The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-07
PROTECTION AGAINST ToRNADoEs.
Warnings About the Way to Act When
Caught in Storm,

without entering into scientific dis
cussion OF cyclones, their causes and
origin, it is sufficient to give the follow
ing premonitory sign, easily perceptible
to and comprehended by every one. On
| the day of the storm, and for several
hours previous to the appearance of the
tornado clouds, the atmosphere is sultry
and oppressive. Clouds form first in
the southwest. and then almost nnme-
| diately in the northwest, OF vice versa.
If they are light their appearance re-
sembles smoke issuing from burning
building, or straw-stacR. rolling up in
fantastic shapes to great heights; again,
like tlne mist, or quite white, like fog or
steam. These dark clouds at times pre-
sent greenishor copperish hue. Again,
they appear jet black from center to
circumference; and they sometimes pre-
sent a purple OF blush tinge, OF, at
times, are strangely lurid, bat always
with what appears to be black smoke
| surrounding them. The clouds form in
| the southwest and northeast, and finally
come together with terrific crash, and
| then the funnel-shaped tornado cloud
| appears upon the western sky moving
| boldly to the front from within the con
fused mass A heavy, roaring noise
| like that OF a heayily-ioaded freight
train passing over a bridge or through
| tunnel, is heard, and then the cyclone
| or tornado is upon You. Now, as some
of these signs appear hours in advance
of any danger; rs these storms occur
only in certain seasons Of the year, from
| April to September, and as they are re-
| stricted to certain sections of the com
| try, it would seem that there ought to be
means OF foreseeing them and prevent
| ing any very great loss Of life And
| there are The far Western and North
western States suffer far more severely
| from tornadoes than Mississippi does.
| Kansas has as many as dozen every
| year, and Iowa is annually visited by
them; but although these storms are
| Just as bad on the Western prairie as in
Mississippi, the loss of life there is very
| light, because the farmers and villagers
| know what precautions to take when a
tornado visits them.
The Signal Service gives this warn
| ing: Ii caught in tornado always
move with all possible dispatch to the
north, unless in SO doing you are obliged
to cross the entire path of the storm.
| A glance toward the west will tell YOU
whether you are on the southern edge
of the probable path Of the tornado
cloud or more to the north If in the
| center or halfway between tire center
and southwest edge, your chances are
best in direct course to the north. If
! further to the south. move directly and
very rapidly to the south, bearing
| slightly east In no event should YOU
ever run directly east or northeast.
There is always sufficient timeto escape
the tornado, even If it be but a few rods
from Won, for its breadth is only a few
| hundred feet; as a general thing the tor
| nado cloud is seen at from one to three
miles distance, giving you from one to
| three minutes warning sufficient time
to enable you to get from Il quarter to
half a mile out of its course. As for
houses, they are no protection. and are
to be Stunned in a storm OF this kind.
No building has been OF is like to be
devised that can withstand the force OF
tornado. A frame house is better
than brick or stone one, because it is
more elastic; and a one-story building
more elastic than one of two stories
But, whatever the style or character OF
the house, always leave it if 1t is in the
path of the tornado. The Signal Service
recommends as the best place of safety
cellar or dug-out, and many farm.
ers in Kansas have constructed thest
dug-outs-simply holes in the ground
covered TO protect the inmates from
hving timbers, where they can run il
the event of tornadoes, Under no cir
cumstances, whether in q building o.
cellar, ever take position in the north
east corner, in an east room, or agains
an east wall, even Remember alst
that the tornado invariably moves in !
northeasterly direction This simple
rule will save nineteen-twentieths of tht
lives now sacrificed to the storm fiend
If forced to remain in your house, ant
where you have no cellar, always take
position against the west or south wall
the former is the better either facin!
downward upon the floor or standin.
with your back to the wall; and al
ways take your final position on the frs
or ground floor Never stand or lie il
front OF door or window, near a stove
or heavy piece of furniture, and AWAY
close your doors and windows If yol
are out of the house, avoid forests an
groves, make for the open field, AM
throw Yourself. face downward, towar
the east, and your arms over your hea
to protect it, Such are precautions t
be taken, well understood in Kansas an
Iowa, but little known in Mississippi
, It is due to the comprehension of then
that the same storm which reckons up
mortality of over 200 in the South
passed through Iowa with heavy de
struction Of property, but without tn
. loss of single life.
The Comte de Paris recently sent to-
NF,-F-