Sharp County record., 1883-08-09
CAVES OF THE WIND.

CAVES OF THE WIND.
Where Tornadoes Arise and Whittier They
Go-Theories Concerning the Origin and
Pathways of d-Storms-Safety Pre-
cautions.
The disastrous tornadoes Of last Fri
day afternoon and evening have invested
the consideration of the phenomena OF
tornadoes, or cyclone storms, with un-
usual interest, not only from the stand
point of news touching the frightful
details, but likewise concerning their
origin, characteristics and movements.
If examination be made OF the dis
patches in the Times of Sunday last re-
iating to the storm, it will be found that
in every instance where the direction is
given the tornado proceeded from the
northwest to the southeast, and is de-
scribed as being funnel-shaped, balloon
shaped, or of some other similar con-
formation, composed apparently OF
clouds, in some cases Illuminated by
lightning, and in all cases the smaller
end touching the earth where the dam
ace was done. That is all that common
observation covering many years has
developed as to the nature of tornadoes
Popular ignorance concerning tor
nadoes finds an ample apology in the
lack of information in the textbooks
on meteorology. Loomis disposes of
the matter briefly and in manner that
is altogether inconclusive. There is,
however, theory advanced, founded
on observation of their characteristics,
that in the absence of any other ex-
planation or contradiction may be fair
" accepted as true. In the United
States all storms originate on the plains
east of the Rocky Mountains and move
eastward at the rate of about twenty
miles an hour, detecting more or less
to the northwest. These storms vary
in size, but commonly have a diameter
of three hundred to six hundred miles.
They also have their established routes.
Thus those storms which most visit
Chicago and vicinity originate in the
western part of Nebraska and move
eastward touching with their lower
limits the northern portion of Illinois.
Another well-defined storm path lies
almost parallel, passing through South
ern Missouri and Southern Illinois up
the Ohio River. Along these two
routes there is constant procession of
storms, some so small as to be easily
identified and isolated, while others are
so large as to occasion a combination
forming one continuous storm.
If the reader will take a map and out
line one circle of about five hundred
miles in diameter, having Cairo, ILL.,,
for its center, and another circle having
St. Paul for its center, he will find that
the edges ,ouch each other. There
would be in this nothing remarkable
except for the fact that in storm the
winds all revolve, curving inward to-
ward the storm center in opposite di-
rection to the movement of the hands of
awatch. Thus the wind at Rock Island
would be blowing west or northwest,
and at Peoria east or southeast. 1t is
presumable that between these two
points there is an area of no wind or
shifting winds. Suppose that the two
storms having these winds, going in op-
posite direction, be brought into sudden
contact; that is to say, two bodies of
air in motion in opposite directions at
rate as high as twenty-five to thirty
miles an hour, it is evident that at the
point of contact there must be consider
able commotion or, as it were, fraction.
This line of contact of opposing winds
is supposed to set in motion whirlwinds
or tornadoes, which vary in intensity
according to the force of the winds.
This theory is the only one that en-
deavors to account for the phenomena
and existence of tornadoes. Another
modification of the same idea is that the
severer tornadoes are caused by the i'm
pact of directly colliding winds, sending
off eddies and producing the same gen
eral movements that are produced by
the collision of two bodies of water.
The very nature and frighfulness OF
tornadoes has prevented any accurate
observation of them. 1t has been
shown, however, by the destruction
they cause that their motion is gyratory
and fesl4asa y @ se, IL feet feet
a narrow compass all the concomitantS
of a regular storm. In some cases the
presence of electrical phenomena and
ball lightning has led some to account
for them on theory based on electrics
altogether. Prof. Maury, for example,
argues that by the commotlon OF the
elements an electrical vacuum is in
duced, and the electricity rushing from
the earth to fill it occasions the destruc-