The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-06-29
THEI.AW OF CvCLONEs.

81. Louis GlODe DemOcraI: II IL
theory of the modern weather guessers,
now generally accepted, that great
storms and so-called exceptional atmos-
pheric disturbances are not due to oc-
cult or transient causes, but have their
origin in the operation of exact and
unvarying laws, and their coming is
gradual and according TO self-repeating
system, and their results orderly, uni.
form and as explainable as a problem
in astronomy. They do not agree, how
ever, in the application of the theory;
and hence, while they may be of one
mind regarding general result within,
say, given year, their predictions differ
as TO close aui particular dates, which
must inevitably be the case until science
| shall reconcile the various conflicting
ideas of calculation, and give US fixed
and proved plan Of reasoning accepted
causes TO definite results. Mr.. Vennor,
for instance, bases his prophecies upon
the fact of recurring cycles, about which
there can be no doubt; but the difficulty
conditions that cover so much ground.
so to speak, and therefore he too fire.
quently fails in attempting to name Ger.
tain dates and places. His theory may
be sound as a theory, but it is not practi'
cal. The same may be said, to q con,
siderable extent, of Prof. Tice's theory
of the equinoxes, which is correct, per-
haps, in an abstract sense, but subject to
such casual variations and interferences
that it can not safely be relied upon In
representations for particular times
and localities.
In so far as concerns cyclones, or tor
nadoes, of which the present year has
been so remarkably prolific, the investi.
cations have been specially searching,
and the points determined, taken in con.
nection with the abundant historical
data, leave little room to doubt that such
storms, quick and terrible as they are,
owe their origin to established and defin-
able causes, and expend their fury &C
cording to rule as simple as that OF
the tanning zephyr or the swaying of q
grass blade. We know now beyond
question that all terrestrial effects, ex.
cepting only the phenomenon of the
tides, are referable to solar influence
The sun is the center and the autocrat
and the earth obeys It's whims and
changes in spite of everything else. We
know, too, that the aurora is electrical
and due to extraordinary commotiOu
| on the surface of The sun; and observa
ton has demonstrated that the relation
between the aurora and the cyclone, Oh
tornado, is pronounced direct and indis
putable. In other words, the scientists
| generally concur in declaring the tor
nado, like the earthquake, to be oil
| electric agency. It comes always at q
period of extraordinary solar activity
and its direction, like that of the earth,
| quake, is always constant, i. e., from
south vest to northeast. The cyclone OF
April in Kansas, Missouri and other
sections was preceded-foretOld, we
might put it-by the wonderful auroral
| display OF April 10, and the more recent
similar storm closely succeeded the au-
roral manifestation of June 10, and in
both instances the course OF the storm
WAS from southwest To northeast.
Ii is commended, furthermore, that
| seasons of extraordinary solar activity,
| like the present, in which tornadoes are
| specially prevalent, occur in measured
ranges of about twenty-five years, grad
ually subsiding through similar periods,
| and completing a cycle in a fraction
| over ten years. The records for hun
dreds of years show that the years of the
most terrible and frequent cyclones,
hurricanes and hail storms correspond
| distinctly with these ranges and cycles
! of solar activity; and the curious and
| suggestive fact is also revealed that the
historic storm years nearly all end
with nine, or their terminals precede
| or follow that number not more
than three years. The present year.
however, comes within the regular storm
range. The scientists assure US, how
ever, that We have now passed the cyclOn-
ic crisis for 1882, and that we need not
apprehend anything further in that line
| of q serious or dangerous character this
year; but from the middle of February
next to the latter part of the following
June they advise us TO look out for
storms like those which have signaliZed
the past four months, though probably
not so extensive and severe. 1t is worth
remarkiRg, also, as consolation, that
ample testimony Is offered to prove that
these years of surprising solar activity
and great storms are uniformly produc-
tive of superior crops; and thus, We may
say, by a sort of natural restitution, the
damages are repaired and the equili-
brium restored, so that the worst storms
turn out to be, if not blessings in dis
guise, at least inflictions winch have
their compensations.