye motion attributed to them and that
cu.llv .seeraned TO be attribute OF tonadoes, winch
M, RFpYrxIp Justly believe considers IS hurricanes upon
comparatively email scale.
Nevertheless. ssreesby to all that have learned iorns-
doe. in the middle northern, and eastern portions OF the
limited States travel from some point between norm anu
west 70 some point between south and east
Bu however correct may be the allegations OF Mr. Redhed
Ye,pecns tie existence Of hurricanes Of the description above
e,en il is certain that there Of another kind to
which this description is iasppicable.
Ag,ee.blv 10 the evidence collected BY LOOMS and Espy
,bee is species Of storm which, originating to the westward
of the Mississippi ayelsom the northwest TO The southeast
until il goes out 10 sea- Storms Of this description, as re-
spec,s violence and blowing excessively from different quar-
m sn.t . that above s:sbsd to
believed that, whether Of the one kind or The other
.;e. and ,ornadoes travel with the clouds, which are
instrumental in their generation The clouds conceive 70
- the Office Of acoating to the eectrned stratum OF Inc
onhere between which and the subacent terrestrial sur
&c. \. electrical discharge taking place, causes column Of
electrified air to ascend repeed BY the similarly electrified
Tv.,ds the area at The base Of this ascending column
- a. mnst aow in from opposite quarters to restore the
eouiibtum Of atmospheric density and pressure.
on,e re.sonsble that the afoent currents thus pro-
a,.a houa ovra,e a. vster is to eyrate IN whr
o bu in this case ,hsyraon contingent consequence
o The auencs Of the opposite currents and can only take
,ee within an intermediate space, towards which the oPpo
s,e cnrents dow the intermediate space in the LOOMS
~ va. not more pan fifty miles in wld while in length
i extended 10 two .ousand miles, it was utterly impossible
,b, the whole mas could evove about common axis
appears that ac,usy the winds were conhied 10 their dec
I = vo oppo,s susdranss, between ndth and and
south and east.
J. y. hsen .sgestd to me BY Prof HsRr g that winds
higher lower latitude would BY the ear,hs
n the weI-known iDstance Of the trades, be curved
.r.,as The ives, while thce blowing from the opposite
.,,e, would be opposey Affected" To me i. appearsihat
..s of cyra,ion would greater or less null,
, !, the amount Of southng northing accomplished
whin given time BY the WINS.
Eh nAnence OF this causeTou lessen the course OF
.h,om should have N y es1pi non0ing ano ~
I or the cause in quesi obave percepdbe influence
ssoyer. the Observations OF Esrr and BacHE, and the
obaons respecting rany stoms collected and puosaed
~ ~ sormer are inconsistent with gyrson being usual
a'soEe 2. e nn5rs,ood IT. consider eyra.ion in the
roths,a quite cpsser w''n avs Q. motion when con-
sidere existing independently Of such
object !. throughout the whole area Of the
the cen,s we circumference Evidently j, is
n;5onsisten', that produces y water flowing
Ida sscsan hmn should be productive OF whi,lvind
nj a. vh,n,1n be sustained longer than the mo-
ntpm the cause Of influx endures 90 il il with
the other Ys. would Be- a. e error &c soI
go. n. ling cannot take place without gyraion. IF
nv be placed In the way Of the whirl which may
sI;., Il / lid running rapidly ino piPe the whit viii
and will not be renewed although the rnpedlDneni
10 ,emovJ have repeatedly realized this fact experiment.
av. Oa,on is contingent, not necessary consequence
Of tal currents unless such that sug-
asN HEERY influence the result where winds blow over
AL surface less in merdonal direction.
h exhibition Of much science and assiduous sseacy
FL has insisted that in tornsdoes and travelling hurricanes
wind does not blow circutousy about travelling
, but from opposite quarters towards intermediate space
local ares which the pressure has been diminished by
Abe ascent Of column Of air
With EsFY's view when restricted to tofnadoes and hur
canes agree, excepting as to the of the accent Of
the ar.
him assumed that this arises from the e1pan
sion Of the upper part Of the column BY the evolution Of
from condensDg aqueous vspor.
Directing to this inadequsss, agreeaby to
sonng elsewhere stated attribute the ascent Of The air to
connective discharge Of electricity between the earth and sky
The arguments BY which justly this view Of the subject
shall postpone. eg a
The theory which the ascending column Of air for
its basis has been called The nbowing theory that which
suppoes general whng 10 the whole aerial mass has been
called the whiiwind theory.
The sdvocies Of the ster rely upon observations Obtained
from the Of vessels these neuuaized
BY the reliable observations Of EsPI, BAcHE and
LooxIa made on tes 6mas Being acuased simultaneous
y both BY the progressive and eyraioy veloces the wind
the other Of those veosies may Be the greater
she observer may be less from the Of the
Evidently be extremely difficult to show that
the bearings recorded the Of different vessels
such harmonic with the fact that they are rerab
70 The gyraon Of the Of air simultaneously travel
ling and revolving about s axis On the other hand it
NUT be impossible for anavgsor infer, from the direction
OF auind produced under such complication Of variable
1ofc bis position in relation to the progressive direction Of
,ne sm 80 Is TO know which escape from the VIC
lent poaon as early o. practicable.
oul nore futile does appesr undertake the instruction
OF mariner enable him ascertain from the direc
n OF me wind the position 10 which bis ship may be placed
relatively the axis Of any future storm, and thus TO know
nov 20 avo the dangerous portion Of the