The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-06-04

Tho Formation and Appearance Of lorna
does, and the Prcmonitory signs of Their
Approach.
During the past few seasons the sig
nal Office of our War Department has
made special study of tornadoes, and
has endeavored to collect all the facts
attainable in relation to the places
where they are most likely to occur,
the conditions of their formations, pre-
monitory signs of their appearance, and
the character of tornado clouds and
motions. 1t has also made investiga-
tions in relation to tho best means of
affording protection from them to life
has been compiled by Gen. Hazen,
Chief Signal Service Officer, and pub
lished by the authority of tho Secretary
of War. Following are some OF the
important facts set forth in the report,
which are of special interest to farmers
and others living in the country:
Tae general direction OF movements of the
tornado Is invariably from point In the
southwest quadrant TO point in tho north
east quadrant. The tornado cloud assumes
the form OF n funnel the small end drawing
near to, or resting upon the earth. This
cloud and the air beneath IL revove about
central vertical axis with inconceivab.e
rapidty, and always In direction contrary
to the movement of the hands OF a watch.
The destructive violence OF the storm Is
| sometimes confined TO a path n 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 IL
rests upon the earth, the violence increases,
and the path wldens TO the extreme limit of
| eighty rods. The tornado, with hardly an ex-
ception, occurs in the afternoon. just after
| the hottest part of tho day. The hour of
| greatest frequency Is between and p. IN.
| Tornadoes very rarely, II ever, begin after
q p. IN. tornado commencing about p.
m. may continue its characteristic violence
| until nearly D. IN, which MEANS only, that
the tornado cloud may be travelling after p.
| m, or after D. M, but 1t does not develop
that is, make its appearance for the first
| time, after those hours. Outside of the area
of destruction, at times even along the i'm
| mediate edge, the smallest objects often re-
main undisturbed, although at few yards
distant the largest and strongest hui dings
arc crushed to pieces. At any point along
the storms path, where there is opportunity
afforded the tornado cloud to display its
! power, the disposition of the debris pre- -ents
unmistakablc signs of an action of the wind,
! such as might be called rotation, from the
| right through the front to the left around
| the center. The destructive power of the
wind increases steadily from the circumfer-
| ence of the storm TO its center.
On the day of the storm, and for several
tornado cloud, indications of its probable
1 formation and approach are within the com
prehension of an ordinary observer, and can
| readily be detected by him? A sultry Op.
| prcssive condition or the atmosphere, de-
scribed by various observers as follows: ~
really experienced a sickly sensation under
the influence OF the sum rays" Il was COM
| PEELED to stop work on account OF the pecul-
lar exhaustion experienced from physical OK
ertion.' at seemed as If the highest gar.
mcnts that l could put on were a burden 10
me-" "There was not u breath of ar STIR
ring" The air. at times, came in puts, as
from heated furnace" II felt in want OF
breath, the air frequently appearing too
rarefed to breathe freely" al was startled
at the sudden and continued rise in the Their
mometer, especially at this season of the
year" 1T was terribly oppressive; IL seemed
| as II the atmosphere was unusually heavy,
ana pressing down on me with great
/ WEIGHT"
Enough examples have been cited to indl-
cate the effects and signs of this oppressive
sultriness. ether signs may lie 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. Moro frequently, however they
| form I'm the northwest and southwest, some
times commencing first in the former quarter
and then again in tho latter. but in either
case they are equally significant The
marked popularity of the clouds Is found TO
| occur not n'y IN the form out IN the color
! and character OF development.
The sudden appearance of ominous clouds,
| first in tn southwest and then almost immedi-
atey in the northwest or northeast tor per-
haps reversed in the order of their appear
ance), generally attracts the attention OF the
most casual observer. In almost all cases
these premonitory clouds are unlike any
ordinary formation. III they are light their
appearance resembles smoke issuing from
burning building, or straw stack, rolling
ard d, fon ITO cbo ff.v
sometimes they are like fine mist. or quite
white-lisc fog or steam. Some persons de-
scribe these light clouds as at times appar-
emily iridescent or glowing, as IL pale,
whitish light issued from their IRREGULAR sur
faces. If the premonitsry clouds are dark
and present a deep grecnish hue, this fairly
forbodes very great evil. SO, also. IL they ap-
pear jet black from the center TO circum-
| ference, or IL this deep set color appears only
at the center, gradually diminishing In in
tcnsity as tho outer edges the cloud or
banks 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 en-
CINE or locomotive burning sort coal. They
have been described rs of purple or blush
| tinge. or at times possessed OF strange
lividness or frequently dark green, and again
of an inky blackness that fairly startlcs one
with its intensity.
Another and invarlable sign of the torna-
| dos approach Is a heavy roaring, which
augments in intensity as the tornado cloud
advances This roaring is compared to the
passage OF a heavily loaded freight tram
moving over a bridge or through deep pass
| or tunnel. or heard on damp mornings
when the sound is very clear and loud. At
times the roaring has been so vic ent that
persons have compared IL TO the simultaneous
rush of ten THOUSAND trains of cars" Again.
| the roaring is likencd to the low rumbling of
distant thunder. The varying intensity OF
the roar. as here presented. is apparently
due to the lack of uniformity in the posi-
| tons OF the various observers with respect
To the advancing tornado cloud. Those situ-
ated nearest the cloud, othcc things being
equal, experience the Ioudcst roar. while TO
| those at greater distances the noise is pro-
| portionaly weaker. In any event, however.
the noise is sufficiently peculiar and distinct
TO create alarm. and as a means of warning
| should not be overlooked under any pretcxt.
The tornado cloud is, generally speaking, mt
its first formation OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES is TO
say. IL tapers from the top downward, not
always in tho same degree with every ap-
| pearance of the cloud, but the lowcr end OF
| IL the part nearest the earth is invariably
the smallest. and this, too whatever may he
| tho inclination of tho central axis OF the
/ cloud to tho vertical or plumb line.