Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-10-22
5tlistellamepns &eadina.
HOW TORNADOES FORM.

does are now so we'll understood that 1t is
believed that trustworthy warning can soon
be sent out to the localities threatened. In
fact, experimental predictions have been
made for year, with good result. Accord
ing to Lieutenant Finley, tOrnadOes have
distinctly marked characteristics and are by
no means to be confounded with hurricanes,
'blizzards, cyclones or north-easters. Their
tracks are never more than few hundred
yards wide. Their rotary motion, which is
greatest toward the centre, sometimes reach
es the enormous rate of 1000 miles an hour,
while their forward movement, always
from southwest to northwest, ordinarily
does not exceed forty or fifty miles. They
are usually accompanied by electrical dis
turbances, and are believed to be uninfiu-
enced by electrical conditions, though vio-
| lent thunder storms sometimes follow them
few miles away.
THE HOME OF THE TORNADO.
There is distinct and curious relation
fship between the tornado and the general
storm centre, which is always apparent in
their uniform relative positions, the lorna
do always occurring enthusiastically from
the centre of low baromic pressure and at
distance from one to six hundred miles.
The shape of the general storm centre, the
direction in which its lowest barometer lies,
and the appearance Of the upper and lower
CLOUDS GUlGF dS clculclltS lllO 9ilC
problem out of which the weather experts
hope to work a complete system Of tornado
warnings. The visits of the tornado are
commonly between the hours of two and
six O'Clock in the afternoon. Its home is an
area which includes the whole of Iowa, all
of Missouri except the southeastern corner,
the northwestern corner of Arkansas, the
northeastern part of the Indian Territory,
Eastern Kansas, Eastern Nebraska, South.
ern Minnesota, Southern Wisconsin and
Western Illinois. Here its season extends
from April to August inclusive. 1t is also a
frequent visitor to two other regions. These
are, first, a strip along the gulf and South
Atlantic coasts, which takes in the central
portions of Alabama, Georgia and South
Carolina, with termini in Mississippi and
North Carolina, over which its devastations
are confined to the months Of January, Feb
ruary and March. The second includes
portion of Southern and Central Ohio,
large portion of Pennsylvania, small
area in Maryland, strip across New York
and a corner of each of Massachusetts and
Connecticut, where it is in season only du-
ring August and September.
HOW THE TORNADO FORMS.
The conditions which are favorable to the
creation of tornadoes are present when
cool, dry current of air meets warm, moist
current, bringing wide extremes, both of
temperature and humidity, into close proX-
unity. The cool, dry currents come from
the north, but such as flow over the Great
Lakes pick up in their course both moisture
and heat and their destructive forces are
thus neutralized. Those blowing from the
far Northwest, down over the dry plains of
Manitoba and Dakota, carry something of
their Arctic characteristics far South, and if
in their course they meet one of the heat
and vapOr-laden breeZeS coming up from the
Gulf the war of the elements begins at the
point of contact. The storm always has its
birth in the upper air, its first visible mani
festation being the ominous funnel-shaped
cloud, whose pendant trunk is in form not
unlike that of an elephant. Within it the
furies are confined, and when and where its
point touches the earth the path of destruc-
ton begins. When the iSOtherm of the
morning signal map shows the advancing
columns of air, with their wide contrasts of
temperature, in proximity; when the gen
eral storm centre is in that relative position
which seems necessary to the exercise Of its
mysterious influence; when the pressure is
low toward the east, disclosing vacuum
into which the DETECTED currents may ad-
vance without obstructien-when all these
conditions combine it should become but a
simple problem for the experts to determine,
with reasonable probability, from the wind
velociteS whether the threatening line of
contact will have advanced to or beyond the
tornado's accustomed haunts by the time of
day when the powers of mischief shall be
loOsed
THE UNKNOWN QUANTITIES.
The chief remaining unknown quantities
in the problem consist of data of time and
place, a great store Of which is already in
hand and only awaits digestion and tabula-
ton, while 900 special tornado observers
are gathering additional facts respecting cur
rent storms, and from all available sources
the stories of long past tornadoes, known to
the earlier settlersas windfalls. Thus while
host of interesting scientific questions re-
specting the origin of tOrnadoeS, the laws
which govern them and their relationship
to other meteorological phenomena, remain
to be answered, the more practical questions
as to when and where they are likely to APP
pear seem to be advancing rapidly toward
solution.
The interests which are subject to disaster
from tOrnad0es are alive to the importance
of the work in progress. Intending pur-
chasers Of farms apply to the signal office for
information respecting the liability Of their
selected locality to disaster. TO such are
sent the records of the past as far as they are
known. Whenever Lieutenant Finley trav-
els in pursuit Of his studies farmers and viii
layers press for information. TO these he
says that nothing raised by the hand of man
above the surface Of the earth can withstand
the shock Of the tornado. He advises them
to seek their dug-outs on the appearance OF
the portentous signs of disaster and there
await the passage Of the storm. For their
property he advises insurance, so that the
losses of the individual may be shared by
his fortunate neighbOrs.
y
LAFITTE.-'Th last of the buccaneers
was the celebrated Latitte, who for many
years carried on his illicit traffic in defiance
of the government. His crew of smugglers
and pirates occupied the Bay of Barataria,
where they had fortified an island. a price
was set upon his head, but it is said that he
was frequently seen in New Orleans, and
had friends and even a banker who receiv-