Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-22
EARTHQUAKES VS.. CYCLONES.

/ An Eastern lady excursionist who was
about taking the cars yesterday for return
home after several weeks spent in California,
remarked that she should enjoy living in this
State were it not for being in constant fear
of earthquakes. The impression of unsafety
on this coast, from earthquakes, is not an IN
common one sin the States, but is immedi-
ately forgotten by residence here; and
white this part OF terra hrma has given an
occasional unpleasant oscillation, they have
not for many years past been any more
frequent marked than upon the Atlantic
slope. The question of comparative safety
to terrestrial mortals would be an interesting
one, taking into comparison the frequent &C.
curing cyclones which pervade the States
east of the Rocky Mountains, which form a
portion of the teegraphic tidings of nearly
every day, and which consist not merely of a
sensational vibration under foot, but devas
tating and destroying villages and their in
habitants and everything coming within Its
course The destructive element in these
cyclones is the extreme velocity of the wind.
and although our north winds sometimes de-
velop strength which is commented upon,
comparison of them with those referred
to at the East affords no opportu-
nifty for estimation. The greatest We
this point since the Signal Corps Station
was established here in July, 1877, is 40
miles per hour, which occurred May 6, 1873,
during north wind, and which velocity pro-
duced pressure or force of 80 pounds to the
square foot. The next greatest velocity was
on December 10, 1879, from the south, when
SO miles per hour was registered. The recent
norther, which is still fresh in mind, and
which by turning in irregular and fragment
airy fire alarms, tipping over trees and sign
boards, shaking buildings and committing
other Irregularities was regarded as an unu-
sually severe wind-storm, only reached a rate
of 30 miles per hour, occurring upon May
30th, the pressure from which was 12-100
pounds to the square foot. This furnishes a
basis from which some conception can be
gained of the destructive and irresistible power
and force attending the cyclones which have
produced such disastrous loss of life and
property in the East. Owing to the fact that
there were no signal stations where most of
these occurred, the velocity in the storms
producing the greatest destruction is not
definitely known. A tornado at Leaven-
worth, Ks, on April 18th last, which only
resulted in unroofing few buildings, was
measured by the thermometer at the Uni
versity in that city, and was shown to be
travelling at the rate of eighty miles per
hour, with a corresponding pressure of thirty
two pounds to the square foot, or twice the
velocity and four times the pressure of the
highest recorded here. This is the only in
stance in which any Of the Eastern hurri-
canes are known to have been measured,
and in most cases If an thermometer had been
in the track of one of the cyclones to pry into
the manner and velocity of its doings, it
would not have been there two seconds after
one of these Jewelers. reached it. So it is just
as well to save the wind instruments by keep
ing them in safe place and guess at the mat.
ter when It is passed. Ii the effect OF the
storm at Leavenworth alluded to, with q
velocity of eighty miles per hour, or travelling
one and one-third miles per minute, and
pressure of thirty-two pounds per square foot,
was destructive only to the extent of requir-
ing the adjustment Of an occasional roof,
which perhaps needed overhauling any
how, that storm could only have been
gentle zephyr compared with the
cyclones at Marshfield and other places,
when, in some instances, not only every
building and structure of every class was
blown down or picked up and carried in the
air to be dashed to atoms, accompanied with
immense loss Of life, and oak trees several
feet in diameter twisted from the earth
and carried like chaff i'll the storm, and the
bark literally stripped from the trunks while
travelling in mid air, but railroad locomotives
weighing thirty-fye tons or more were picked
up and carried from their tracks, and bowl
ders of several tons caught up and playfully
spun about in the air, and then sent back
upon the ground with a force which buried
them. Il would be of interest 70 people liv-
ing in this earthquake region to have
some data as to the actual velocity
and pressure in such storms as this, but
there is no register of them. In January
last, during gale upon Mount Wash
ington, the wind reached velocity of
Us miles per hour, or nearly two and one
third miles per minute, which made 80
pounds pressure per square foot; but no such
destructive effects were produced as in these
cyclones, from which it would seem that
there must have been even much higher
rate in the latter. From this cursory glance
at the case upon the question of terrestrial
shortcomings, the average Californian will
agree with the answer given to the excursion.
lists fears: '' We are content with our earth
quakes, but keep your cyclones at the East.