Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-30

Unequal Stress 81 Heated Air, the Re.
suit an Atm0spheric Funnel. which
Forms both WaserspOut and Land
Cyclone.


CyclOne.
From the Pail Mali Budget.
Our earth only receives small fractional part Of
the suns heat; but, whatever that may be in the
year, more or less than the average, the entire
surface OF our earth must feel and be subject to
the effects. And one thing Is certain-namely,
that year or series OF years, OF excessive sun
heat Will inevitably be years and seasons OF ex-
cessive atmospheric disturbances because in
crease OF heat will produce excess Of evaporation.
excess OF electric action, and necessarily, exces
sive precipitation and, during prevalence Of this
excess OF sun-heat, there must be over-rmited
areas violent storms both summer a nd winter.
When very large areas OF the atmosphere have
Deen, Dy excess OF heat, brought into an unequal
heated air and vapor which is also intensely cleo
trio, the conditions to produce sandspouts, water
spou:s, and tornadoes are fully ripe. The upper
ana colder layer OF the atmosphere cannot cool the
lower highly-heated and vapor-laden stratum so
evenly and quickly as to prevent vents In the form
OF tunnels forming from the lower stratum to the
higher stratum, and causing a rupture which
taxes place upward IN pipe form, just as
water In tank or basn having bottom means
for discharge by pipe, flows out with whrling
motlon-in our northern hemisphere always
in the direction OF the hands of a clock, and
vapor-laden atmosphere breaks into the cold at,
mosphere above when at the level OF the "dew
point invisible vapor becomes visible, parting
with its latent heat, which 50 rare1es the air as
10 force some OF the condensed atmosphere In Wis.,
IDLE cloud, mounting thousands OF feet above the
eondensing dew point and into region above the
highest peaks OF the highest mountain.
TO feed this pipe, or, as in some cases. pipes the
lower stratum flows In from all sides to and
ascend with the intense velocity OF steam power,
sufficient to produce all the disastrous effects OF
the widest tornado, there being almost vacuum
at the ground or water line, as the phenomenon
may be on the land or over the sea. On the land
trees are twisted and uproeted, houses are un-
rooted, solids of various kinds are lifted from the
earth, and human beings have been blown away
There records Al.
way wagons having been blown OF the rails. In
deserts entire caravans have been buried beneath
mountain OF blown sand-camels, horses and
men; while in Egypt there are the ruins OF cities,
massive temples and monuments deep buried In
the adjoining desert sand. At sea many good
ship caught by a tornado has been overwhelmed
and sent 10 the bottom whole.
There are mtlder forms or the storm eject, pro.
duclng on awarIn summer day the cumulus clouds.
Here the lower stratum OF warm air is also flowing
Inward and rising upward beneath each cloud,
at 1ae dew point parting with latent
causing these summer clouds to enlarge upward,
bulge, and mount In sunshine like Illuminated
woolpack mountains, but when seen in an evening
western SKY about shutdown they take fantastic
forms, so aptly described by Shakespeare.
Cloud scenery is the poets dreamland, ana is by
some writer's most truthfully and beautifully
described AS a rule painters do not pay so much
attention to clouds as the poets do At all events,
they do not represents them so truthfully as the
poets describe them. There are, OF course, excep-
tons, but in the Royal Academy Exhibition Just
opened there are many square feet OF canvas
SKY and cloud bears no resemblance to anything
ever seen in nature. Every painter should study
meteorology as surgeon studies anatomy. Clouds
have forms as definite as a skeleton.
CLOUDS are not masses OF unmeaning vapOr, but
FORM and f0at oOedent to law; and, II the painter
has not studied and learned this law, he cannot
depict clouds in their true forms. On a warm
summers day small cumuluS clouds may be seen
forming at the dew-point line OF elevation; In each
case the base OF the cloud is level an ascertain
able heighth above the site, having an upward
current Of warm, vapor-laden air rising beneath,
mounting and bullying.