Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-03-01
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

PROFESSOR Espy delivered his third and closing
lecture on the % Laws Of storms at the Smith
Sonian Institution. The audience was large and
attentive, and the discourse replete with useful
information, interspersed with the relation of
novel circumstances pertaining 10 the subject
The lecturer commenced 10y remar king that in
his previous lecture his time had not been sufi-
clent TO give an adequate ex planaton of the ap-
pl cation Of his theory to tornadoes and be
would therefore, continue bis description of this
atmospheric eccentrieity. Surprising, first, that
every ming was highly favorable to a tornado
that Is, that the dewpoint is very low-down
say, ten degrees below its usual degree Now
when the air below becomes warm IL will a.
cend, and while ascending expansion and CON
densatiOn Of vapor will take place Attn height
Of eco yards clouds will begin to form, and the
latent calOriC will be given out. Afterwards the
expansion will he just twice great in proper
iion to the altitude reached 1t is presumed,
that in case Of tornado, the force of the ascend
Ing column OF air is much greater than in Ordi-
nary storms; and a. in the latter, the air will
rush in under the base of the ascending column
at the rate Of 30 yards per hour to the square
inch, some idea may be formed of the wonderful
speed and consequently increased force with
which 10 PUSHES under the column of the tornado.
In this case then, in consequence of the increas-
ed pressure of the air in the column by reason of
its expansion, the base Of the cloud is borne
down to the very surface Of the earth, which il
reaches in point somewhat similar to that rep
resented by the spout or stem Of funnel
The great source Of wonder is, how these tor
nadoes can he confined within such contracted
lImits-why the base of the cloud does not in
crease its area, To explain this, the lecturer
ferred to his previous statement that in large
storms general rain-the force of the ascending
column was such that the air, when ii reached an
elevation Of II 40 yards, rolled the top of
the surrounding air to distance sometimes of
oOO or 7tO miles from the circuit of the storm
cloud This was known from the fact that ex-
hausted clouds, commonly called - scud<, ~ but
styled by the lectures SERIOUS Clouds" have
been observed at these distances flying from the
storm This air is never, however, thrown so far
towards the west, the upper current of air
PASSES continually from the west to the east, and
thus intercepts and brings back the air thrown of
by the storm cloud.
In case of a tornado, the air is likewise thrown
on at the top with great velocity and force, AND
naturally seek relief by rushing towards the
ascending column, thus pressing compactly
against this column all sides. II Cannot, how
ever, Had entrance into the column, except at the
bottom, because Of the tendency to pansiOn by
the air which is ascending Thus, this rising
column IL confined within a narrow limit by the
pressure OF the surrounding air, and the air
Heu up oy IL and rolled of on the top of the sur
rounding air, presses that down with such force
as to compel n to seek relief by rushing towards
the ascending column.
This is the hypothesis on which the lecturer
accounted for all tornadOes; aud he rena ked that
II IL sustained BY the fact that when tornado
passes hollow il IL known to become more vio-
lent because the spout or stem formed at the base
OF the cloud is |. NJ the ned and the dewpoint in
such localities lower ToTnadoes, however do
not cross mountains, although when they arrive
q -,
and Tremendous storm. The reason of this is,
that the rain, or bail, which in Of tornadoes
II always thrown out of the cloud in front or at
the sides, and sometimes several miles distant,
when II strikes the side of mountain has not
time to form into drops and become scattered aS
when 10 falls to the level of the earth's surface
Hence II pours down in streams or sheets. When
In the aforementioned form, its force is q eat
that II penetrates the eaf til TO consdeI able depth
and forms great gullies in the mountain sides. Ii
Is not the case, either that ali the water descends
nm il n,tfzt a 4
points OF the cloud, IL frequently forms several
streams, which may be sometimes twenty yard /.
apart, and each one excavates dstiEc; channel
or suIIy. Inc lecturer alluded to several in
stances Of this phenomenon, some of which had
come under his own observation and of others he
had heard or read descriptions
In one instance Of a severe tornado which &C.
Cured in the New England States several years
ago, be said that no rain or hail fell where the
tornado was raging. but al distance of from
fifteen TO twenty miles i'm front and on the sides
Of the tornado there was violent shower of hail .
and pieces of wood and small branches of trees
covered with ice, were noticed TO have come
down with the hail The shingles of some houses
which the tornado had unrOofed fell, covered
with sleet ice, at distance of some fifteen miles
flom where they were taken up. La the descent
Of the hail the air was driven out from beneath
II with such violence as To blow down trees and
do considerable Damage 10 property.
After recoantIng several other singular stories
OF hail and rain, the lecturer proceeded to show
the application of his theory to winds, in the
course OF which he explained the causes OF the
trade wi nds, nOnsoons, and other regular winds
and also gave Hypothetical cause for the aridity
OF the great deserts of the world. As we have
lot now space to convey an adequate description
or this portion of the lecture, We shall defer
notice thereof until a future day.
ANOTHER OurRAsK.-Ytsterday,a Young man,
named Augustus Norton, while playing with the
Children Of Mr. MorelaHd, on the seventh street
road, nea! the second toll gate, was set upon by
two persons, Benjamin Cross and Henry Mar
tin. beat with slung shot and stabbed lis sup
posed fatally The prosecuting witnesses said
tbat nve men drove up In d buggy and began a
general quarrel with Norton; one of them struck
Kim on the head twice with the sluup shot and
lifted the skirt Of NoTlons coat and stabbed him
lie knife, II was supposed, had entered his
kidneys, and he was bleeding internally when
the witness started for the city. Cross and Mar
I'm both reside in Washington Warrants were
Immediately issued for their arrest by Justice
Dom, and Captain Mills detailed several of the
Auxiliary Qua q to make the arrest a. soon a.
possible Up to this morning the offenders had
not been seen by the officers IL Is reported this
morning that Norton is dead
p S-Henry Martin was arrested las, niybt
about 10 O'Clock, by officers D-wdney and Ed
wards OF the ir>t w ard police. He was taken
before justice Drufy, and sent to jail for further
bearing. The report Of Norton death is incor-
rect The wound is in the left side. and has
PROBABLY entered the cavity Of the chest Some
nope Is entertained of his recovery. DIR. J. c.
Fairfax Is in constant attendance upon the unfDr-
tunate man.
VI r. CoNFsRESCE.-The Annual Conference
OF the Methodist Episcopal Church will COM
mence its session at Wesley Chapel, on W ed
nrsday next. Quite a number OF the members
are already here, and strangers officiated yester
day IN the PulYts of most of the churches of that
denomination ia the city.
NJ RylaHd Chapel, on the Island, at eleven
o'clock, an excellent sermon was delivered by
Rev Mr. Speaks, on the text For il is better, if
the will Of God be so, that We suffer for wrll-do
Ing than for -vil-dong for Christ also hath once
Suffered fOr sins, the Just for the unjust, that lie
might bring Us to God, being put to death in the
nrsn, but qnickened by the SPIRIT. list Peter
I'd chdpt-, 18th and 18th verses. The conyrega-
ton Wa, large and attentive
DISCHARGED w r. Foster, who WAS arrested
two weeks since under suspicion of connection
with plot for the assassination of Gen Calhoun,
and also OF bring the Samuel Meredith who was
charged with murder in Tennessee was brought
out Of jail, Tor hearing before Justice DOM on
Saturday night. The Offices had sent tn Ten