The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-05-31

MAJOR IEAAN ON TORNAD0ES.
Major Henry Inman, who Is acknowl-
edged TO be the most profound meteor
olgist in Kansas. has written . highly
instructive and entertaining communi-
cation to the AtchIson Champion on the
subject of tornAdoes. from which We
quote the following:
Primarily, desire our people TO d.
vest themselves OF the habit OF contin-
ally using . misnomer when talking or
writing Of these dreadful storms: there
is no authority for such an Infringement
Of the rules of etymology. In the belief
that will net be accused Of pedantrya
] will venture here, the true definitions
Of the two words under discussions
accepted by meteorologiets IN their mo-
menclature Of storms, and 20 whom We
must accord the right Of determining
these questions.
The cyclone is purely an ocean storm.
derived from the Greek KAkk0s, mean
than forty miles wide, and often more
than q thousand. This storm, Il must
be observed. is exactly what its name
implies-one OF rotary character, En0V-
ing iA, not on, circie-straight for
ward with an enormous radius, as des-
cribed. There is no swaying and bound
ing as with tornado, and Il has Q CEN
tire of absolute calm.
The word tornado Is derived from the
Spanish, Portuguese, italian and Latin
all primarily, Of course from the Lat
in-Spanish and Portugese, ''TorBay,"
Italian, 'IOFaGre," meaning to ttOist. the
81. a -. "a A.
have ever witnessed one, will cordially
attest. Fortunately, the path of the tor
nado ls limited, or we should have to
record an infinitely greater destruction
OF property, anc loss Of life. Neither
does the tornado move continuously, al
ways, along the surface of the earth un-
til its violence Is spent; it frequently
bounds over an immense area, sometimes
diseIpating in the upper regions of the
atmosphere; sometimes striking the
ground again at remote distances from
the locality in which it had its genesis
of destruction.
The manifold changes In all things
earthly, are due 70 solar energy, or
rather to the variability in solar energy.
All animal and vegetable growth, varl-
alton OF temperature, our motive power
of all kinds, wind, water, steam and
full harvests, our deluges, drouths, show
ers, cyclones, tornAdoes. zephyrs as we'll
as our Gains, and indirectly the tempera-
ments of individuals, are all lndissoiu-
bly, connected with that mysterious but
absolute dictator-sOlar energy.
The earth swinging in space, q huge
magnet, responds submissiVe1y 70 every
exaction of her lord ana master, the
sun. He has but to beckon. and no
slave to the most arbitrary of monsrchs
ever moved SO promptly. There are
times when this celestial autocrat, emu
lating mundane rulers, becomes c.
PRECIOUS, restless and fretful; then our
poor earth persoAatlng the abjectest
of subjects suffers much, responsive to
the Whims and Inconsistencies of its
sovereign.
These periods Of special excitability
In the solar regions, however, are de-
terminea by an approximate mathemst-
ical method, as occurring, and increasing
In number and magnitude Of intensity,
within the range Of a fraction every i've
years, and then gradually diminishing
through an equal duration Of time, COM
| pleting perfect cycle in about eleven
| years. In this now well established per
sistence Of perIOdicity, minimum oc-
ours once In about ten years, and bril-
| liant impulse, or double maximum, as /
have called it. once in fifty six, or sixty
years, according to my Individual re-
searches. If am correct, next year will
l be more terrible in its results, due to
/ solar variability, than the present, with
a waning tendency following the series
of years after, reaching minimum in
1858
We are now in the beginning of the
| period Of the double maximum, and
Kansas, although abe has been relative
/ ly free, SO far this year, will not have
perfect immunity until after the sum-
1 mer solstice-the Dist OF June.
This brings me to the question con-
1 tanned in your assertion. ssThat lorna
does are more frequent than formerly. -
Five years ago, should most emphati-
cally have taken issue with you, for at
that time had made most exhaustive
| research on the subject Of storms In the
| past, which resulted In magazine ar.
/ ticle: "On the Celebrated Storms Of SiE
teen Hundred Years." ! had reached
| the conclusion that the storms of our
era were no more frequent or severe
than formerly, within historic periods
but since 1 have become convinced that
all our great storms are magnetic in
their origin-Of which, further on-I
have had occasion to change my mind,
Il anu " DolICVC tAhb Ttot OH
ty are oar great storms more frequent
more intense and destructive, but thGt
they toGH increase in oi0LeIace and FIRE
Quency as the years roll on.
1t must be borne In mind that taking
the affirmative on this question my
ideas upon the subject are formulated
upon theory, which has for Its tounda-
ton another pure theory, which, should
it fail, of course the first Tor mine) Is
not teneble.
have stated ABOVE that the earth is
ga great magnet hanging In space
That is conceded-but If the 'nebulaI
hypothesis" Of the genesis of worlds be
true, then it could not GLsoGys have been
time when 1t commenced to become
magnetiZed, and the same causes that
worked then are at work now, and tbs
intensity of that magnetism is Increas.
ing constantly; consequently magnetic
/ storms must increase in violence and
frequency in corresponding ratio.
Now nothing Is SO fatal to the devel.
opment of magnetism as heat. Conse
quently, if the earth was at first q case
Gus mass, then q molten sphere, a.
claimed by the hypothesis of nebulal
origin, and gradually cooled, and 1,
cooling. then there must have been 9
period in Its existence when it could moi
have been susceptible to the magnetic
influence of the sun. That IL is 7s0tc q
magnet is conceded. and, If cooling. viii
continue in its power to INTENSITY Its re
ception of that strange cosmic forcG
which IL the cause Of all its local per
turDatiOns, in the category OF which are
included all our storm and earthquake
| shocks.
The periOdlciiy of tornadoes will re
1 main 8 constant mystery in sll proba
bility; but each recurring period viii
I increase the number and violence of the
magnetic disturbances.
Now, without enteriag into lengthy
details OF the proof that all cur torna
does are magnetic, let me refer TO on
fact, and that Is the persistence In tn
direction 81 these violent storms. ]
will be observed that the line of resist
| ance is from southeast to northeast, or n
pole of the earth. have watched tn
record Of all the late storms, and fint
my theory correct, except where line o
pressure has been DETECTED by some loca
cause, as q range of hills, stream. o
even Gas in the case of 9 small one) ky
tsITe fence.
} Much could be written to prove thu
the storms are magnetic, and that tn
energy displayed is not the mere pres
, sure of toind an pounds upon a aurfde,
but will not enlarge upon that. tn
evidence is PLAIN to me, after years G
study, that "the variation in solar heat.
produces a similar variation in the TEL
restrial evaporation. and an increase
tendency TO violent storms.
An adolescent and unsAlted commel
3 cial tourist was recently soundiy drul
l bed ct the st. James hotel, In Kansl
: City, for making amatorY advances 10
: couple Of Lexington school marms VII
0 were stopping ct that earayansary.
. 4 x,ann0 man -ho -isI ana- Asvnaalf Z