Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-10-14
How to Kill Cyclones.

Tie frequency and destructiveness of
cyclones is attracting great attention.
1t is possible that the prevalence OF
these cyclones is very much exaggerat-
ed. A few years ago large part of the
central portion Of the Union was unin-
habited, except by prairie dogs and
prairie chickens, and no knowledge can
be obtained of the frequency and force
of the cyclones that may have swept
over the great plains "For which the
speech of England has no name" But
now, with the cabin of the settler,
stretching from Lake Michigan to the
Black Hills. and from the Kaskaskia to
Pixies Peak, knowledge of all these
dreadful storms is reported by telegraph
as soon as the destruction is caused. 1t
is quite possible that during the centu-
ries of the past, whenever there were
electrical disturbances in the sun, that a
corresponding electrical disturbance oc-
Cured on the earth. as it appears that
sun spots and cyclones are cause and
effect.
A beautiful and interesting illustra-
ton of the source Of cyclones may be
shown in any good chemical labratory.
By suspending large copper plate by
silken cords to represent cloud, and
charging the plate-cloud with electricity,
and then applying arsenicus gas to the
lower side Of the plate, the presence Of
electricity is apparent to the naked eye
beneath the plate whirling around in the
form of a suspended funnel at speed
almost beyond computation or compre-
hension. II this plate-cloud is passed
over table or floor where there
are light, movable articles, this
swift revolving funnel will suck
them up and whirl them around
at terrible speed. The action is
the same as that of the cyclones that
sweep over our great treeless plains with
such deadly destruction, the cloud over
the earth performing on the sublime
scale of nature, what the little copper
cloud performs in modest way over the
table Of the chemist.
A knowledge that these storms of
wind. often with hail and water-spout
in their tunnels, are caused by elec-
tricity reveals the power that we must
combat ia overcoming their destructive
tendencies. The old Dutch captains
from Amsterdam used to break the force
Of water spouts at sea by firing old
fashioned chain-shot through the whirl-
ing tunnels, and in that way disorganize
the electrical energy. But it is likely
that the discovery Of this effect Of can
non shot was but the result of an acci-
dent akin to blunder, and not the deduc-
tion from electrical science. The sub
ject Of electricity is now receiving great
attention in Los Angeles, and the pro-
duction and control of electrical energy
is an every day matter Of business. Can
we not extend this electrical energy to
the atmosphere and counteract and con-
fuse the electrical power of cyclones? If
so, thousands of lives may be preserved
and the destruction of a vast amount of
property be avoided.
| The President of the Los Angeles
Electric Company, Judge r. M. Widney,
is professor Of natural philosophy, and
may be able to evolve some plan Of kill
ing cyclones by electricity. The annual
meeting Of the company, advertised
in the HERALD. will be held
on Tuesday next. At this meet
ing the electricians present, may
perhaps be induced to try some experi-
Inent in the future on the little dust
tunnels that occasionally stalk over our
plains in summer, and, If successful, go
over the mountains and attack the
robust ones that sometimes prevail in
Arizona and on the plains of the
Missouri Valley States.
The subject is one Of serious impor-
tance, and the secret of conquering
cyclones will be some time found out, SO
that man shall obtain the promise given
70 Adam. and "have dominion over the
fish of the sea and over the fowl Of the
air, and over the cattle and over all the
earth. and SO fulfill the command that
| follows, "to subdue the earth" Subdu.
ing is therefore the divine right of man.