, 1886-01-16
TORNADO STUDIES.
AN INVESTIGATOR TELLS OF SOME
CONCLUSIONS REACHED.
Common but Erroneous Theories
Mechanical Effects in the VORTEX
The Only Relief Science Can EI-
tend-cautionary Signals.

There Is a theory that cities ARE In COM
paratively less danger from tornhdoes be-
cause the heavier and more durable struc-
lures may he expected TO break up the cloud
vortex and thwart its fury. Lieut.. Finlay,
4the tornado man OF the signal service,
shakes his head and declares that it is a great
mistake.
Recall, " he says, "the visitation at Phila-
dolphin only last August. The tornado
which swept through MArshfield, Mo, with
such awful consequences, would have plowed
a furrow through st. Louis had IL struck
the city instead OF the town. The greatest
structures Of stone and iron will, in my opin-
ion, melt like wax in fire when the vortex
reaches them New York, with its great en-
vironments and its millions OF people. may
suffer when 1t least expects. never see the
Brooklyn bridge that l don't think what a
splendid target il would make for a tornado.
That vast framework OF steel and iron will
be torn from its piers and hurled into the
East river IL the vortex ever strikes it"
"Are tornadoes increasing or decreasingi"
Neither. There IL no change, no pros
pect OF change, that we can see in the FIRE
quency of them or in their violence. As
this country becomes thickly settled the
losses are greater, because there Is more to
destroy in the path. Where a few years ago
inc bOrnhno clouu spent ln Jury vi uhOe'u-
pied prairies or in forests, now it sweeps over
cities, valleys and farms"
"You mean to say hat you look ahead and
figure on a specified number OF tornadoes in
a given periodr
THE n Is MAINTAINED
@Precisely. From the data we have we
confidently look for about 100 OF these vista
tons each year. There are theories held that
a. the western country undergoes trnnsfor-
nation through settlement the atmospheric
conditions are changing so as TO affect the
number and force OF these whirling clouds.
Our records and observations do not show
such results.
"You remember, went on the lieutenant,
"what took place at Grinnell, that beautiful
Iowa town, In 1872. The cloud encountered
In succession three great stone and brick
structures Of the college and leveled them
with the ground. Did that break up the
vortex Not at all. The cloud swept on
with strength enough after that mighty
wrestling match to lift up a sixty-ton engine
and n train OF freight cars, scattering them
out upon the prairie. 1t continued its course
for miles before it gave evidence Of lessening
fury.
mo" said the lieutenant, two can't build
big enough or strong enough above ground
to defy the tornado. We have material evil
dence. and we have mathematical deductions
10 demonstrate this. We can figure out a
whirling velocity OF 1900 miles an hour for
the movement about the vortex. Conceive
of that IL you can 1t means a force equiva-
lent TO our atmospheric pressure OF fifteen
pounds 10 the square inch. Let me apply an
air pump 10 the capitol there and remove
this natural pressure OF the atmosphere, and
how long do you suppose IL would be before
Fiat rauuufva Mia tftruhlad into n hpanf And
vet here Is an equivalent force turned loose
70 execute its freaks
@What are you going TO do about til Has
the signal service a remedyf
EXPERIMENTS GGE RELIEF
"Not a remedy exactly, but a plan to warn
people when and where tornadoes may be
expected. We can not prevent destruction
of property, but we can give warning, so
that loss OF life and injury to body may be
averted."
"This is feasibleF
"Yes; we have tested the matter and sat
isfed ourselves that we can do IT, For two
seasons we have been experimenting. Our
work began In March, 1884, and wa con
tinued through two tornado seasons, ending
last month. The country especially subject
10 tornado formations was divided into
eighteen tornado districts, averaging about
100 miles square, and each OF the districts
was cut into four parts. Predictions based
on our knowledge of the prevailing condi-
tons were made daily for each OF these sub
divisions. At first we attempted predictions
eight hours in advance, and afterward six
teen hours. The percentage OF verihcation
was 81. We sent out no warnings because
this was experimental work, but we are en-
tirely satisfied that we can predict and To-
cate tornndoes with considerable accuracy.
The results more than satisfied us"
"You would give c%autionary signals Of
tornadoes 10 the interior sections as you do
OF storms to mariners OIL the lakes and on
the coastsf"
"That Is what we propose TO do. And not
tho least OF the advantages from a system OF
tornado signals will be the allaying Of anx-
iety and fear among the people on those days
when we were able 10 notify them tornadoes
will not form. The isolated observer or com
munity can not determine or be satisfied
from limited observation as 10 the tornado
probabilities. But trusting TO tornado sig
mails from the service, people will go about
their usual occupations without continuous
apprehension, and ON the days when the eau
tionary signals are given preparations can
be made to protect life so far as possible
st. Louis Globe Democrat.