New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-05
CHARACTERISTICS OF TORNADOES.
THEIR HOME AND THEIR CREATIoN-ISsUkANct
AGAINST THEM.


WASHINGTON, Oct. 4-The phenomena OF
tornadoes to the scientific study Of which Lieutenant
John r. Finley OF the Signal Corps has devoted about
eight years. are we'll understood as to warrant
the belief warnings may soon be sent out
to the inhabitanso OF localities which may be threateheu
with disastrous vsitations. Daily predictions are III
fact being made present having been begun last year
and continued during the tornado and resumed
recently upon the return OF Lieutenant
Finley from inspection tour In the west
The visits OF the tornado are commonly between the
hours OF o'clock In the aftc moon It's home Is
an area which includes the whole OF Iowa, all OF MIS-
souri, except the southeastern corner, the northwest
crn corner Of Arkansas the northeastern part OF tne
Indian Territory, Eastern Kansas Eastern Nebraska
Southern Minnesota, Southern Wisconsin and
Western Illinois. Here its season ex-
tends from April to August. inclusive
The conditions which favorable to the creation OF
tornadoes are present when cold current OF air meets
warm moist current, bringing wide extremes both OF
temperature and humidity into close proximity. Inc
cool dry currents from the NORTH but sch as now
over Great Lakes pick up in their course both os
IRE and heat and their destructive forces are thus neu
trazed. Those blowing from the FAR Northwest oo"h
over the dry plains OF Manitoba ana Ia
kota carry something o! their Arctic characteristics
far SOUTH and IL their they meet one OF the heat
and vapor laden breezes coming up from the Gulf the
war of the clements begins at the point OF contact The
storm always has its birth in the upper air. its ntst
visible manifestation being the ominous, funnel-shape
cloud whose pendant trunk in form not unlike that Of
an elephant Within 1t the furies arc confined, ana
whom and where point touches the earth the path OF
destruction begins.
The chieremainng unknown quantities In the problem
consist of data OF time and place great store OF which
ia already hand and only awaits digestion ana taou
ations while fifteen hundred special tornado observers
are gathering additional facts respecting current storms
and from all available the stories OF long past
tornades known the earlier settlers as wlnd Iails
The interests which subject to disaster from lorna
does are alive to the importance or the WORK III
progress. Intending purchasers OF farms Apply
10 the Signal Office for information respecting
the liability OF their selected locality 10 disaster 10
such are the records OF the past FAR as they are
known Whenever Lieutenant Finley travels IN pursuit
of his studies and villagers press Tor lh-
formation To these he says that nothing raised py tc
hand OF man above the surface OF the earth can Win
stand the shock OF the tornado. He ADVISES
them to seek their dugouts upon tue appear.
auce of the portentiOns signs OF disaster anu
there await the passage OF the storm For ther
uropery he advises Insurance. that the losses of inc IN
dividuai NAV be shared his fortunate neghbor
The Insurance companies. which last year - wratc
yy mill ons In tornado policies, are eagerly awaiting
tne completion of map now IN the process OF nakns;
which will is expected, greatly narrow the so cille
tornado and perhaps show that large portions ."
them have never experienced disastrous storm Joh
This map Lieutenant Finley proposes 10 show from Inc
compete records several AMI the data a. lar a.
obainahle for many previous years the average mum
Der OF tornadoes for each county per annun.