The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-07-07
The Era Of Tornadoes.

the years 1881, '82. '83, and even up to
the year 1885, would be characterized
by the existence of meteorological dis
turbances of an unusual severity. That
there has been, within the last two
years. a very exceptional era of storm.
of extremes of heat and cold, and of
other uncommon phenomena will not
be disputed. How far this condition
arises from the position of several great
planets with reference to the sun will
not be defined by this journal, for the
reason that it would be an impertinence
for laymen to pass authOritatively on
points concerning which there is diff
ference OF opinion among the astronom-
ical profession. 1t is, however, to be
said in favor of one class of the latter
that they announced some three years
ago that this planet would be visited by
exceptional storms; and it only remains
to complete their triumph that they
should demonstrate that the '.area of
disturbance" is of sufficient dimensions
to escape the charge of being no more
than a local and an exceptional region
which bears no considerable relation to
the whole of the planet which was to be
affected.
But the main consideration of the peo-
pie of this country, and particularly
those who live in the West where these
tornadOes are of so frequent occurrence,
is not SO much as to whether these out
breaks are caused by the coincidence of
the perihelia of several of the great
planets, but as to what are their imme-
date cause. and the probability that
something may be done to control them,
either in their formation or their course.
1t may seem to many good people pre-
sumptuous interference with the de-
signs of Providence to suggest that
something should be done to avert these
calamities, as they look on them as
punishments sent down for the correc-
ton of sinful men. Still, mankind has
not hesitated to invent and employ the
lghtning-rod; and i we can do that and
live, it may be that we should be just!-
fed in endeavoring to mitigate the ca
lamitOus seventies of these Grant cy-
clones. Science has determined the
origin. the birthplace, the feeding
ground, SO TO speak, of these destructive
agencies; their course after having once
grown to full dimensions that's to say,
the general direction of their movement,
their size, the speed of their march. the
manner in which they affect annihila-
ton of that which impedes their prog
ress-all these facts are known. 1t
would seem that we are long way to-
ward finding remedy for difficulty
when we have SO thoroughly mastered
its character. When it was finally set
tied that the cholera had a specific birth
place, that it always moved from that
point in given direction, and at a
measurable speed, the problem of how
to deprive it of its deadly qualities was
more than three-fourths solved.
1t is said that waterspOuts at sea may
be shivered by the firing of heavy guns.
We know that accumulated electricity
may be drawn off harmlessly by the use
of metallic conductors. In describing
the movement of the late cyclone which
devastated Grinnell, it is said that the
serried ranks of the storm moved in q
northeasterly direction till they crossed
the track of the railway, when their
course was changed to the southwest.
Drowning men catch at straws was
there anything in this iron railway
which induced this change of direction,
or which brought the whirling vortices
of the disturbance from the upper air
till their ends trailed on the earth?
Again, it is fact worthy of note that
these monsters rarely move across a
country without taking in their course
some of the settled places. Now, if it
were the case that there is nothing in q
town to attract one of these aerial cata.
pults it would be more likely than not
to miss striking settled locality, for the
reason that in any State like Iowa the
areas occupied by the towns is so small
compared with the unsettled portions
that the chance of cyclone striking the
former would be almost infinitesimal.
Who ever hears of a cyclone that con-
fines itself to the open country? The
last one reported from Iowa diverged
from its original course as if for the ex-
press purpose of reaching the town
which it destroyed. Cyclones are not
sentient; they do not reason; they have
no hatreds to crafty. If they change
their course across the open country so
as to strike town, it is for some reason
or cause which should be within the
comprehension and, possibly. the con-
troll of the scientist.
If it shall be that the Investigations of
scientific men can find no protection
against the attacks of these atmospheric
squadrons; if they can discover no
method by which their course can be
diverted when it leads to village, then
it will be necessary for people to con-
struct their houses so as to avoid some
of the dangers by which they are now
so constantly menaced and so often
overthrown. There should be under
ground retreats constructed, whose COW
erings should present no opposing sur
face to the forces of the storm. During
the season of the year when these aerial
maelstroms are launched from the arid
arsenals OF the desert plains, sentinel
should be on watch night and day, and
who, when the convoluted masses are
seen on the horizon, should signal the
danger to the people. The plan is a
feasible one; the cost of such a method
of protection would be small; the few
weeks during which the enemy may be
expected are known; and in this way,
until science has discovered universal
preventative, the men and women of
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