The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-05-06
Water Spouts.

One OF the most singular ana least
understood Of the phenomena con-
nected with the agency Of electricity
is the formation of Water Spouts.
The evidence is complete that the
influence of electricity is very largely
concerned In these wonderful gyra-
tons, but whether as cause or effect
is not so clear. They are most fire.
quently observed at sea, though some
times they appear in an imperfect
form in lakes or upon other small boz
dies Of water. And even on land, es-
pecially in mountainous regions a com
motion in the clouds, attended by an
immense fall of rain, has often occur
red, presenting appearances closely an
alogous in their nature to those of
the regular water spouts as observed
at sea. q
The first indication Of the forma-
ton of a water-spout observed by the
seamen on board their, ship consists
of the gradual concentration and set
ting down of a mass of dark and he
avy clouds over the sea, accompanied
by great agitation of the waters i'm
mediately under it. The mass of wa
ter soon begins to show tendency to
rise in a tumultuous heap towards
the cloud, which, in its turn, evinces
a tendency to descend to meet it.
Both the rising wave and the de-
scending cloud move together over the
sea, whirling, as they go, in sort of
waltz as fantistic as tits sublime. At
lentgh the ascending apex Of the water
and the de cending apex of the cloud
meet and join, the united mass drift
ing before the wind in the form of a
vast spiral column, in which water
and cloud are undisting uishably
blended.
The connection Of electricity with
phenomenon is indicated by the fact
that at the moment when the upper
and lower formations meet, a, flash of
lightning is often seen to dart from one
to the other, showing that water and
the cloud are in opposite electrical con-
ditions at the moment before they
unite. Besides this there are some ex-
periments which may be made with
electricity artifcially exciteu, in which
effects are produced which seem IN a
considerable degree analogous to those
witnessed in this phenomenon--sufi-
GENTLY SO to increase the probability
that the agency of electricity is in some
way involved, though it is not known
in precisely what manner or to what
extent.
Not the least singular of the things
to be observed In respect to water
spouts is the mode adopted by sea-
men for breaking and dispensing them
which is by shooting them, as it were,
by guns or cannon. If the seamenI
find that the whirling column is
drifting away from them, or moving
IN such a direction as not to cross the
track Of the ship, they leave it usual
ly to finish its dance as it pleases.--
But if they find it coming toward them
they train all their guns upon it that
they can muster, under the idea that
either the impact Of the shot or the
conclusion of the sound will break the
charm, and make it burst and disap-
pear, like a touched bubble. The con-
sequences of allowing it to move on
Its way, with the risk Of bursting over
the ship when it should come into
contact with the masts and rigging,
would probably be fatal to all on
board. The result would almost Ger
tainly be the deluging Of the decks
and the laundering Of the vessel
Jacob Abbott, an Haaper'S Magazine