Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-06-20


from the northwest, and the sky over
cast with clouds from early morning.
In the neighborhood Of Irving, where
the loss was the greatest, the clouds APP
peared in light colored Masses. con-
stantly changing, until about o'clock
they banked in the northwest and west
in huge black masses, and current OF
hot air came up from the southwest
which appeared to hurl them in
wreaths like battle clouds one upon an
other. II was about o'clock when the
citizens were startled TO see wild,
funnel-shaped cloud appear in the west
and sweep onwardin awful majesty, az
If to doom their town to destruction"
Note here that there was n strong cur
rent from the northwest, which ceased,
the next wind coming very hot from
TIE south, while heavy clouds appear in
the quarter from whence the wind orig
inally came. What caused the clouds
Nothing but the cold current condens-
ing the moisture in the warm current.
The two currents were almost in equilib-
rum, one pushing the other back very
slowly. Suddenly in their plane Of meet
ing appear an abrupt break in the
ground, and the cold current rushes
down il with roar, the hot current
whiring over it. Tho tornado has be.
gun. Down the ravine it PUSHES, and
the oscillation becomes more violent
every moment. Once begun, it zlgzags
to and fro, as first one current, then the
other, has the mastery. Crossing to level
ground the zigzag appears to mount up
into the sky, but wherever the country
becomes broken down to earth il comes
again. In leaving Kansas for Missouri
it makes II jump Of some miles, and
mark what the telegram says about its
coming down "Ncar Minneapolis, Otta-
wa county, the track left by the storm
was eighty yards wide. II formed on
the Saline river, in the south part Of the
county, blowing down several houses,
and crossed over the Solomon river,
passing northwest of the town about
four mil ~, unrooling houses, killing
stock, blowing down houses and killing
and wounding the inmates. The track
of the storm here was not more than
eighty rods wide and ten or fifteen miles
X.
down north OF the Solomon.
Note that it "formed on the Saline
river" probably between deep bluils),
and crossed MT once to another river.
Mark, also, what it does whenever n
ravine happens to lie directly in its path:
"Huge trees, two and three feet in di-
nmeler, have been twisted away. and in
one instance il swept along the bed of u
ravine and lifted out Of Its narrow walls
every stick of timber and carried them
away. The bed of that ravine looks NJ
if ii had been swept by fire"
All these little incidents will very
likely lead the reader to suspect where
in lies the golden rule of safety against
tornadoes and II warning to those with
in THEN track" IL il this: Tornadoes
nre formed by abrupt descents and RI
vines, especially those running east and
west or midway betty oen those points
and tho poles. Therefore, never build
in such situations" The WnllingCord
tornado Of Inst year was very striking
illustration Of the danger OF building in
valleys when tornndoes are liable to oc-
cur. The storm 2igzagged across the
little valley Of Waling(ord till it came
to school house mt the edge Of de-
clivity, and running partly down it. The
storm destroyed all Of that building on
the side of tho hill, but left standing the
part on the table land above. Such
might be picked out of the
Kansas tornado, feel assured, did the
reporters feel impressed with the import
nnce of describing the topography of
the country over which the storm pass-
ed. AS il is hardly II word il said ON
thnt subject, of all others the NEST inn
portant. There is plenty Of descriptions
Of the funncl-shaped cloud" the
roaring" the "black mud" beaten into
the skins of the dcad--al repettions OF
the experience OF every American tor
nado, but hardly word NJ to the to.
Biography OF tho country NJ it regulated
with merring laws the course Of the
storm. In the only places where n
word Of Typographical Information oc-
ours il shows that the storm came to
earth ut II river and ragged its iiorcest
up ravinc.
Hoping that this letter may excite
enough interest in the subject to lead to
nm honest investigation of the track of
tho Kansas tornado, nm investigation
that shall DO unfcttcred with the red
tape Of cyclonic theories" nm yours,
respectfully, LAuNcE PoyNrz.