Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-05
AS TO TORNADOES.
AN INTERESTING STORY OF THIS
SUMNER TERROR.
Electricity Produces Storms, not storms
observation-disclosures Theory not
New One.

The interest aroused in weather by the
late series of predictions made by Mr..
Foster coupled to the fact that we are now
in the tornado season. has led to the pub
LEGATION, by request, of the following:
In the preparation OF this article | have
sought to present only such conclusions rs
have naturally arisen after careful eXami-
nation of the reports made by observers
of the tornado, and contained in the Ameri-
can Journal of Science, the American Alma
nae, Smithsonian Contributions to Enowl-
edge, Reports of the United States Signal
Service and personal observations.
MeteOrlogically considered, the tornado
consists essentially of rapidly ascending
current of air inrushing at the base: out
rushing at the top. The vertical lengths of
the ascending column may be safely assumed
to extend 10 the upper limits of the atmoS-
phere, the visible portion of the column
having been observed to extend to height OF
from sixteen to twenty miles.
Certain well marked features character
ize this meteor. Its lateral progress, at Il
rate varying from twenty-five to one hun
bred miles per hour, is invariably in the
general direction of the atmosphere. In
the United States from Southwest 20
Northeast. It's winds always sweep around
Fsits center from north by west and south to
east. II is almost always accompanied by
hail of q very large size. There is much
LUntnlIlP- lDCtSSdllU DIT tIt apex Oh tut NE
teor, and but little thunder; while many
intelligent observers describe the front of
the tornado cloud as luminous. either with
a difused light, or from the sparkling eff
fects of multitudes of small flashes, Hkened
to "a million of iguited matches" Other
witnesses make mention eff ball, or pillar,
Of light, or fiery appearance. Among
other effects marking its terrible pathway
are noticed trees denuded of their bark on
all sides, and buildings whose planking and
timbers have fallen outwards in all direc-
tons. The tornado does not keep con-
tinuOus foothold upon the earth. 1t leaps 4
portion of the ground to descend little
afna3her on, and again repeats its bounding
gait.
The theories of Blanford, Hamm and 9th
ers meterologistS that the production and
ascent of large quantity of vapor, which
is condensed with the liberation of its lat
,x00kneat over the place of its production, in
stead ''of being carried away to distant re-
gions, and that of Medium, that '!parallel
currents in opposite directions are the
producing causes of the tornado do not
satisfy the investigator. As a matter of
fact, the careful study of tornado dyna-
mics discloses that the power evolved by
the condensation of vapor, while enormous,
is by no means sufficient TO supply the
whole energy developed by the meteor. We
must, therefore, look for another source of
power.
The eminent Michael Farady, together
with his co-laborers, Walker, Noad, Gar
diner and Tindall, by their experimental
labors have made known the action of cleo
tricity upon the particles of air. Under or
binary conditions, the air particles are in
contact. The passage of current of high
tension electricity through the air commu-
nicates powerful descriptive effect to the
air particles, causing them to recede from
of IN nth a,. lc
vacuum is produced. Now the impact of
powerful current of electricity upon the
outer surface of our atmosphere, would, by
reason Of the repellant character it commu-
.aicates to the air particles, produce
vacuum and thereby cause the ascending
flow of air which alone characterizes the
tornado. That such vacuum does exist, at