South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-09-29
TOrnadOes and Water.Spouts.

Z column of black smoke, such as pou
= from the pipes of steamer burning pir
a wood; it is, in fact, condensed vapor
. . cloud, intensified in blackness by the du
y and rubbish carried up from the ground
4 The tornado is shell, or hollow cylil
= !, der of air, and all its energy lies in its II
q tary rim, which is powerfully compresse
! bYtwo antagonistic forces, centrifugal an
q centripetsl. The rapid whirl draws th
! air from the center towards the circumfel
q ence, where it is met and opposed by th
. . inrushiDg winds. There is, c 1nsequently
! a raretaction, a great reduction of TEN
= perature by expansion, and condensation
= of vapor within the shell.
! The spout does not hug the earth con
: tlnuously, but rebounds or TicOctets alonJ
the uneven surface, often skipping tn
, valleys, but generally desolating the hills
1t is disposed, however, ct every recCT
renee 10 strike at the same points. 1t i
not an established fact, but it is commonly
! believed, and with some reason, that tht
tornado does, in the course of years, return
along its beaten pa b, and that it is unsaft
TO build where one has ever passed. A
house in Pickens County stood on a hill
from which log cabin had been blown
away some thirty years befre. l witness
ed the last of three which had passed
along the same track. Ntar fernando,
Miss, three have followed an unvaryiDg
line. 1t is probable that there are some
localities more favorable than others to the
generation of these storms, and if this be
true, then the law of direction, hereafter
explained, accounts for their progress
along the indicated path.
Such an opportunity, as fell to my lot, of
witnessing the formation and course of
tornado is rarely enjoyed, AID the pheno-
mena observed on that occasion are of
great value in illustrating the origin of
these whirlwinds. On the 29th of April,
1867, at ten o'clock, a m, was approach
ing Tuscaloosa, on the Elyton road, the
general direction being east and west
The weather was hot and oppressive, while
perfect calm prevailed both at the sur
lace and in the upper regions, for the
leaves were not stirred upon the trees, and
the heavens were covered with frag-
mentary clouds, perfectly at rest Occa-
sionally large drops of rain tell, and there
was, now and then, lightning. The atmo-
sphere was evidently surcharged with
vapor, and in condition of grea. electri-
cal excitement. At the distance of three |
and half miles from town, an elevated |
ridge, over which the road passed, afforded |
black cloud detached and hanging over
the western horizon. 1t appeared nearly
circular in shape, with the exception of a
slight angular projection, like an inverted
cone, at its lower edge. 1 afterWard as
certained that it was at this time about
five miles distant from me, and culcula-
ton, based upon the estimated angles,
fixed the elevation of its base above the
surface at about fifteen hundred yards,
and its diameter, considering it sphere,
at about six hundred. 1t was entirely at
rest.
The first view of this cloud suggested to
me the possibility of tornado, and 1 {
watched it closely as drove along in my
ouggy--While L was driving, leis0Tely,
more than quarter of a mile. it maintain
ID its position and outline unchanged. at |
ength q farm house with its shade {
rees intercepted the view for about I
minute, and when came again in sight of (
t. the projection beneath the ground ap- /
)ear In violent commotion. There was [
low no longer any doubt Of the character 4
# the phenomenon about to be exhibited,
nd satisfied, from knowledge of the S
General direction of tornadoes, that it s
must come near me, 1 leaped from the il
luggy and released the horse as quickly /
S possible, in order to give him chance il
Or his life. This did not occupy more b
han half minute, and when | turned to d
Ook again, the black column was formed, b
eaching from the cloud to the ground. il
| few moments showed that it was rapid
? approaching. remember noticing D
mall fragments Of cloud moving toward b
from the north, but there was no per- v
eptible breeze where l stood. When b
q mil 6ioto 4 flot |
outh of me, and at this time first OBJ r,
srved the surface drift, which appeared Is
Ike an innumerable flock of birds, flying a,
round the summit of the column, and b
ere, too, the pine tree spoken of emerged h
'om the vortex, and settled slowly to the Ct
arth. The column was now much il
lorter than when first formed; the cloud tc
ad descended much nearer the surface. ii
passed about three hundred yards south OF
my position, and at this point the first
ectric discharge TOOK place. The light OF
ing zigzagged down the column, she'd sc
ing through it lurid glare. The roar b
as deep-toned and powerful. The gyra- Ii
ry motion was distinctly visible When lie
little further on, it became so enveloped III
clouds as to be no longer distinguish W
DE, but knew, by the now frequent bC
,als of thunder, that it was increasing in &C
olence and leveling all things in its oI
lth. fl
This tornado was formed about q mile bI
ID half west of Tuscaloosa, over an ex-
nsive marshy flat, where an observer ht
it as a "big whiJlwind." 1t hi
as not destructive at first but grew in W
lergy as it progressed, and two miles W
ON its starting point threw downa dilap- su
ated building. About six miles from IN
tuscaloosa it struck log cabin in which Sc
ere sitting q woman and several chill su
en-. Every log above the floor was car th
ed away, while the occupants were left ge
injured. Twelve miles further on it sv
Informed similar feat, taking off every NJ
g of house without the slightest hurt to hi
y of the family, all of them having taken pu
fuge within on its approach. This is liz
but there are other like in he
ances well authenticated. and il is COM he
only believed that log house is the DR.
fest retreat The direction of .his tor ed
do was east By 20 north. After its pas m,
ge the air was COO and pleasant, and at be
ur o'clock in the afternoon heavy rain re,
me from the north, followed, for the sla
xt few days, by clear weather with 10,
rihwest winds. SCI
The most remarkable fact disclosed by 10y
e phenomena of this storm is the in bo
rent power of progression which it un- of
les ionably possessed. After the gyra-
N was established, it began st once to tn,
.vel eastward, not driven by any wind, Of
t plowing its own way throug Oh the loC
Inquil atmosphere with tremendous wi
eed. Here is presented g problem, be,
nich, so far as know, has not hereto. Sh
re been propounded Its solution is Yc
portant to the science Of meteor an
1gy. The fact that tornadoes in viz
riably move from southwest to wi
g northeast is well established, as also or
g fact that, by an impulse ACQUIRED from thC
e eatth's melton on its axis, they gyTate tn;
I'm north to west by south. This back wa
1rd gyratioL is thus explained; all paral- cor
g Of latitude decrease in diameter, and thi
erefore in circumference, as we 60 to-
Irds the poles of the earth. As they all las
TolVe in twenty four hours, it follows wi
1t every one, approaching the pole on by
her side of the equator, moves around thi
're slowly than the one preceding it SOC
lerefore, current moving southwark, TO Ms
e vortex of tornado in the northern Go
misphere, finds that vortex rotating a u