The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-23
FARM AND GARDEN.
Tia Most Eff lent Ways of Protecting Lives
and Valuable Propert. from Tornadoes-
Minor Topics.
Protection from Tomatoes.


The officers of the signal service re-
commend persons who discover that
they are in front of Il tornado and
directly IN the path OF it to make their
way as quickly as possible either north
or south. Ii the cloud is three or four
miles off when discovered it is general
ly practicable to get beyond the path
of 1T before it reaches the place where
the observer stood. Under no circun-
stances should one move to the east,
northeast, or southwest. Many fool.
hardy acts have been committed (per-
haps through fear and excitement or
positive ignorance)by persons which
have resulted in death or terrible in
juries. because they have tried to run
in front of the tornado cloud, thinking
they could outstrip 1t in such a race.
/ Others have attempted to cross the
path just ahead of the advancing
cloud, feeling that they could reach a
safe distance on the opposite side be-
fore the funnel-shaped monster passed.
In one of our late storms person es-
sayed this trip with two horses and a
lumber wagon, confident that he could
at least rush mis- horses across the ap-
parrently narrow path of storm which
/ SOOhCu W plOSIOSS "lIAIh SuCh SiI-
cumscribed limits; he was instantly
mangled, the other seriously injured,
and the wagon total wreck.
Since we cannot resist the power of
/ the tornado, the question now suggests
itself, what precautionary measures
can be taken? That which remains to
! be done can be accomplished in an un-
. o.tentatious and quiet, but secure,
/ manner. Every man can and should
construct ''dug-out'' at some suita;
| hle point, within convenient distance
of his house. If person is situated
within town or city, let him select
some portion of his yard for the pur-
pose; but if residing in the country lie
will not be cofined to narrow limits
in the selection of desirable location.
Where person living in a village has
no yard, he must, if he has a cellar,
construct cellar cave, as a means of
protection, to be described further on.
! With respect to the ''dug- out" IN no
event should the roof be other than
level with the surface of the earth; in
fact. it is highly desirable that the re-
treat should be so constructed that
the ordinary surface of the earth
! would form the roof or covering, and
that all preparations of the domcile
! proceeded by way of excavation and
! supports from beneath. AS to location,
| there is not much to be said, the i'm
portant points being: convenient dis
tance, high, dry place, and possible
opportunities TO excavate into the
northern or eastern slope of knoll or
/ hill. In the latter instance the en-
trance way would suffer less from
the violence of the storm, providing,
perhaps, that it did not entirely en-
velop your retreat, for in that event,
in the whirl of the flying debris, all
sides alike would be at the mercy of
the winds. Having decided upon the
location, as regards your house or
other buildings, prepare to sink a
shaft, say four to six feet square, the
entire depth of your ''dug-out. From
either the northern or eastern (better
! the former) wall of this shaft cut out
a stairway leading upward to the sur
! face of the earth for the purpose of
lngress and egress. On the side of
the shaft opposite the stairway. COM
mence the excavation for the inclosed
retreat. The size of the room will, of
course, depend upon how much you
may at any time wish to secure from
injury. Better have the ton
too large than not large enough. The
| slight difference in the expense of time
and labor may, perhaps, be the means
of saving great deal when you least
! expect it. The entire room should be
below the surface of the ground a dis
tance of at least three feet, and the
! overhanging roof of earth should be
/ supported from beneath by heavy
timbers, to provide against any emer-
gency like dashing of heavy debris or
the tramping of horses and cattle up
ON it.
! Ia the event of tornado, your re-
treat ("dug-out') may be entirely
buried beneath huge piles of debris;
! therefore everything must be made as
/ secure as possible. The entrance door
should be made of the heaviest timbers
and supported between castings of SIM
liar strength of construction. Ar
rangement should be made to secure
] the door by heavy fastenings. In or
der that ventilation may be provided
for, two box spouts, squaring eight
inches, should be let through the roof.
/ The top of these spouts must be level
with the surface of the ground and pro-
tected by iron gratings. Ventilation
may also be provided for by openings
through the upper portion of the door,
and these also should be protected by
iron gratings. The ''dug-out'' should
be large enough to contain your family
and such personal effects as are con-
sidered most valuable. There are
many instances where persons have
lost very valuable articles, even large
sums of money, from supposing that
if such things were placed in securely
I bound trunks or boxes they would be
! perfectly safe. There are cases where
| iron-bound trunks and even iron chests
! (not the regular merchants safe) es-
pecially made to secure valuable arti-
j cles. have been crushed or torn to
| pieces, and the contents scattered to
the winds. A heavy safe might resist
| the force of the wind 10 the extent that
it would not be broken open, but it
may cost you several hundred dollars,
| and even then you must prepare a
-'dug-out" for your family.