The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1883-05-24
cannot endorse practice which to thu
consumer is delusion and snare.
The Tornado Season.
From the 81 Tnris Ran,,kl;oaD

From the st. Louis Republican.
= Now that the tornado season has fair
~ opened the scientists are again at
work investigating The phenomena with
q view to gam useful information.
Something new is learned about these
dread visitations every year, aud though
It seems probable that it may at some
time be possible to foreteIl their coming,
it is difficult to understand how the
warming is to be turned to any practical
account. The track Of q tornado is gem
orally narrow and not by any means in q
straight line, though it usually progress
ses III one general direction from the
westward 10 the eastward. The signal
service last year published u stateme Mt
OF FACTS reported concerning GOO lorna
does that have occurred within the
present century. The list includes all
concerning which authentic information
could be obtained prior to 1882.
From this statement it appears
that the average with of the path
OF destruction is ,OS5 feet. The storm
cloud runs forward with Il velocity of
from twelve to sixty miles per hour,
while the wind within the whirling vor-
tex moves at IN average speed of nearly
4oO miles per hour, sometimes attaining
the rate Of 800 miles. June is the month
III which they are most prevalent, and
they occur more frequently in April
than July and in May and September,
than in August. Kansas is more fire.
qnentiy visited than any other State,
sixty.two having been reported there in
TWENTY-FIVE years. Illinois has had fifty
four IN twenty seven years. Missouri
had forty four from 1914 to 1881; New
York has had thirty-ive since 1881;
Georgia thirty-four since 1904; Iowa had
tn rty-one from 1854 to 1891 Ohio twenty
three from 1923 to 1881; Indiana twenty
seven from 1852 to 1880. States inter-
mediate between those named have been
visited more or less frequently, and the
tends over the Territories to the Pacific
slope, California and Nevada both be-
ing included in the list. How one
should act to take advantage Of any
warning that might be given is q very
hard question to answer. With stroln
rushing forward at forty miles an
hour and no one able, even though
he knew it to be coming, to pre-
dict what part of whole country
it would strike, what can be done? II
it's exact path were known few minutes
would sntii CO to escape to one side or
the other, but this can never he foretoid.
1t sometimes happen that the approach
of the storm cloud is distinctly seen. In
such cases it is the custom in rural dis
tricts to take refuge in cellars or to lie
down in bitches or burrows of plowed
fields, but even when these precautions
are taken they often fail to afford pro-
lection, for the eccentricities of the hur-
ricane are such that no place is safe. It
is sometimes possible to run away from
the storm as it approaches. its track be-
ing so narrow, and for guidance in this
respect the signal service lays down the
following general rules: 1t may he taken
as probable that the centre of the vor-
tex is moving east. The aim should be
to get as far a. possible from the central
track. lfthe storm cloud is seen in the
southwest, the observer should run to
northward. If it appears to the north
OF west, he should move to the SOUTH
ward. Ifvery close and directly to the
west, the observer should run to the
southeast. Of course the vortex is lia-
BILE to swing across from side to side with
great rapidity and thus render the effort
to escape more dangerous than it would
have been to remain still, but the direc.
tons are given rs the best TO be followed
on the doctrine OF chances