Osage Valley banner., 1880-05-20

AS most OF the area swept by the tor1
nado was astream or perfect avalanoh8
Of matter, consisting of dust, sand. I
gravel. stones, brick. lnmbeu. debris OF
wrecked houses, in fact everything !
movable ia its path, hence there was no
hack OF evidence that trees, shrubbery, 1
bushes, etc. were hit with flying mis-
siles, In fact they were completely
poppered with them. The conclusion
was therefore jumped at that all the
denudation of bark was the sole effect
Of hurled missiles assisted by the
wind. II hence became a desidera-
tum TO find locality where no
missiles were flying and whore
the barking Of the trcas wns not on tha
side facing the direction from the
southwest that tho storm was moving.
but in tue direction the tornado was at
the time. Such locality | found on
tae point between two rayines, on the
decliyity OF the hill on which had stood
Judge Barnes house, totally wrecked
by the tornado. II is about one hun
dred yards south of where the road
coming from town. following one ra-
vine north, crosses the ravine coming
from the southeast. about two hundred
yards above the mill. There is a pile Of
wagons and wheels at the crossing The
tornado, after destroying Barnes house,
for n few moments stood still NJ the
base of the hill aud then leapcd upon
the hill east. While standing still its
center was about one hundred and fifty
yards southeast Of the point to which
have reference The trees Mt this point
had lost their bark on the southeast
side, that is on the side facing the tor
nado, and a strong wind--as is shown
by some trees broken down or uproot-
ed-came from the northwest. that is
from the side opposite to that from
which the trees had parted with their
bark. Here were trees standing up
right shattered, rs elsewhere, into thin
strips, no thicker than lath, not like
those which were in the track of the
tornado faciug the direction the storm
came, but in the direction it was then
halhng, that is southwest.
was moreover so fortunate as to
find more than sought, in fact more
than dreamed Of MS existing. found
some trees-black oaks that had lost a
strip OF two OF bark. but all that re-
manned on the tree was separated from
the trunk and some of ii hanging loose.
found the bark entirely detached from
the stem and incasing il like a sheath,
| pulled il of by piecemcal all arohnd
one tree aud down TO the roots. Further
| search resulted In finding hickory
trec-spccieS, cdryn Suicutu, the thick
shelled aud thick-barked hickory--that
also had It's bark detached by an eNplo-
sion from the stem, not one particle of
il gone, however. but most of it hang
ing so loose that il can be shaken. Not
yestig6 can ho seen on the bark Of any
flying missile having struck the tree,
1t is one of the most wonderful, inn
portant and significant physical facts
ever saw. 1t should be secured by some
scientific institution, and, If not for its
scientific Importance, as memento of
one of the most fatal tornadoes on
record. But il will be of inestimable
value for study and information to fu-
ture generations in their researches into
the mysteries of Nature. The tree
stands about a rod northwest of q shat
tered black oak equally as interesting
aud significant, whose top, bowed
southeastward--fo hold there WAS no
wind by the electric attraction Of the
| intense vortex, was prevented from
breaking down by forming brace of a
strip two inches thick, split OF the
| trunk by simultaneous explosion. The
| strip Ia not separated from the trunk at
its ends. The brace makes an angle of
about one hundred and thirty-hve de.
grees 1t Is evidently owing TO the
! simultaneousness of the pull aud ex-
/
fragment, forced out by the explosion,
was prevented from returning by the
shattere trunk bending from the pull
at its tor at the same instant,
brought away specimens OF limbs
| stems from Usage orange hedges and
! tops OF brush that were in the track oi
the tornado. They are not only divest.
| ed of their bark, but the ends of the
| limbs and the smallest twigs even are
| rifted into fine ibers so that they look
! like paint-brushes or httle brooms
There Is a significant fact accompanying
this rifting which gives u olew that un.
ravels the whole mystery. This fact is
that only green branches and twigs arS
rifted into fibers, tho twigs to tho very
stems TO which they are attached. The
dry and dead branches and twigs are
intact.
What explanation can be given o.
these phenomena, and what cause car
be assigned for their oeonrrenceP Their,
is but one explanation that can be given
and but one cause that can be assigned
for all OF them. That explanation i
that they all are the effect of electri,
action, and consequently that electrici
ty Is the cause Of them.
That electricity is the cause Of then
is evident from well-established eleo
trio laws and from well known mode
Of electric action. Becearia. one hun