Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-06-08
Storms and Tornadoes In the Lower
Missouri Valley.

Signal Onccr, III charge u the OhA'ou S'e~
Weather Bureau at Washington, D. C.'1
have established my headquarters at Kansas
City. Mo-, a point admirably well fitted by
the reason of the completeness Of its mail.
telegraph and railroad facilities, for the
prosecution of my labors in the effort to
carefully investigate the tornadoes OF 1881
and study the general features OF violent
wind storms. I shall give my individual
attention to the tornadoes of what may be
termed the Lower Missouri Valley, EN-"
bracing the States of Kansas, Nebraska
Missouri and Iowa. 1t is within this region
that tornadoes occur with the greatest ire
nuency. the most unexampled violence, the
most marked regularity and with the most
complete manifestation of their peculiar
characteristics.
Here is an opportunity for complete ana
satisfactory study of the phenomena OF tor
nadoes, which is afforded in no other re-
zion of the United States. l hope his year
to take an advanced step in the work ana
nresent such information to the pubic As
will result in practical good to all concerned.
Besides the work of investigating any par,
ticular storm, with a view TO gain new anu
important truths, desire to push the labor
of ascertaining more definitely the conoi-
tions precedent to the formation OF lorna.
does in general, the phenomena and laws OF
cloud development, the velocity ana po~e.
Of the centripetal currents within the cieud
vortex. the arrangement of suitable plans
preparatory to an effort to warn commuhl-
ties In advance of the tornado, OF condltlons
favorable to its formation, and. lastly, TO
prepare and disseminate such Information
as will direct people how to act in delense
of their lives, and to a certain extent thelr
property. during the approach ana passage
of the tornado cloud. TO accomplish THESE
results l need the hearty co-operatioh OF
Lower Missouri Valley. l want every one
who can to give me any facts concerning
tornado of the present or past, occurring
either in the year 1882 or at any time during
the past fifty years or more. Much can De
| done by the press of the Missouri Valley to
aid in this great work, and trust that there
| will be no lack Of active sympathy: nope
| that through your columns you Will succeed
| in so encouraging belief in the Importance
| and necessity of the work that your su bscrib-
| ers contributors and readers Will Hood me
| with facts, facts, facts l desire every one to
| become familiar, as far as it Is possible, with
now contemplated, and with view to aid
| in the accomplishment OF this object, the
| following questions and remarks are pub
| lished. which embrace many OF the most
! important points:
THE QUESTIONS.
| l. What day of the month and at what time OF
| the day did the tornado cloud pass. Take great
care in giving, the exact tune. Perhaps you
|
passage of a railroad train. 80
2 Give the position of your house with respect
| to the nearest poetoffice. Indicate the same In
miles and parts of miles or rods; state the dis:
| lance in northing and casting, northlng ana
| Wrestling, southing and casting, and southing and
| westing, estimated along section and township
| lines.
/ house situated from the center OF the path OF
/ destruction? 3.En far.
4 Give the direction and distance from your
| house to your various farm buildings, if posi-
| BILE drawing plan of the same and indicating
the points of the compass This plan need only
/ e. Give the Dimensions of your buildings and
state the character of each as to whether they
| are log. frame. stone or brick, and weak OF
6. In drawing plan Of your buildings indi-
cate the position Of the tornado path with re-
the tornado cloud moved.
z. State in detail and separately the damage to
taken away or injured; how far, and in what di-
rection were they moved bodily: what portion
each by ns asw
and pec &c Of buildings Which We're
which were destroyed.
8. Be particular 70 note any evidence of the
winds extreme violence: as IN the Lifting of
heavy objects; the twisting of trees or heavy
pieces of timber, pulling up of fenceposts; re-
moving heavy stones, etc, etc. s
NAL or object. never fail to give the distance
and direction of such person: animal OBJ
at the time the tornado cloud passed.
TO- In general. when giving the position of
the path of destruction, state the distance in
feet or rods and the direction north or
south. ss "s set9t Ma
| H. Give the maximum and minimum width
in yards or rods, OF the path of destruction in
| r. Give the direction of the wind while the
tornado cloud was approaching: while the lorna
do cloud was passing and after the tornado
49, The direction of the wind during the fora
part of the day and up to the time of the first
threatening appearance In the heavens.
/ IA. / he prevailing direction of the wind at
| this season of the year.
Is. Give the general atmospheric conditions of
clouds, for from ten to fifteen days previous to
the occurrence of this tornado and from three
16 Give the direction of the whirl of the tor.
nado cloud, as against or with the hands of
H. Vas the day unusually warm and sultrv?
| Give the maximum temperature, if possible
and state the hour at which it was observed. to
| gether with the direction of the wind and state
of the sky existing at the time.
10 What had been about the average daily
temperature. also the maximum and minimum
together with the Ompanying directions OF
| the wind, for eight or ten days previous to the
occurrence Of the tornado, and Tor three days
49, Send any newspaper article concerning the
| storm which you may have. obtain with
| 90 Give the name and address of any one in
your State who Is IN the habit of keeping me
| and would like instructions.
81: In all descriptions Of the tornados path;
In giving any particular destruction in it, in de-
failing your experience while the tornado cloud
was passing. be careful to state on which side
Of the center to the north or to the south aud
how far( the damage occurred or you were situ-
q Do you know of any one who made obser-
vations on the presence of ozone in the atmos-
phere on the day Of the storm? If go, send me
their address or give the result of the OBSERVE
| tons. ~ - $50
%. Do you know Of any one who made obs er-
| vations with the galvanometer or compass con-
day Of the storm, especially while the tornado
| cloud was passing given point?, If So send
me their address or give the result Of their OBJ
servations.
"a. Sketches of clouds. of PECULIAR destructive
lustrate any Distinguishing feature of the
storm 9 violence are very desirable.
Is. If you recall the occurrence in times mat
Of any violent hail storm in your State rive the
place, year month, day of month. hour of day.
direction of the storm, maximum and mini
mum width of path in rods or miles, size and