Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-08-02

tx. 1t begins in heat and ends in heat.
When two columns of air, or clouds.
differing in temperature meet we have
conditions favorable not only for the
condensation of moisture, but also for
the generation of electricity. It is a
common notion that electricity is the
result of condensation; it is rather coin
cident with, and not dependent upon it.
Ordinarily when atmospheric cleo
tricity Is generated it obtains an euui-
Iibrium by passing off in bolts or sudden
charges from cloud to cloud, or cloud
to earth as the case may be. But under
certain conditions it takes on the form
seen in cyclones, and the force is gradu-
ally equalized When q cloud or some
part of it takes on the funnel shape it is
highly charged with electricity. 1t as
sumes q whirling motion, and reaches
down toward the earth, which has an
opposite charge or a lower electric DO
tential, and therefore a strong attrac-
ton for the cloud This whirling be-
comes terrific in most cases, and carries
everything with it that happens in its
track-cl0uds, air, trees, houses, sand,
dirt, etc. The combination of forces is
such that partial vacuum is created in
the inside Of the funnel. If house
happens to get inside of q cyclone fun
mel, and the doors and windows are
closed, the internal air pressure will
burst the building.
If we get near enough to study the
phenomena, we can see electric sparks
darling from all parts of the funnel,
and, when it nears the earth. streams
of electric sparks flow from cloud to
earth.
The cyclone has compound motion.
AS body it is carried forward with the
wind at whatever rate it happens to be
blowing. Besides this, the funnel itself
has a gyrating motion of great rapidity,
and force that beggars desert ption.
Cyclone tunnels are of all sizes, from
that of mans body to half mile or
more in diameter.
The attention of the writer was called
to one of the small ones that passed
through 4 section of Iowa a few wears
ago. 1t hung like long rope dangling
from the clouds. Now and then it would
touch the ground, when it would lose a
part of its electricity, which would al
tCcuUluldUcu
enough more energy to attract it to the
earth, when the some thing would be
repeated. 1t passed through barn
yard, touching 4 corner OF the over
hanging caves of the barn, shaving oft
about a foot of the cornice as smoothly
as though done with a sharp tool. The
funnel had sucked up sand and dirt,
which was set to whirling with such ter
rife velocity that it did the work Of an
edged tool. Beyond q gentle wind, there
was no violent disturbance of the air
few rods away from the funnel.
1t has been stated that these storms
could be accounted for on the common
theory of high and low pressures, which
is the cause OF the great waves which
occasionally sweep over the country.
The absurdity of this theory becomes APP
parent by study of the daily weather
map. The areas of high and low pres
sure are usually about 200 miles apart,
and the wind blows from point of
2Yeater density to that of lesser by
natural law Of fluids seeking an equili-
brium. These areas of high and low
barornetric pressure will not account for
cyclones or even ordinary thunder
STORMS LII Is Il common experience
few minutes before the most terrific
storms, and when they are not mile
away, that there is u dead calm, show
ing that the cause Of disturbance is local
and not general For this reason it is
impossible for the Signal Service to pre-
dict storms Of this character.
We can manufacture miniature cy-
clones in the laboratory, with no other
force than electricity, that show all the
characteristics of their larger brethren.
An ounce of fact is worth tons of theory.
A familiarity with electrical experiments
coupled with intelligent observation can
not fail to convince the student that the
electrical theory of cyclones is the only
one that will bear the light of search
ing Investigation Prof. Elisha GrGy,
an the Western Mag0ziae.