Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-23
CYCLONES AND T0RNAD0ES.
THEIR ORIGIN, CHARACTERISTICS
AND METHODS OF DESTRUCTION.
Damage Done in n Single Year-A
Few Rules for the Preservation
of Human Life.

Science says that cyclone Is a rotatory
storm of extended circuit that 1t is born
on the ocean and moves landward; that
it occurs once or twice a week during
the spring and summer. and that it is
frequently of so mild character as to be
hardly worth chronicling. A tornado,
on the contrary, says science, is furious
tempest which moves rapidly along
limited circuit, often passes out to sea
before its strength is gone, and is usually
accompanied by hail, rain and thunder
storms. The tornado generally moves
from the southwest to the northeast. Its
cloud is funnel-shaped and Tevolves
about central vertical axis in direc-
ton contrary to that of the hands of a
watch. 1t occurs almost always between
and p. NJ. 1t most frequently occurs
between April and September /, June
and July being its favorite months.
There are instances, however, on record
it which it occurred during every month
of the year. 1t gives due warning of its
approach by making the atmosphere
sultry and oppressive, and when it has
sufficiently sickened unhappy mortals in
this way it appears in the southwest and
northeast in the form of fantastically- |
shaped clouds of varied hue. These
clouds suddenly dash together, and then
the tempest begins. Roaring like ten
thousand bulls of Bashan the destroyer
whirls along, sweeping down everything
in its path.
Few people have any conception of the
amount of damage done by tornadoes.
| Take the year 1884 alone. In that year
there were 3S storms in Georgia, % in
South Carolina, 1S in Alabama, IL in
North Carolina, 12 in Kansas. 10 in Wis
consin, in Dakota, Z in Kentucky, 7 in
Mississippi, 7 in Texas. 5 in New York,
in Indiana. 3 in Ohio, in Missouri, 3
in Minnesota, 2 in Pennsylvania, 2 in
Arkansas, 2 in Colorado, 2 in Nebraska,
in Tennessee, in Illinois, l in the
Indian Territory and 1 in Louisiana
During the month of February alone
there were 45 storms. OF the entire
number during the year 89 took north
easterly direction. In 80 instances the
tornado cloud was shaped like funnel,
in four like an inverted cone, like an
hour glass, in like balloon, trun-
Gated cone and an acorn.
The first great storm was on February
10. 1t killed about 800 people, wounded
about $500 and destroyed property
valued at 81, 900, 900. Over 10, 900 build
ings were wrecked and many head of
cattle killed. On March II storm killed
people, wounded so, destroyed guam
tity of farm stock and wrecked prop
erty valued at $3.50, 00O On March % a
storm killed II persons, wounded 298
and wrecked property valued at $3.50,
900. On April a storm killed So per-
sons, wounded 277, and wrecked prop
erty valued at $780, 900. On April IA a
storm killed AZ persons, wounded 1856,
and wrecked property valued at $3.50,
900. On April 81 a storm killed Is per-
sons, wounded 115, and wrecked prop
erty valued at $575,000 On May 81 a
storm killed s persons, wounded 50,
and wrecked property valued at $780,
900. On July storm killed 8 per-
sons, wounded 26, and wrecked prop
} erty valued at $3.50, 900. 1t occurred in
various States. between and 8 P. NJ. On
July 5 storm killed II persons,
J wounded55 and wrecked property valued
at $3.50, 900. On September 8 a storm
killed 10 persons, wounded rs, and
wrecked property valued at $1,000, 0O0.
Three hundred houses were destroyed by
= it. On September % storm killed per-
} sons, wounded 40 and wrecked property
/ valued at 5000, 900. Among its victim:
| were 70 horses. Several other storms
occurred during the year, and though of
: lesser importance than the one men
8 toned, proved sufficiently destructive tt
live stock and various other kinds o.
| property. On September %, for ex
| ample, storm in Clarendon county,
f S. c., wounded several persons, killed {
g cow, a horse, and three mules, anC
a wrecked four dwellings, gin house,
several other dwellings, and machinery
t valued at 81, 900.
8 Tornadoes are said to be the result o.
a struggle between the prevailing wind
, in the basin of the Mississippi. Thes
!, winds are from the northwest in winte
n aud from the southwest in summer
n Well when these two opposing force:
n meet each other during the transition
periods of spring and autumn the
naturally fight for supremacy. The re
suit is that the north wind has to knuckl
k under. Now, having the warm cart
e. below it and the still warmer south win'
O above it, it feels its own temperatur,
]. increasing and tries hard to get out o
o its prison. But it cannot escape, bein
n pressed onward by its own volume, AM
r then its agony begins. Meanwhile
10 has chilled the atmosphere above anC
d forces tito give out torrents of rain
If which is frequently converted into heav
[e hailstones before it reaches the earth
a, owing to the rapid evaporation as
" passes through the cold north wind un
d derneath. Finally, the north win
M bursts upward through the warm sout
le wind with whirling and progressiv
le motion, and, finding no more imped
80 ment in. its path, rushcs swiftly on il
ly mad career.
s. A gentleman who has travelled muc
Il in the West and South and seen VIII,
{. damage tornado can do, thinks th;
n many lives might be saved by the ol
,y servance of few wise precaution
m Lieutenant Finley, of the signal servit
ID corps,n he said, 'has spent years
u studying this subject, and has turne
ly the knowledge which he has acquired
of good account. In 1879 he undertook
IL visit the track of every tornado reportC
wv to the signal department at Washingto
at and it was in that way the official inve
#. tigation began. From that year to Il
all present Lieutenant Finley has given Il
a best part of his time to the study of to
m nadoes, and has embodied his expel
en- ence in valuable reports. He has cor
of of men all over the country ready to I