The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-06-21
WESTERN STORMS.
A New Theory by Professor Tice.

enlist of st. Louis, has been investi-
eating the phenomena connected with
the remarkable cyclone which lately
desolated Marshfeld, Missouri. He
expresses the opinion that all of this
class of local tornadoss, which are 30
disastrous in their results, are not wind
storms at all, but electrical storms.
There was no wind with the Marshfield
terpado. 1t passed over without harm,'
ing the building which had wooden
roofs, but destroyed all that had any
metal about them. Every building in
the path of the tornado which had tin
roof was swept away. A mill situated
over a quarter of mile away from the
center of the disturbance had its iron
chimney torn out and carried long
distance, but was not otherwise in
iured. The cupola OF the public build.
ing at Marshfield, which had tin roof,
was wrecked, but the building, which
was rooted with shingles, was left un.
injured In the forests the bark was
stripped from all sides of the trees
without respect to the direction of the
wind. The ends Of the branches were
not only denuded of leaves and bark,
but were split up into fine tibers until
they looked like brooins. Effects OF
this sort, Professor Tice contends,
could not be produced by wind, but are
often. the result of electrical action.
Under it's influence the sap under the
bark of trees is instantly vaporized,
expanding two thousand fold in volume
and furnishing an explosive force which
nothing can resist. The further proof
of this theory is found IN the fact that
the dead and dry limbs and twigs were
not affected, and, though in immediate
contact with green ones, remained in
tact. These storms. moreover, as Pro-
fessor Tice remarks, generally follow
RA "&tSi NVu' 'Ons A'NiA
locity is tremendous. William Ferrell,
of the Uuited States Coast Survey, read
paper on this interesting subject at
the recent meeting of the New York
Academy OF Sciences, in which he de-
scribed the motion OF these cloud
bursts, aud attempted to explain their
causes. The primary cause, he as
sumes, is the difference in the density
OF the atmosphere, arising from huctua-
tions Of temperature, these sudden
changes being very competent to gener-
ate or direct electric force OF an intense
sort. A portion of heated air surround
ed by other air of a colder temperature
produces a sort Of chimney or funnel,
the heated air ascending rapidly and
giving a gyratory motion TO It's envelope
OF colder air. These movements tend
constantly 20 increase III rapidlty and
violence. Upon this assumption OF
difference OF only thirty millimetres
between the heated air aud that which
surrounds it, Mr.. F~rrcl says there will
be an ascending velocity OF ST meters
per second, even when due allowance is
made for the retarding friction of the
earth. This is equal to a velocity OF
about 4S yards per second, or l.6 mile
per minute. or So miles per hour. The
initial velocity oi cannon balls is only
about 400 feet per second, so that the
whirl OF these cyclones is within tenth
part as great as the force Of gunpomder.
Mr.. Ferrel claims that the recorded
facts prove that his estimates are not
sxtravagant. Ia the Signal Service re-
port of tornado ut Mount Carmel, IN
Illinois, in 1877, there is the account Of
church steeple, gilded ball and vane
which were carried fifteen miles through
the air They must ha.ea been sus-
pended in the air for 20 o. 30 minutes
Ii a current OF air moving at this ve-
locity, and bearing with IL; a large
volume OF water, strike the earth at
any point, we nave second "clont
burst" The current is arrested by tho
obstacles AMI discharges all ltsbody,ot
water at once.
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