The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1883-05-05
Cyclones and TOrnadOes.
lTimes.Denocrntl

Times-DemOcrat.l
A map of the late tornado and
cyclone in the South would cer-
tainly have very curious, cork
screwish appearance. We have
studied the map carefully, the time
at which the storm reached the va
rious towns and villages, and the
direction from which it came, and
can only come to one conclusion
that there was general tornado,
or ordinary storm of rain, wind and
electricity throughout the South,
and that in the midst of this storm
several cyclones tore through the
country.
A cyclone is entirely different
from an ordinary storm. 1t may
come in clear weather--although
1t is generally followed by heavy
rains-and is produced by wholly
different causes. There is a vul.
gar belief that a cyclone is only a
very severe hurricane, but, as the
Signal Service showed a short time
ago in a pamphlet published by it
on this subject, there is not the
slightest foundation for this theory.
A cyclone is caused by the meet
ing of cold and warm winds which
produce a rotary motion, or an
aerial whirlpool. They are bred
mainly on the eastern slope of the
Rockies, where they tear eastward.
They move onward at the rate of
from 30 to POO miles an hour, but
in the vortex of the cyclone the
wind moves, so the signal officers
have found, at the rate of 800 miles
an hour. With such velocity it
is not to be wondered at that
houses, trees and rocks should be
ground up into powder.
The favorite time for these at
mospheric phenomena are April
and August, those months when
the weather is changing and when
cold and warm winds are likely to
prevail together. They are always
foretold some minutes in advance
by a rumbling, rattling noise like
the movements of a freight or heav-
lily loaded train, and the earth
shakes as if in the throes of an
earthquake A copper colorcd
cloud, in the form of a funnel or
cone, is then seen advancing. A
black cloud, thick like smoke and
flllcl with blazing electricity falls
to the earth and obscures every
thing. This Immediately proceeds
the cyclone, which follows a few
minutes after, generally from 100
to 800 yards wide, and seldom
taking more than q few seconds to
pass any point.
Such are tho symptoms of an
approach of these whirlwinds,
which can always be foretold.
There were a number of persons
at Beauregard who saw II coming,
and sought places os safety, for in
tornado like this house is al
ways dangerous; none can resist
its force and strength.
The cyclone that swept through
Wesson and Beauregard was like
all it's brethren, but unfortunately
il struck number of towns, in
stead of wasting its force, rs is
often tho case, upon open country,
and this is why the loss of life and
property is so large.
There is some difficulty in fol-
lowing its course, and there seems
to be many reasons for believing
that there were several of these
atmospheric disturbances.
An instance showing the force
of the storm that was a solid iron
screw OF q cotton press, weighing
G7S pounds, was carried by the
cyclone three hundred yards. A
piece of scantling three by four
inches ten feet long was driven
through a red oak sapling. Much
distress is reported prevailing in
the country not yet reached by the
relief committee.
Near Aberdeen, during the day
the cyclone, a fence rail struck
mule in the breast and was driven
through his body, coming ort at
the middlfof his back.
Chalmers, of Mississippi, will
next winter learn show it is him
selfn-that is, to dance about the