New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-06-02

wire ana drop O1Watef on the end
Of It; in the other end he put another
wire in contact with the water. Both
wires were part of circuit in connec-
ton with . Leyden jar. In passing a
discharge through the circuit, the glass
ball was dispersed into dust. What
was the cause of this explosion and
consequent dispersion2
One pound of water measures 22.752
cubic inches. If the water be gasified
it will make 1882 cubic inches of gas,
that is ID, 9S4 cubic inches of oxygen
gas and 1888 cubic inches of hydro
gen. The water, therefore, in being
gasitied, dilates about two thousand
times in volume. The passage of the
electric current electrolyses, that is
CASTLES, as simultaneously the water as
fire explodes gunpowder. The drop of
water hence was simultaneously ex-
banded to two thousand times it's orig
inal volume, and this shattered the glass
ball into fine dust.
The sap under the bark and in the
body of green wood was in the lorna
do Instantly gasified by the bursting up
from the earth of a negative electric
current to meet the positive electrici-
ty descending on the cloud-spout. An
explosion was the consequence; the sap,
or rather the water in it, was expanded
by Justification two thousand times in
volume, throwing off the bark. shatter-
ing the trunk and rifting the green
tWigs into minute fbers. That this
was what took place is proven conclu-
sively by the fact that the dead and dry
limbs and twigs were not affected, and,
though in immediate contact with green
ones, remained intact.
|: The great affinity of tornadoes for
bodies Of water, for railroads, for me-
tallic roofs, for anything made of metal
or containing it, is explained upon the
same principle. Metals are the best
conductors Of electricity known. They,
hence, respond with the greatest alac-
rity to the inductive action of the cleo
trio cloud, and confront it with higher
charges of electricity than any other
objects upon the surface of the earth.
The most violent electric explosions,
hence, occur at the points covered by
metals. Every one conversant with
electric laws knows that this will be the
natural and inevitable result.
I could take up seriatim all the phe-
nOmena attending tornadoes and dem
onstrate that they are the effects of
electricity, but I have neither time nor
space to devote to that purpose. One
more remark and l will close. That
tornadoes are electric phenomena is
beyond controversy. All experience
and observation prove it conclusively.
This proof is amply furnished in their
aspect, if it we're in nothing else. The
funnel-shaped pitch black cloud-spout
depending and dangling from the buff
colored or deep orange upper cloud in
dicates it. A fiery red core is some-
times in this jet-black spout; sometimes
green, blue and red flames run all
around and over the lower end of the
spout as though it were on fire; at
other times the spout has dull leaden
core like burning candle surrounded
by haze with phosphorescent glow
These aspects arc constantly changing,
and endure but for a moment.
At some points after this last most
wonderful meteor had passed fire balls
brought up the rear, exploding like
rockets; at other points electric cur
rents for half an hour flowed through
iron rails and wires. A telegraph used
by boys in Marshfield to learn the art
of telegraphing was thus affected for
more than thirty minutes afterward
That water was gasitied by the tornado
is proven by the odor of sulphur, or
rather phosphorus, along the track.
This odor was ozone, and ozone is
oxygen gas just liberated from its COM
bination with other elements.
JOHN H. TICE.