The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-04-16
CYCLONES AND WHIRLWINDS.

The words cyclone, whirlwind and
tornado, are commonly, but incor
rectly used in sense substantially
identical or interchangeable. They
are, in reality, quite different things
A whirlwind is, as its name implies,
a circular, andegenerally very rapid
whirling motion of the atmosphere,
embracing small area, seldom more
than a few hundred yards, and cap
able of drawing up into its vortex,
according to its size and violence,
dust, leaves, sticks and other small
objects, or even men, animals and
trees. Water-spouts at sea are the
result of similar atmospheric whirls.
The terrific wind blasts, which
sometimes work such destruction in
the western portions of the United
States, are of the same character
The force of some of these storms, as
reported, would seem absolutely in
credible, had they not happened SO
often, and their effects been attested
by such multitudes of competent
witnesses. The dust whirls which
are frequently seen in the streets,
and sometimes in the open country,
are nothing but miniature whirl-
winds.
A cyclone is something like
whirlwind on a gigantic scale, inso-
much as the wind blows violently in
a circle, around central point. But
there are some very important differ
ences. Instead of having, like the
whirlwind or tornado, a diameter
varying from a few feet to a few
hundred yards, the true cyclone has
a diameter of several hundred miles.
Owing chiefly to the size of the
circle, there is nothing that CORES
ponds accurately to the vortex of the
or water-spout. The ac-
ton extends over a vastly larger
space, and is never as violent at any
one point. At the center of the
storm known as cyclone,
there is a space of comparative calm.
It follows, of course, that at op-
posite points of the circle, the wind
will be blowing in exactly opposite
This explains the phen-
often noticed in marine re-
ports, where a vessel encounters a
heavy gale blowing in a certain di-
,ection, followed by brief period Of
comparative calm, to be succeeded
n turn by an equally furious gale
rom the opposite point of the COM
pass. In such cases, the vessel has
simply passed through a cyclone,
lear its centre. In case the transit |
s made nearer the circumference,
here will be change in the direc-
ion of the wind, not generally |
to an entire reversal, and |
here will be no intervening period |
# calm. Corresponding phenomena
will be, of course, observed when, in
tead of vessel passing through a
torn, the storm is observed from
ONE point on the land, over which
t passes.
It is to be remembered that in all
ircular storms, whether of the whirl-
gind or of cyclone varieties, there
5, in addition to their rotary char
cter, movement of the whole body
f the disturbance along the earth's
urface, somewhat as a wheel, which,
t the same time that it revolves,
lso moves forward. In the case of
and water spouts, this
is visible to the eye, while,
4 the case of cyclones, it is demon
trated by a comparison of the di
ection and force of the wind as OBJ
erved at different times and places
uring the continuance of the storm.
In the recent instance, the gale is
eported to have come first from the
(. E., thence shifting to N. E. and
l., and finally ending from the West.
'hese changes in the direction of
ne wind, taken in connection with
le long continued violence of the
5orm, with no reported interval of
uiet, indicates two things, namely:
lat the sweep of the cyclone was
retty wide, and that the portion
assing over Apia was far within the
rcle, but not quite at It's centre. In
lie spring of 1883 the Samoan Isl
nds were swept by similar cyclone,
hich wrecked nine vessels. At that
me, as in the recent instance, the
ind revolved from S. E. by n. E.
nd n. w. to W., or in direction
,ntrary to that of the hands of
atch.
The New Zealanders have caught