News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-11-12
STUDY OF TORNAD0ES.
REGIONS IN WHICH THESE DE
STRUCTIVE.STORM PREVAIE.
The Signal Service Soon TO be Able 10
Give Trustworthy Warnings of their
Coming-How They are Formed In the
Upper Air.

The Signal Service Soon TO be Able u
Give Trustworthy Warnings of then
Coming-How They are Formed In I'M
Upper Air.
The phenomena of tornadoes, to the
scientific study of which Lieutenant
John p. Finley; of the Signal Corps
has devoted about eight years, are no"
so we'll understood as to warrant the
belief that trustworthy warnings may
soon be sent out to the inhabitants OF
localities which may be threatened with
disastrous visitations. Daily predlc-
tons are, in fact, being made at present,
having begun last year and continued
during the tornado season, and resumed
recently upon the return of Lieutenant
Finley from an inspection tour In the
West. The percentage of veritcatlon
is already gratifying, though the pIedlc,
lions are as yet largely experimental, and
are embodied in the daily published
bulletins of the Signal Office only when
the conditions favorable to the creation
of tornadoes are very pronounced: Ii
| such cases ''severe local storms" are
noted as probable.
To a reporter of the Associated
Press Lieut.. Finley recently described
the known phenomena of tornadoes and
| the ends toward which present researches
| are directed These storms have dis
| tinctly marked characteristics, and are
| by no means to be COMPOUNDED with hur-
ricanes, billiards., cyclones, or north
casters. Their tracks are never more
than few hundred yards wide, and
their forces are generally exhausted by
the time they have travelled course OF
forty or fifty miles, though in this latter
respect they are quite variable, some
having been traced by their lines of de,
vastation more than 100 miles. Then
rotary motion, which is greatest toward
the centre, sometimes 7 aches the enor-
nous rate of 2, 900 miles an hour, while
their forward movement, always from
southwest to northeast, ordinarily does
not exceed forty or fifty mile. They
are usually unaccompanied by electrical
disturbances, and are believed to be I'M
influenced by electrical conditions,
though violent thunder storms sometimes
follow them few miles away. There
is a distinct and curious relationship be-
tween the tornado and the general storm
centre which is always apparent IN their
uniform relative positions, the tornado
always occurring enthusiastically from
the centre of low barometric pressuI e
and at distance of from one to six
hundred miles. The shape of the gen
eral storm centre, the direction in which
its longest diameter lies, and the APP
pearance of the upper and lower clouds,
enter as minor elements into the prob
lem out of which the weather experts
hope to work a complete system of tor
nado warning.
The visits of the tornado are COM
monty between the hours of 2 and in
the afternoon. Its home is an area
which includes the whole of Iowa, all of
Missouri except the southeastern corner,
northeastern part of Indian Territory,
eastern Kansas, eastern Nebraska,
southern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin
and western Illinois. Here its season
extends from April to August inclusive.
1t Is frequent visitor to two other re-
glons. One is strip along the Gulf
and south Atlantic coast, which takes
IN the central portions of Alabama,
Georgia, and South Carolina, with
ermini in Mississippi and North Caro-
ina, over which its devastations are con-
ined to the months of January, Febru-
Try and March. The other includes a
portion of southern and central Ohio, a
arge part of Pennsylvania, a small area |
n Maryland, strip across New York, |
nd corner each of Massachusetts and |
n nNt10I1f xHrba ~ &c IN
uring the months of August and Sep
ember
The conditions which are favorable to
he creation of tornadoes are present
yhen cool dry current of air meets a
warm moist current, bringing wide ex-
remes both of temperature and humidity
nto close proximity The cold dry cur |
'ents come from the north, but such as I
low over the great lakes pick up in
heir course both moisture and heat, and |
heir destructive forces are thus neu-
rallied. Those blowing from the far
northwest down over the dry plains of |
Manitoba and Dakota carry something |
# their arctic characteristics far south. |
nd if in their course they meet one of
he heat and vapor laden breezes COM
ng up from the Gulf, the war of the ele-
nents begins at the point of contact.
The storm always has its birth in the
upper air, it's first visible manifestation |
,eing the ominous funnel-shape cloud,
whose pendant trunk is in form not un-
Ike that of an elephant. Within it the |
uries are confined, and when and where
is point touches the earth the path of
destruction begins.
When the isotherms of the morning
ignal map show the advancing columns
f air with their wide contrasts of
in proximity; when the gen
raj storm centre is in that relative posi-
ion which seems necessary to the exer-
Use of its mysterious influence; when
he pressure is low toward the earth,
disclosing a vacuum into which the de-
ected currents may advance without
distractions; when all these conditions
ombine it should become but simple
roblem for the experts to determine
nth reasonable probability from the
lind velocities whether the threatening
me of contact will have advanced to or
eyond the tornado's accustomed haunts
v the time of day when the powers of
lischief shall be loosed.
The chief remaining unknown quaint
es in the problem consist of data of
me and place, great store of which is
Iready in hand, and only awaits diges-
on and tabulation, while fifteen hun
red special tornado observers are gath
ring additional facts respecting current
.orms, and from all available sources
lie stories of long-past tornadoes known
the earlier settlers as windfalls. Thus,
lille host of interesting scientific
uestions respecting the origin of tor
ADDE'S, the laws which govern them,
nd their relationship to other meteor
logical phenomena remain to be an
vered, the more practical questions as
} when and where they are likely to
ppear seem to be advancing rapidly to-
ard solution.
The interests which are auhjant 20 dis
ster from tornadoes are alive to the
Importance of the work in progress.@4n~
ending purchasers of farms apply to Z
lie Signal Office for information respect
lg the liability of their selected locality
} disaster. To such are sent the records
the past, as far as they are known.
Whenever Lieut.. Finley travels in pur-
lit of his studies, farmers and villagers
ress for information. To these he SAYS
nat nothing raised by the hand of man
bove the surface of the earth can with
and the shock of the tornado. He adj
ises them to seek ther. dugouts upon
ne appearance of the portontous signs
disaster, and there await the passage
the storm. For their property he ad
ises insurance, so that the losses of the
ldividual may be shared by his more
neighbors. The insurance
which last year "wrote"
,r+v miIlionS in tornado polioiaS ora |