New-York tribune., 1890-03-29
TORNADOES AND CYCLONES.
THEIR CHARACTERIsTICs-soME DESTRUCTIVE
ToRNADoEs IN THE UNITED STATES.

THEIR CHARACTERISTICS DESTRUCTIVE
roRNADoEs IN THE UNITED STATES.
II was a tornado which wrecked large part Of
louisville not a cyclone Tornadoes may occur any
where and sometimes part Of cyclones. but cy-
clones originate in the tropics. and In the Western
Hemisphere they travel northwestward 10 Fiorca or
Georgia. or into the Gulf of Mexico rule. and then
rccurvc and take norheastery direction Tornadoes
occur at all seasons Of the year between sunrise ana
sunset and travel only short distance IN the west
ern Hemisphere cyclones most frequent from July
IN October Tcrnadoes travel quickly and soon ex-
haust themselves; cyclones travel slowly and ior
thousands of miles The path OF the tornado Is mar
row that Of the cyclone is usually hundreds OF miles
in diameter The cyclone is due largely to the varfar
tons in temperature horizontal line, ana the tor
nado to variations in temperature oil perpendicular
lines over small area. Very few cyclones ever pen
citrate the United States far beyond the Aantc Coass'
and the use Of the word to describe the local and de-
structive storms met with frequently throughous
the country is TO be deprecated. Inc whlr"iho'
w.,erspout and sandstorm forms Of the tornado.
which is whirng storm OF small diameter. Inc Vo-
lence of the tornado is much greater tlah that oi
rvclone The mariner is warned Of the approach OF
cyco e and can steer his ship to safety but there Is
lille warning of the approach OF tornado anu rarely
any possibility of getting beyond It's path Close oD-
servers can tell when the atmospheric cohnitons iVor
the f~na N of tornadoes but they cannot tell when
and where one VIII FORM
The violence OF the tornado is much greater than
that of a cyclone The draft in tornado sometimes
reaches 1000 miles an hour: In cyclone the WINDS
,eua,lv blow from fifty to 100 miles an hour. Tho
mos, marked Il AZURE thst tho tornado presents TO the
eve Of the observer the black funnel shaped cloud
which gyrates along the sky and drops sw~ihe
noint like an elephants trunk or the Slack OF a
balloon 10 tho earth While the general conditions
which precede tOnadoes be observed. the precise
suot and time at which they will organize cannot be
nredicted The coming Of the cyclone. however. Is
marked by a decided fall in the barometer and an
,,creasa IN the wind and whom its is over land
its progress can be forctOld hours. and sometimes
dovs in advance. Nothing that man has built upon
,bs face of the earth withstand the tornado's fury
hut his work may remain unharmcd after the passag,
of a cyclone.
1rbe territory west of the Rocky Mountains Is COM
n.ratlveIy free from tornadoes In the Mississippi
valley they arc most frequent. though they mako
themselves felt in all parts Of the United States In
a single tornado season over 900 lives may be lost
snd nroperty valued at $13 900 destroyed at
least such was the in 1884 the destruction in one
day (september 81 being estimated al S4'ooo'ooo.
In lso. June III nearly half the town Of Grinnel.
Iowa WAS laid waste. About 100 people killed
and $50 injured and 1C0 houses were destroyed: the
money loss was about S3,000,000. At Rochester,
Mimi, August 81, 1883. twcnty,six people wcre
ea eS @ a%S e sy an@ a"Ta asaed cy e Wna @
Ambersons, AIa on February 49, 1854 fourteen per
r. % c. % on T ihe 's same '"dSy day, fifteen twenty
or s os % s iS % c uas Ss 900
900 were wounded and $4,000 left homeless; On
and woanass sSs' njaans t prcpery % re es
slderably. but those who are specially interested In
the statistics VIII find them In the valuable reports
the Signal Service.