The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-04-07
COLUMBIA, S.
Wednesday Morning, April z, 1875.
Tho Tornado.

&hlS country, unS IuIn1Sne0 an interest.
ing communication to the Augusta
Chronicle anu Sentinel, on the recent tor
.nado and its causes. The explanation
of this destructive meteorological phe-
nomena strikes MS Ms being plausible and
we'll based. We should have been
pleased to have had "a fuller explanation
of the probable formation of the cold
upper current of air coming from the
tropics and travelling Northeast. The
phenomena to which, in connection with
: the lighter, warmer and moro humid air
near the earth's surface, it gave rise, in
their origin and effects, are presented in
such way as to take from them much
of the mystery and suddenness with
which we have associated them.
"We infer" says Prof Brown, "thnt
ON upper current Of cold, heavy air
possibly due to the ecounter-trade Winds
with rapid velocity passed across the
State in direction North or East. This
current moving in Che upper atmosphere
would press down by its weight upon
the lower stratum of humid, warm and
consequently light air at and near the
surface of the earth. The great velocity
of the Hypothetical upper current of air
is reasonably accounted for, when we re-
member, that air, with the velocity of the
rotation of the earth at the equator,
brought near our latitude, would have
an Eastwardly motion of more than 100
miles per hour. This condition, with
the heavy air on top and the lighter be-
low, would be one of unstable equili-
brium, and at that point where there
WAS the least resistance in tho cold down
pressing air, the warm, humid air from
below would rush rapidly upward to
produce equilibrium. This ascending
column Of air would create. partial
vacuum, and the air from the surround
ing parts rushing towards this partial
vacuum would in their interpassing pro-
duce whirl or rotation. The warm,
humid air passing upwards would have
Its vapor condensed, and thus form the
tdense black cloud that stood out 30 pro-
minently as q huge vertical cylinder.
The rotary motion Of the ascending CO.
lumn of air, being once formed, would
continue, and as the upper current of
cool. heavy mir moved, so would the tor
nado follow its lead, in its constant
efforts to restore equilibrium of pressure.
This upper current moving towards the
Northwest, we conceive, determined the
velocity and direction of the tornado
The current of warm, moist air ascend
ing in the upper regions caused the
vapor to be condensed, which subse-
quently fell in the form of rain, and
when carried to height above the snow
line, fell in the form of hail. Inequality
"f pressure in this upper heavy, down
pressing current, caused tornadoes to
spring up in different parts of it's path.
Hence we have accounts of different
storms and of the storm dividing
"The electricity manifested in the storm
cannot be regarded as q cause, but
rather as an effect. The electricity in
the ascending column of warm humid
air, decomposed by the inductive action
Of the earth, restored its equilibrium in
flashes of electric light that exhibited
the appearance of million of matches
lighted at once and at times by rapid
the vertical cloud. When the tornado
crossed river, the partial vacuum in
the central columns manifested itself by
the sudden upheaval of column Of
water. The destructive effects of the
storm are accounted for by the con-
tinued and rapid velocity of large
body of air rushing towards O partial
vacuum. A cubic yard of air weighs
about two pounds. Now, if we suppose
q column of air 400 yards long or greater,
impe!led against an obstacle with the
velocity acquired by rushing into a
partial vacuum, we would have cause
sufficient to produce very destructive
effects, equal to those manifested by our
terrible visitant. There was q grent tu-
multi and warning of the elements in the
upper regions of the atmosphere on the
10th, throughout our latitude The
nprush of the humid light mir, to pro-
duce equilibrium, from strata above the
earth, caused UNUSUAL hail storms in
many localities. When this equilibrium
in the atmosphere was restored by air
from strata above the surface of the earth,
flowing upwards, the effects were only
visible in the rapid formation of STORM
clouds, and the subsequent fall of rain
and hail, and not in destructive effects
on the surface Of the earth.
This theory Of on upper currant of
cool, heavy air blowing towards the
Northeast, accounts for the destructive
appearance and cylindrical form of the
storm cloud, for it's direction and We
iocity, for the subsequent rain and hail,
for the absence of visible effects in Dor.
tions Of the State in the line of the path.
for the light manifested in the storm
cloud, for its extraordinary destructive
effects, and also for its short duration
and limited area at any one place"
-~-o-e-
Good.
The dispatches from Connecticut are