The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-06-17
The Fumnel.shaped Clouds.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUN-Sir: Nost Of the
accounts OF tornadoos now aboundng In the
resent them - being accompanied or immediately pre-
coded by the appearance OF clouds In the
sky. more. moving rapidly forward with spiral
corkscrsw motion. and descending toward the ground
Allow to record somewhat remark able experience
Of these funnel corkscrew clouds which witnessed In
the month Of December. 1880. on . voyage from the
south Of Spain. We myself and sister) had found at
Cadix nns new American bark about to sail. which.
with sole possession OF Its cabin. promised peasantsr
passage direct for New York than would have been
return by Of England. inasmuch a. the Captain In
tended to take the mild southern route, south Of the
Bermuda after passing which should strike north
wardly In company with the Gulf Stream. Our cross.
ing the edge Of the Gulf Stream distinctly marked
by the warmth Of the water and the ooudness Of the
weather and for tho hrs day skrtsd along its inner
edge with fresh. fair wind 1t was evident that out
side Of the stream the wind in upper stratum of the
atmosphere must have been blowing in the contrary d.
recon producing friction and intsrmngling Of the
opposite strong currents Of air. and generating eddos
overhead and mainly to our right though there
plenty also to iarboard sailed little eastwardv
OF north II on that day OF these c0rkscrew
clouds spraing downward must have seen at least
ahundred in different degrees Of development 1t was
an absorbing and fascinating sight which we watched
through tho day till the display happily end
toward the approach OF night for them to be
dangerous travelling was an anxious day
to tho Captain and crew. for IL any OF these swiftly
moving waterspous had caught u.s. 10 very certain
that should not now be writing this account Of them
for the benent Of the readers Of Tnx sus.
There would DO sometimes half . dozen or more In
view all around in different stages Of development
from the hrst downward bulge slowly sprang to the
full long shaft Of the complete waterspOut reaching
down to the waves and csreenins rapidly over them
with funnel top and corkscrew whrl. We would steer
lay TO- according to the distance and direction Of
those which seemed formidable. Some were soon alb.
sorbed back into the cloud from which they had begun
to bulge. Others would lengthen downward. further
and further and when they pretty the water
the latter would suddenly shoot up to meet them,
though sucked upward. aud complete tho wasrspout
at its bottom end. They were never In . straight.
vertical line. like shaft of spiral cloud but usually
when thoy attained considerable length downward.
they would be At slight slant and sometimes
In slightly waving line. Not few would fail to reach
down to the water when they had got far that
felt they about to do but the descend
ing motion would and they would begin slowly to
rise again and be disspsted We had either
powder board for the Captain regretted greatly
the want OF the means which Is often enectua in dis
persng waterspous by the conclusion Of tho air
produced by the nring Of piece of artillery.
The Captain was very intelligent young man. and he
told OF another phenomenon he had witnessed
voyaging which also involves the spirsng of water
tho surface OF the accompanied with the sweep
motion forward. have mover read nor heard Of II
from other quarter but feel assured Of his
ty and he was in mood for joking that day He said
he had once witnessed strange appearance approach
IN winch no was, crossing her BOWS,
which looked like hed Of spears of water quite close
together zach spear whrlng its foot He described
as passing close under his bows Possibly among your
readers there may be old salt who may able
throw light this How the water could thus be
raised not in abody but in what he called spears each
having its own individual gyration. and the whole
sweeping along In path Of rapid notion Is certainly
hard to conceive though there many mysterious
forces at play in nature and probably only
in the Of electricity In the ravages wrought by
tornadoes there features which to denoSs the
| action Of another force than that Of mere wind.
do not recOect the OF either our ship or her
Captain.b dare say your columns for December
1885, will yield them to examination; for remember
| that reached New York Just about in time to be
disappointed Of Christmas at home Any vessel arriv
ing from Cadiz ct that time must have been
her Custom House record will doubtless furnish the
means Of ascsraning oil about her. and her log Of thi,
waterspout day could be got at by anybody nerested
In the phenomena above related which am sure her
log would confirm. That log must also tell how between
here and Hstteras greater danger than even
| when Ing company with over hundred waterproof,
Hnfant and full grown) for between rain snow and
cold that seemed arctic running rigging and blocks
were at times cebound In stormy weather. and the peri
was such that every soul board thanked God when
| We got to anchor inside that blessed Sandy Hook.
| J, L. O'S,