Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-29
LIGHTNING BALLOONS.
Ignatius Donnelly's Suggestion Regard
ing the Late Cyclones.

Ignatius Donnelly, writing to the st. Paul
Pioneer Press of the late cyclones, says: 1t
seems to me that the cyclone is, beyond doubt,
an electrical manifestation. Many things go
to prove this Cyclones have been seen that
were alive with electrical FIRE had an excel
lent opportunity to study the storm of last
Sunday. There were no conflicting winds
there was, indeed, during most of the time
unit. the cyclone was developed, but little
wind. While there was great grumbling of the
thunder the electricity did not pass from the
clouds to the earth, but was carried from one
part of the cloud mass to another. The day
had been excessively no. and the air was very
dry. The clouds, surcharged with electricity,
could not drive it through that dry, non-con-
Quoting belt of air which lay between them and
the earth.
The long tongue of cloud which at last
reached down from the heavens to the earth
acted as a moist conductor, to which the cleo
tricity OF the clouds converged. thus causing
by its mighty power the whrling motion. 1t is
observable in the late tempest that bodies of
water became the objective points of these
tongues of conducting moisture-Lakes Ger
vals, kohlman, Owasso, Bass, Vadnais and
Pepin were the scenes of devastation, and TIE
cyclone that wrought such havoc near Lake
City seems to have followed down the river to
La Crosse. All this goes to show that the
manifestations were electrical, for 1t is the in
stlnct Or may so express MYSELF of that ele-
ment to seek the water.
EARTHQUAKES AS A VENT.
If L am right in this theorizing then a
cyclone represents simply the inability of the
electricity, which has assembled with the evapor-
alton of water from the earth to the heavens
to pass quietly back again to its source. On the
Pacific coast they formerly had no thunder
storms-the arid mir prevented its ascent from
the dry soil; but the overstocked electricity
manifested itself IN earthquakes. which were
| shown to be electrical by the fact that while
| the surface of the earth might be rocking
| wildly the depths of the mines below were per-
fectly undisturbed.
1t will be curious question to inquire
| whether our four Pacific railroads, with their
| telegraph lines, have not gradually carried the
surplus electricity of that coast to the rest of
| the country, and whether this is not the cause
OF the terrible cyclone age on which we appear
| to have entered. 1t is, at least, singular
| coincidence that the increase of cyclones east
of the Rocky mountains has been synchronous
with the decrease of earthquakes west Of them.
AN OUTLET FOR THE ELECTRICITY.
If the cyclone is simply gigantic lightning
bolt, which constructs its own conductor by
forcing down a wet tongue of cloud. them it
| seems to me, il we could furnish IN artificial
| conductor that would steadily and continually
carry the positive electricity to the earth we
would prevent nature from falling back on
such conclusive. brutal and destructive
methods. How can it be done2
Suppose the state government should order,
say in each county. the construction of great
stationary balloon, elevated to the level of the
storm clouds and anchored to the earth by four
metallic ropes, which would act as conductors,
the whole communicating with some lake or
river and the balloon and the ropes armed with
innumerable steel points pointing upward,
would not this serve as u great conductor or
ha rt,l,
electricity of the heavens TO the earth and pre-
vent its accumulation in destructive quantities?
Would it not make an end not only Of cyclones
but Of thunder storms?