The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-27
Suggestions Regarding TOrnadOes.

General Hazen, Chief Signal Oheer, is pay
ing much attention to the subject of tOrnadoes
with a view of obtaining so clear a knowledge
of this class of storms that some of their evils
may be mitigated. All who live in regions
that are liable to be often visited by these de-
structve winds will be interested to know that
already Sergeant Finley is about to start out to
investigate the track of the storms which
swept over Michigan, Iowa and Illinois on the
9Th inst. Sergeant Finley has done some very
valuable work on this subject. Last year the
Signal Service issued as one of its professional
papers very important monograph on the
character of the storms of My % and june 30,
1879. The paper was very elaborate, and there
IS now in press another professional paper by
the same writer. which contains tabulated
statements of 600 tornadoes and some general
fzations from their facts, with some sugges-
tions as to the method that ought to
be pursued in the investigation of the
storms. The 600 storms cover a period
of eighty-seven years and the whole
country. Their examination leads to the
conclusion that tornadoes occur most fire.
quently in summer and in the month of June.
They have occurred, however, more frequent
ly in April than in July. and i'm May and Sep
tember than in August Kansas is the State
that has been most afflicted and that notwlth-
standing the fact that the period during which
tornadoes have visited it has been compara~
lively short. The State has had 81 tornadoes
from 1859 to 1881; Illinois has had ST. from 1854
to 1881; Missouri II, from 1914 to 1881; New
York 30. from 1881 to 1881; Georgia 63 from
1854 to 1881; Iowa 81, from 1854 to 1881; Ohio 2s
from 1928 to 1881; Indiana 27, from 1852 TO 1889.
The States and Territories that have had only
one each from 1874 to 1881 are Colorado. Cali
fornia, Indian Territory, Nevada, New Mexico,
Montana, Rhode Island, West Virginia and
Wyoming.
The storms occur most frequently from five
to six in the afternoon, although there is no
hour of the day that has been entirely free
from them. The average width of the path of
destruction is LOSS feet, and each storm-cloud
runs with velocity OF from twelve to sixty
miles. The wind within the vortex sometimes
attans velocity of 800 miles an hour, the
average velocity being 392 miles.
Among the most valuable suggestions of tho
paper are those with reference to the pecuI-
iarity of the movements of tornado clouds,
containing rules for arriving at their yiolence.
A tornado cloud always has a center, and it al
ways moves forward from west to east IT
may, however sway from side to side in its
progressive movement. Changes I'm motion
are sometimes very sudden. In the event Of
sudden change, the observer who is east or
south of east of the storm should move quick
ly to the south. If he is northeast, he should
move to the north. If within very short dis
tance Of the cloud, the observer should run
east bearing to the south. This indicates the
character of the directions which have been
given for the avoidance of the disastrous ef-
feet of storms. The examination that Ser
geant Finley VIII make OF the recent storms
viii be very thorough, and General Hazen ex-
poets that it will add greatly TO the knowledge
OF tornadoes.-- Washington (Apra Is) Special TO
CHICAGO Tribune.