Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-10
A FRIGHTFUL SPEED.
The Fatal Cyclone Must Have Travelled Mt
the Rate of lis Miles an Hour-Sci.
entific sketch of the Visitor
Lowest Barometer
Ever Known.

The fearful power of cyclone, as demon
strated alas too forciblv, in this city yester-
dav. has aroused considerable interest and
curiosity, as to the exact nature of the GER
tainly not heaven-born guest that paid
Pittsburg such short, but terrible visit.
Sergeant Stewart, Chief of the Weather
Bureau here, was found at the top of the
Schmidt-Friday building, and gave some
interesting facts in regard to storms i'll gen.
eral and the late cyclone in particular.
1t seems that at 8 o'clock yesterday morn
ing, word was received that terrible storm
was raging with its center over Chicago, and
moving along the lake coasts and covering
wide area. Almost Immediately telegram
was received from the Chief in Washington,
who scented danger, and desired Stewart to
send special report at II o'clock and one
at o'clock.
The II o'clock special was duly sent, but
the fatal storm had come and gone even
sooner than anticipated, and the second
special was sent at 2. The mornings map
showed a gradient indicating sudden and
severe storms, but of short duration, and at
11:9O the storm signal was run up. A tele-
phone message was received from river
house in regard to expected rain, and the
answer came back that hurricane was ex-
pected.
The highest speed of the gale was at 12:45
p NJ. was 40 miles an hour, which exerted
a pressure of eight pounds to the square
foot. The gale was of a cyclonic nature,
and the actual
SPEED OF THE CYCLONE
could not be estimated here, though word
would probably be received from Washing
ton as to its speed 1t must have been
something fearful, however, as it was at
Chicago at O'Clock, and reached here four
hours later, the average speed of the storm
center must have been somewhere about lis
miles an hour.
That gale of 40 miles an hour could be
accompanied by a cyclone travelling at the
rate OF lis miles an hour may sound strange,
but it must be remembered that it is only
the force of the cyclone that travels so rap
idly, not the actual air ITSELF A cyclone
travels in a sort OF widening parabola from
the center of its conception, in the direction
of the gale proper. A cyclone proper, then,
whirls about with terrific speed, being a sort
of storm within storm, and e1erts its force
upon other air currents, somewhat like the
waves of the ocean, without actually moving
very rapidly, except in sort of circle.
In order, to understand this, suppose at
o'clock yesterday the entire atmosphere
about Chicago had been discolored by some
means, this discolored air would only move
toward Pittsburg at the rate of 40 miles an
hoIr, while the fearful disturbing influence
of the inner cyclone would travel at three
times that speed, and reach Pittsburg hours
before the discolored air would be visible
here. A gale of 40 miles an hour is very
high in the interior, though they frequently
reach 60 and IS miles on the coast, and do
very little damage, unless accompanied by
its whirling companion.
LOWEST RECORDED BAROMETER.
The vane on top of the weather bureau
pole whirled about like a top, though the
direction of the gale was southwest. At IL