Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-06
TORNAOOES.
rAe Result of Eight Years Invsstigation
by Signal Service Oficer.


Lieutenant John P. Finley. of the
Signal Corps has been studying the
phenomena of tornadoes for the past
eight years. Tornadoes are now SO
we'll understood that it IS believed that
+ trustworthy warning can soon be sent
Z ont to the ocalities threatened In fact,
experimental predictions have been
made for year, with good result. Ac-
cor ing o Lieutenant Finley. Ndoes
have distinctly marked characteristics
and are by no means to be confounded
with hurrlcan 5, "blizz rds." cyclones
or northraster Their tracks are never
more than few hundred yards wide.
4 heir otary motion, which is or atest
Howard the center, ometlmes reaches
u the enor rous rate of 1000 miles an
YhOur. while the forwarl movement,
alw vs. from southwest to northwest,
ordinarily doa not exceed forty or fifty
miles. They are usually unaccompa =
led by electrical disturbances and are
believed to be uniniluenced by electrical
conditions, though violen: thunder-
storms sometimes follow them few
miles away. -
There is distinct and curious rela-
tionshp between the tornado and the
general storm center, whkch is always
apparent in their uniform relative po-
sitions, the tornado always occurring
! enthusiastically from the center of low
barometric pressure, and at distance
of from one to six hundred miles. The
shape of the general storm center, the
direction in which its lowest barometer
lies and the appearance OF the upper
J, and lower clouds enter as minor ele-
ments into the problem out of which
the weather experts hope to work "A
complete system OF tornado warnings.
The visits of the tornado are common
lv between the hours of two and six
L o'clock in the afternoon. Its home ID
an area which includes the whole OF
Iowa. all of Missouri, except the south.
eastern corner, the northwestern corner
of Arkansas, the northeastern part OF
the Indian Territory. Eastern Kansas.
Eastern Nebraska, Southern Mime.
sofa, 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
he Gulf and South Atlantic coasts,
.
Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina
With termini in Mississippi and North
carolina. over which its devastations
re confined to the months of January
february and March. The second in
ludes a portion of Southern and Cen
raj Ohio, a large portion of Pennsylva
ia, a small area in Maryland, strip
cross New York and cJrner OF eact
70 nd M
here IL is in season only during Au
ust and September.
The conditions which are favorable
Y. the creation of tornadoes are present
hen cool, dry current of air meets {
arm, moist current, bringing wide eX
emes both Of temperature and hu
idity into close proximity. The cool
currents come from the north, bu
ch as flow over the Great Lakes picl
in their course both moisture ant
at and their destructive forces ar
us neutralizeA. Those blowing fIon
!, Northwest down over the dr.,
Z a,ins of Manitoba and Dakota, carr.
s nething of their Arctic character
Z, chaos far South, and if in their cours
y t,y meet one of the hea
Il vapor, laden breezes com
M M from the Gulf the wa
the elements begins at the point o
intact. The storm always has it
aapth in the upp-r air its first visibl
ut laifestation being the ominSls fun
> All, shaped cloud, whose pendant trunI
NM in form not unlike that of an ele
int Within it the furies are confined
vs. when and where its point touche
N n'pe earth the path Of destruction be
mgi.. When the isotherm OF the morn
n einp signal map shows the advancin
~ INNS Uf air, with their wide con
4a Is of temperature in proximity
'"' n the general storm center is j
= Nied relative position which seem
VI the ssary to the exercise of its mystt
z hem influence; when the pressure
5saen toward the east, disclosing
.saud ,um into which the DETECTED cul
tand \ may advance without obstrut
8n,,' twhen all these conditions combin
gS ibuld become but a simple probler
"- foe experts TO determine with res
peal SOLE probability from the wind vs
our lo,es whether the threatening line c
cOsct will have advanced to or beyon
'ifL the,rnado's accustomed baunts by tn
,ies tin,of day when the powers OF ms
yo chic shall be lcosed. Washington Con
=.