Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-07-09
Compiled from Gen. Have


so-cai!ed by Portuguese and Spanish navi-
gators on the African coast, and cooining
our attention to the United States, it is be-
ieved that these storms are possessed Of the
following prominent characteristics: The
general direction Of movement Of the tor
nsdo is invariably from point in the south
west quadrant to 4 point in the northeast
quadrant TIE tornado cloud assumes the
form Of . funnel, the small end drawing
near to, or resting upon. the earth. This
cloud and the air beneath it revolve about q
central vertical axis with inconceivabls
rapidity, ami always in . direction contrary
to the movement of the hands Of a watch.
Tie destructive violence of the storm is
sometimes confined to path few yards in
width, as when the small or tail end Just
touches the earth: while. on the other hand,
rs the body Of the cloud lowers, more Of it
rests upon the earth, the violence increases,
and the path widens to the extreme limit Of
eighty rods.
On the day Of the storm, and for several
hours previous to the appearance Of the
tornado cloud, what indications Of its prob
able formation and approach are within the
comprehension Of an ordinary observer, and
can readily be detected by himi A sultry,
oppressive condition Of the atmosphere,
described by various observers as follows:
81 really experienced q sickly sensation
under the influence Of the suns rays" Il
was compelled to stop work on account Of the
peculiar exhaustion exi erienced from physi
cal exertion-" 1T seemed as If the lightest
garments that could put on were burden
to me-" There was not a breath OF air
stirring" The air, at times, came in puffs,
as from a heated furnace" Il felt a want
of breath, the air frequently appearing too
rnrefied to breathe freely" Il was startled at
the sudden and continued ri.e in the Their
mometer, especially at this season of the
year" 1T was terribly oppressive; it
seemed as il the atmosphere was unusually
heavy AMI pressing down on me with q
great weight"
Enough examples have been cited to indi-
cate the effects and signs Of this oppressive
sultriness. Other signs may be found in the
development and peculiar formation Of the
clouds in the western horizon Sometimes
these peculiar clouds extend from the south
west through the west by the north to the
northwest. More frequently, however, they
form in the northwest and southwest, some-
times com mencing first in the former
quarter and thcn again in the latter, but in
either case they are equally significant
Tie markell popularity OF the clouds is
found to occur MT only in the form but in
tie color and character Of development
The sudden appearance Of ominous clouds,
first in the southwest and then almost I'M
mediately in thu northwest and northeast
Tor perhaps reversed In the order OF their
appearance. generally attracts the attention
of the most casual observer. In almost all
cases these prem nitory clouds are unlike
any ordinary formation. If they are light,
their appearances re>embies smoke issuing
from u Turning builiing or straw stack,
rolling upward in fantastic shapes to great
height; sometimes they are like fine mist,
or quito white like fog or steam Some
persons describe tacse Light clouds
Us at time, apparently iridescent or
glowing, as if Iale whitish light
issued from their irregular surfaces
Ii the premonitory clouds are dark and
present "A deep greeni,h hue, this fairly for
bodies very great owl. 81 also, If they ap-
pear jet back from the center to circum-
ference, or il this deep set color appears
only at the center, gradua lily diminishing III
as the outer edges Of the cloud or
bank OF clouds are approached. Sometimes
these dark clouds, instead of appearing In
solid and heavy masses, roll up lightly but
still intensely black, like the smoke from an
-
They have been described of purple or
BLUSH tinge, or at times possessed of
strange lividness, frequently dark green,
and again Of an inky blacknes, that fairly
startles one with it, intensity.
Another and invariable sign of the tor
nados approach Is q heavy roaring, which
augment, in intensity as the tornado cloud
advances This roaring l. compared to the
passage OF a heavily loaded freight train
over bridge or through q deep
pass or tunnel, or as heard on damp morn
ings when the sound il very clear and loud
AT times the roaring has been so violent
that persons have compared it TO the stimuli.
taneous rush II 10000 trains Of cars"
Again, the roaring is lhenel to the low
Of distant thunter. The varying
intensity of the roar, As here represented, Is
due to the lack of uniformity in
the positions of the variou' observers with
respect TO the advancing tornado cloud.
Those situated nearest the cloud, other
things being equal, experience the lou lest
roar while to those at greater distances the
noise is proportionally weaker. In any
event, however, the noise is sufficiently Pc
culiar and distinct to create alarm, and
as a means of warning should not be over
looked under any pre:ext.
The tornado cloud Is, generally speaking at
its first formation funnel-shaped-that il TO
say, it tapers from the top downward, not
always IN the same degree with every ap-
pearance of the cloud, but the lower end OF
1t the part nearest the EARTH is invariably
the smallest and this, too, whatever may
be the inclination OF the central axis of the
cloud to the vertical or plumb line. As seen
in different positions and stages OF develop
ment by various observers. located differ
entity, the tornado cloud has been called
@balloon-shaped.n "basket-shaped,' egg
shaped trailing on the ground like the
tail Of an enormous kite" of dubious
FORM, "like an elephants trunk etc. In
the majority OF instances, however, observ-
ers describe the cloud appearing like an
upright funnel When the small end Of the
cloud just reaches the earth. the violence
Of its whirl causes a peculiarly formed cloud
Of dust AMI finely divided debris, around
which play small gatherings OF conden ell
vapor.
To appearances. now, the tornado cloud
has two heads. one on the surface Of the
earth and the other in the ky, the bodies Of
each joining in mid-air and taIering both
ways with the smallest diameter at their
junction. In other WORKS, the cloud now
assumes the share o. an hours glass. and the
lower portion displays extraordinary de-
,tructive violence This last and most fatal
form Of the tornado cloui l.. fortunately.
not constant feature OF the storm. The
tornado clou is constantly changing from
The hour-slass form II that Of the upright
'unnel or some other intermediate SHAPE
previously referred IN.
Small Balance.