The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-09-19
CYCLONES AND TORNADOEs,
How tho Two Types of Storms Differ From
Each Other.


The awful havoc wrought by tornado
in Ohio, Tuesday evening of last week,
nearly or quite equal to that done by
| cyclone on the south Atlantic coast in
| August, affords occasion for noting afresh
| some of the differences between the two
types of storm. The tornado oddly
enough, is called cyclone more than half
the time, by the majority of people, in
spite of repeated explanation from
weather bureaus.
Besides the accompaniment of heavy
rain, the two phenomena resemble each
other also in that they are both whirl-
winds In diameter, however, the tor
nado is to the cyclone as gas pipe to
circus tent. The former is seldom more
than few hundred feet through. The
latter is from one to five hundred miles
across. The tornado which smote the
edges of Philadelphia and Camden early
last month was only three hundred feet
in diameter. And another hundred feet
away, on either side, scarcely breath
was felt during the passage of the de-
stroyer. The cyclone that visited Charles
ton and Savannah recently sucked in the
air from an area fully hundred miles
across; and it was small cyclone at that.
The violence of the tornado, however, is
much greater than that of the cyclone.
Lieutenant Finley, of the Signal Service,
estimates that the draft in a tornado
sometimes reaches two thousand miles
| an hour; in cyclone, the winds usually
blow from fifty to a hundred. The tor
nado is purely local, like a thunder storm,
to which it is closely akin, and even more
ephemeral. 1t rarely lasts more than
few minutes or travels more than a few
miles from its origin. 1t is like the flight
of cannon ball compared with the move
ment of transcontinental express train.
The cyclone is enduring, lasts day and
night, and follows path thousands of
miles long.
Accordingly, practically no warning
| eau be afforded Of tornado. The gen.
eral conditions which produce them may
be foreseen; but the precise spot and time
at which they will organize cannot be
predicted. Their approach is indicated
several minutes, possibly, in advance, by
the attendant black. funnel-snaped cloud,
which, as it comes gyrating along the
skies, drops swaying point like an ele-
plants trunk or the slack of balloon
to the earth. But no previous wind or
depression of the barometer affords fur
Their premonition, and its life and path
are too brief to admit of telegraphic eau
tions. The coming of a cyclone is marked
by decided fall in the barometer and
increase of wind; and where it's tour lies
over the land, its appearance and course
can be reported hours if not days before
it reaches given point. The coming of
the one which recently struck the South
Atlantic Coast was strongly suggested
by the sinking mercury at Jacksonville
early Monday morning. Savannah and
Charlestown were not reached by it until
Tuesday morning. At midnight the
storm centre was near Norfolk; and all
day Wednesday it was working up along
the Gulf Stream toward Newfoundland.
The tornado is, more frequently, a pro-
| duct of temperate ATTITUDES, and usually
| forms on land. Over the ocean and other
bodies of water it takes the form of
waterspout. The cyclone is born in the
tropics, and, like Venus, springs from the
| sea. In the Pacific. stoI ms of this class
seem to originate southeast of the Philip
| pine Islands, moving northward or north
westward, either striking the Chinese or
| Japanese coasts or coming near to them,
| and then moving away to the northeast
ward into mid ocean. Those of the North
Atlantic organize in Or near the West
Indies, and describe much the same par.
abolic curve. Sometimes they get SO
| far west as to enter the United States
| from the Gulf of Mexico; more frequently
they approach our shores between Florida
and Cape Hatteras. Still oftener they
swing away toward Northern Europe
without coming near this country at all.
Again, the seasons of the two classes
of storms are slightly different. Like
thunder storms, tornadoes may occur at
any time from early spring to late au-
tumn, though they are most abundant in
July. Cyclones are encountered in the
North Atlantic mostly in September and
October, although few are usually re-
ported in August. That which nearly
wrecked the bark Brimiga was met near
Nova Scotia on the Sth of last month;
and the same day another sank the CO.
lossal dredge Beaufort near Bermuda;
and others in the last fortnight are liable
to be reported by shipping coming to our
shores any day. While, then, the tor
nado season in the United States is draw
ing to close, the cyclone season may be
said to have only just fairly opened.
| "Rougn on Coughs
Sore Throat, Hoarseness Troches, l5c. Liquid ,25c
| Enough on Rats