The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-25
FACTS ABOUT STORMS.

Results of q Study of the Tornadoes at St.
Cloud and Sioux City.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, May 23.-The Signal Office has
been making special study of the facts report
ed from the great tornadoes of April IA, by
which the cities of St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids
Minn.. were nearly destroyed. The furthest
westerly appearance of the storm was at James
town. d. T. The total path Of the storm was
thirty-fve miles long, and in its course killed
sixty-nine people, and destroyed over 5000 600
worth of property. At the same time there was
storm at Benton, Mills county, Iowa, which
proceeded in the same general direction and
passed through a dozen towns in the course of
110 miles Another parallel storm was noted at
Wetmore, Kan, and Stella, Neb., and was traced
for about thirty miles. Another was reported
from Monroe. Mo-, about thirty miles long. All
these storms happened between and o'clock
in the evening. There was uniform progress
sion from west to east, the most eastern lorna
does occurring four or five hours later
than the western. The signal service people
are inclined to build theories somewhat different
from those accepted with regard to tornadoes.
The principal authority on tornadoes is Prof
Ferrel He says that when, on account of great
er heat, greater amount of aqueous vapor.
the atmosphere at any place becomes more rare
than the surrounding portion, it ascends, and
the surrounding heavier atmosphere flows in be-
low to supply its place. while counter-current
is produced above AS the lower strata of atmos-
phere generally contain a certain quantity of
aqueous vapor, which is condensed after rising
to certain height, and forms clouds and rain, the.
caioric given out in the condensation produces
a still greater rarefaction, and doubtless adds
very much to the disturbance of equilibrium,
and to the motive powers of storms. The Signal
Office finds the following objections to this theo-
ry: They sayit demands more sudden and COM
plete mixing of warm and cool air than can ever
take place In nature; that there is no such sudden
uprush OF air due to possible heating by the sun.
While the earth's surface may become very
hot, yet this intense heat never extends more
than few feet vertically. Balloon ascents dem
onstrate this. The sun heats great surface
over the earth, and If Ferrels theory was cor
rect there would naturally be cloud formation
aud storms over large region. whereas storms
seem to develop along certain lines from south
west to northeast. and are not general over any
large region Storms are not stationary, but
have a well-Cefined course, and move exactly as
if propelled by some force as part OF the cause
or the storm, rather tnan Dy successive upset
tings of equilibrium, from place to place An
other fact is that storms generally arise about
half past o'clock in the afternoon just little
after the hottest part of the day, and work east
ward, where it becomes cooler If there was
to be any upheaval of equilibrium, ow
ing to the sun's heat, it would seem that
it ought to take place under the and not
seven or eight hours after the sun had passed.
Furthermore, Professor Ferrels theory requires
a rarefaction of air Immediately in front OF the
advancing storm. while the observation Of
the Signal Office shows that there is no such
rarefaction, but on the contrary. dense pres
sure preceding tho storm. The belief of the sig
nal service is that tornado is the extreme de-
velopment of thunder storm. accompanied by
intense electrical manifestations and sudden
increase in pressure and of wind blowing sud
denly and powerfully from the direction of the
tornado. 1t is believed that these tornadoes are
the result of peculiar electrical conditions in the
upper air. The Signal Bureau has from time tc
time recommended that there would be- great