The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-27
THE CAUSE OF 7OENADoEs
Prof Wiggins Says the Electric Wires
Produce Waterspouts and Cyclones.

Prof. WiggIns Says the Electric Wires
Produce Waterspouts and Cyclones.
OTTAWA. July 28.-Prof Virgins has solved
| the problem as to the cause OF the recent tor
! nadoes and wa erspouts which have wrought
| such destruction in the United States &" A
sheaf OF telegraph and telephone wires stretch.
ing over the roof OF building will certainly
protect 1t from any thunderbolt," says the Pro
fessors. :" but the network OF wires In cities
suddenly exhausts the electricity from thun.
derbolts and. as a result. causes tornadoes and
watersDOuts over and In the vicinity Of cities
This stated on April 8. 1889, and in justice to
myself must quote that letter. which Is as
follows:
" A disastrous drought has prevailed In On.
tario since the spring OF 1887 and while prob.
ably continuing during the summer OF 1889 the
question | propose to ask and answer is: What
is the cause Two conditions are necessary to
produce rain-flrst, moisture in the atmos-
tate II. Evaporation. which supplies humidity
to the atmosphere. being constant, there Gan
are the condensors! TheIe are two ptanetary S
coniunctions which cause sudden fall OF tenn
peratures, and second. electricity. The for
latter TWO or three times Il week. Electricity.
therefore, Is our chief agent In producing
bountiful harvest. What causes u Thunder
lstorm answer that IL 10 electricity isolated
long as It is unable to disperse by condqction
Condenser and precipitate the moisture 30 as
rain; The dry. ground beneath being II nom
conductor, single electric cloud. If not dis;
across it's path. may travel from Toronto to
Beleville OF IRON Kingston to Ottawa. and
iui path. Place a network Of wires beiUre it
and the cloud will break with the first clap OF
thunder. Such cloud unless Of q great area
Its electric force woul d BIO dislelsed by a sea
OIL telephone and teIeRraPh Wires not only
Francisco. and wherever a connection hap
pened to be at that moment These Telegraph
and telephone wires. like modern Mercurys;
does not interfere, the Canadian farmer, viii
that once bndded and hIoomed as the rose e.
But u will not be the hnsbandman only
who, will suffer When an electric cloud is
Its collapse produces cyclone. and these al
most invariably occur over or in the vicinity Of
cities. and spread desolation and death In their
trail. Ohio. Pennsylvania, and the Nlisss-
sippi States woe stra, gers TO these mossen-
gers OF death until tn" ron web was woven
home Of drought and cyclones, and the same
wire which brought the destroyer out OF the
death in demolishing buildings and scattering
debris aud humag beings through the air,
Let the people OF Canada now take warn
ing. Tor II these networks Of metal are
snread over our Northwest. 10 the shape
OF telegraph wires. telephones wires. and
wire fencing, our future ,Grapary Of tho
world viii become another battle grounu OF
the elements. AS to Ontario. its main de-
Iendence for rain in the future will be on cleo
trio stOrms from The northern points OF the
compass. where they can still form above the
great northern foTests: Certainly 20 thunder
storm can originate within tho wire bolt. and
IT WAS for this reason that last year 1S1sl the
countries OF the North were fairly watorud,
while those bordering on Lake Ontario wero
bulneq up with drought. The prevailing
winds in Ontario are from southwest 10 wesi.
This Is the great oastbound current running ut
first w the mississippi valley 10 the great
lakes, there Joining tho current which Is max
ing It's way down the ~ Lawrence valley and
over the maritime PROVINCES Formerly this
province, being loaded with moisture
and charged with electricity, winch IT
carried along as Its condenser. Tho great
metal sea now eXhHusts II OF It's electric
energy. 80 that i refuses TO part with the Hque
Gus burden until II strikes tho cold curren
which move down the eastern shores of North
America. Hence the Hoods and tho continued
OTTAWA and Toronto and their yicinities are
ariicularly liable 10 cyclones, and this danger
Is yearly Increasing by the nor" ase In the wiro
network. The fatal wire fencing T. also being
ruldl ~ extended over our Northwest especial !
Mani ola, and In u few years cyclones viii be
as common near our great Rocky Mountain
rnnGe as tley are now In the valleys ~ tho
llngers TO TO waters Of Winnipeg brown
drought viii sconh the IlaDs whore oGro
swarWed The lazy Indians AMI tho bounding
buffalo"