The Indianapolis journal., 1884-05-12
SOMETHING ABOUT TORNADOES.
A Scientists Talk on an Interesting Subject
How to Meet q Cyclone.

Professor, where do tornadoes come 'front.'
was a question asked yesterday of a distin-
guished Indiana scientist who was speaking of
the characteristics of tornadoes to a group of
half dozen inter rested listeners.
The region in which they appear to develop
most favorably," the scientific gentleman replied,
SIS in the great basin lying west of the Missis
sipp the territory covered by the State of Iowa.
Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. The State in
which the greatest number of tornadoes
have occurred is Kansas. The statistics
of six hundred violent wind storms
in the United States show that in Kansas there
have been 62 tornadoes; Illinois, 53; Missouri 43;
New York, 30; Georgia 80; Iowa, 81 Ohio 2S;
Indiana, %; Minnesota, %; North Carolina IS,
and so on. There are some very marked peculi-
arties in the geographical distribution of lorna
does. The Western country is visited by them
most frequently, but along the Pacific coast and
in the Territories they seldom or never oc-
cur Along the Atlantic coast they are more
frequent The peculiar atmospheric conditions
which always precede tornadoes show that to the
north and south of the region traversed by the
storm high contrasts of temperature invariably
form. A wide range of country, without noun
tains or large bodies Of water is necessary to
give the thermal belt of high contrasts a free
sweep The eXpanse of comparatively barren
lands largely unbroken prairie, reaching from
the gulf to Canada, affords these conditions A
tornado almost invariably arises in the south
west quadrant of comparatively low pressure.
The wind previous to its inception, has general
ly been blowing from southerly quarter of the
central area of barometTic minimum, and from
northerly quarter north of the cen
trail area for period of from
poste sides of the central area frequently attans
fifty degrees before the tornado occurs.
AT what times are tornadoes most likely to
oceur27
in the year, but they are more frequent during
June and during the summer season. Their rel
atiye frequency by months, named in the order
of their relation, are June, April, July, May,
September August. March. They generally
come in the afternoon and the greatest number
haye occurred between and o'clock Their
course is nearly always from the southwest
to the northeast, and the velocity
of their movement varies from twelve to sixty
miles an hour"
"What are the most marked characteristics. of
the tornadol"
THE atmospheric conditions preceding their
visits are generally violent thunder storms, and
sometimes sultriness or oppressiveness and
they always followed by a sudden falling of
the temperature. The cloud is gyratory in
movement, and invariably whirls from right to
left The velocity of the wind within the vortex
varies from seventy to 500 miles an hour The
noise accompanying them is we'll described as
a continual rumbliLg as the roaring of train of
thousand cars The cloud is usually
two three miles away before it is first seen.
From the under side of the cloud there is pro
lection reaching to the earths surface
rs there any chance for avoiding tornadog'
Its violence may be avoided if its approach
is observed in ample time. The cloud has four
wellrecognized motions: First, directly forward
at about constant elevation: second, a darting
from one side to the other of the central path:
third violently whirling motion near the
earth, and, fourth, rising and falling
motion. The first and second of these
motions are certain, while the third and fourth
fourth are uncertain. The uncertain generally
prelude the certain motions, but they may alter
nate without regularity. Persons moving in
front or behind the cloud need apprehend no
danger When the cloud is whirling near the
earth and the Observers position is directly
east, or at any point south of east northeast, he
should hurry in a southerly direction. If the
position is northeast or north of northeast of the
cloud, he should move in direct line to thenorth.
If within very short distance of the almost
stationary cloud. the observer should run directly
east at first, beating slowly southward as he ad-
vances. Persons who find themselves east of
an imaginary line drawn through the center of
the tornado cloud should move to the north or
northwest The least danger to life and proper
ty is ON the left side north of the central line
of movement, A position on the right at a dis
tance of twelve hundred feet from the center of
the storms path is safer.