The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1889-08-22
Concerning Cloud Bursts.

1
cloud bursts at the two Johnstowns has
| drawn public attention to these danger.
Gus catclysms.
Thirty years ago our. people knew
| nothing about cloud bursts. For several
years they were occasionally heard of in
the far west, but they were not expected
| to visit the Atlantic States. The New
York Herald gives the following con-
densed facts concerning this new dan.
ger:
The phenomena of cloud burst, which
can only occur in a tornado or whirl.
wind, are not generally understood. The
| whirl in which it forms is not a very
broad and shallow disk, but tall colum-
mar mass Of rotating air, similar to that
in which the Atlantic waterspout of the
famous pillar-like dust storm in India
is generated. While this travelling
aerial pillar, perhaps few hundred
yards in diameter, is rapidly gyrating,
the centrifugal force, as Professor Ferrel
has shown, acts as barrier to prevent
the flow of external air from all sides
into its interior, except at and near the
base of the pillar. Their friction with
the earth retards the gyrations and
allows the air to rush in below and escape
upward through the fue-like interior as
[ powerful ascending currents.
The phenomenon, however, will not
be attended by terrific floods unless the
atmosphere is densely stored with water
yapor, as it was in the Cayadutta valley
and as it vas on May 91st in the Cone
maugh valley. When such is the case
the violent ascending currents suddenly
lift the Yapor laden clouds several thou.
sand feet above the level at which they
were previously floating and hurl them
aloft into rarifed and cold regions OF tie
atmosphere, where their vapor is instant
ly condensed into many tons Of water.
| Could the water fall as fast as condensed
it would be comparatively harmless.
| But the continuous uprushing currents
support this mass Of water at the high
level, and as their own vast volumes OF
vapor rising are condensed, they add to
the water already accumulated thousands
of feet above the earth's slrface-mak.
ing, SO 10 speak, a lake in high air.
| As the whirlwind weakens or passes
| from beneath this vast body of water,
which its ascending currents have gener.
ated aud upheld in the upper story OF
the atmosphere, the aqueous mass, no
longer supported, drops with ever in
creasipg grayitational force to earth. In
severe cloud bursts tho water does not
fall as rain, but in sheets and streams.
sometimes unbroken for many seconds.
The cloud burst of 1898, at Holidays.
burg, Pa, excayated many holes in the
ground, varying from twenty-five k
thirty feet in diameter, and from three
to six feet deep. In similar but mild
er storm, which visited Boulogne last
May, fissures were cut in the streets eight
feet deep and openings made large
enough to engulfa horse and cart.
1t will be seen that human skill car
afford little or no protection against such
q terrible force. We may guard against
ordinary floods, and even cyclones, bu
when an immense volume of water sud
denly descends in solid torrent from
mid.air, nothing can stand against it
The fate Of the two Johnstowns may be-
fall any other town. 1t is not safe tt
say that because region has heretofore
escaped such visitations it will be ex
!, enlpt.