Telegram-herald., 1890-04-24

sradlsnts sac sqaaliy sz1tsn changes
"a FsPcr so1disioas. adsr these eirc1zn-
stances 81 ght prs4isPosiay eagles Id -os
q yyrstory action and ccas@q aeEt We
IsGt cisrHprion e rssters tie stmos-
phsrs g. /. stable equilibrium
As hzs bsen shoEu. thsss contTssEtng
snt VioIeat conditions existed hori1oa-
sally az sp Il. Azreh z1th, ever ne
States 81 Fsnnssses. Kentucky Illinois,
Indiana and Misseari, and doubtless I'D
90 vertically 90 L0aisvills and other
p ats EheEs torazdoss developed fss
1in4tss latsr.
There las been . growing tendency,
possibly fostsEec by those who hAse a.
interest IL tornado Insurance. towards
the oslisf that these destructive storms
are increasing Ia frsc ueney and danger.
The writer believes those Impressions
g. d faliaeIoas. Tas number sPpar-
sntly iaeFsases-First beeauss the tels-
graph aad Newspaper rivalry spread
daily the history 0f Yesterday relative
- the TsmOtsst hamlet OF our eouutry-
Secondly. lt Is due to that spirit Of eI-
sggeraticn which magninss and trans
forms a. unusual wind, thunder, or
haIlstorm. into destructive tornado.
iavsstigatio by the Signal once have
Shown that many reported tornadoes
OF violence nsFsT existed, save IL the
ina sSiaaIion OF the reporter.
The writer Of this article, on learning
or she enormous damage done in
Louisylils, peFtinently expressed his in
tsrest Ia knowing the character Of the
buildings destroyed Ia that city. The
latest information confirms the sGspIc-
ion thAt most Of the buildings ~ere not
OF the most substantial character. II Is
said that the Fort Nelson building,
Ia the very center of the storm, suffered
comparatively little damage This
building. constructed OF unusually thick
walls OF brick and stone, appears TO
demonstrsts tAe fact that it Is possible
O. erect structures which viii DO secure
against tornadoes of moderate. and pos
si0iy Of excessive violence. This appears
TO confirm the theory held by the pres
ent writer, that no tornado could pass
through the densely and strongly bulls
part OF grss, cities. Occasionally .
building of great strength may be do
stroyed, but as a rule, the writer be-
Heves. anumber Of closely built brick or
stone blocks, where each structure ia so
Substantially built as TO withstand or
dinary winds without support from the
adjacent buildings, may be considered
tOrnado-proof
As bearing upon the strength of struc-
lures necessary 10 withstand tornado
winds, it is important TO note, that there
have been very few cases recorded Of
wind velocitiss in the United States
where the pressure of the wind, accord
ing 10 the latest Investigations and &C
cepted formula, exceeded sixteen pounds
20 the square foot.
In short, the writer's opinion Is
sverse TO gloomy views as to the liability
OF personal danger or loss from lorna
does, which, like earthquakes, must be
regarded az visitations of God, infre-
quent and impossible to definitely guard
against Severe local storms con be
anticipated from the fact they will pre-
vail over extended areas Of country,
but the path and area of tho average
tornado is so limited that its relation
TO the State Of Delaware, for instance,
would be much less than the relation OF
the smallest cambric needle TO the space
covered by this page. Under such con
ditions. who should unduly fear lorna
does Let the farmer. In the prsiris
country, plant trees as wind-breaks,
and let the dwellers in cities construc,
buildings with ~olid foundations, hon,
est walls and mortar, and let the city
authorities insist upon larger factor
OF safety for all structures for public OIL
manufacturing purposes.
A. ". GREELY.