Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-05-28

Graphic Description of Gales
and Water SpOuts at Sea
IN the Tropics-Wind
Freaks on Land.


Llewellyn's tornado commune
cation. Every such article tends
both to inform the public and ad-
vance the interests of science.
Holding such views, it is my pur-
pose, If | am able, to confirm some
of the suggestions Of Nh. Llewel-
lyn's communication. | have no.
ticed, as doubtless most of your
readers have, the commandments
and endings of small whirl winds,
or dust Greetings, without under
standing the causes that impaired
motion to them, or brought their
career to a close. | have stood by
the locomotive and seen its steam
as it escaped, causing air whirls
which were equally beyond my
comprehension and all | could un-
derstand vas that they suggested
some such natural atmospheric law
as governs the grander, more pow
erful and more destructive tornado,
and intimated that lie that could
fathom the law OF the one might
hope to discover laws and causes of
the Others. In several of the States,
more particularly in Kansas, Ar
kansas and Michigan, | haye wit
messed, at short and not over safe
distances, the devastation OF terrific
cyclones. At sea, in the tropics, |
have encountered the water spout,
and on land have been brushed by
the hurricane. From what | haye
seen Of the water spout on the
ocean, | am satisfied that it and
| what is called the cyclone, or tor
nado, are identical. The gale and
the hurricane are straight blows of
considerable width, and devastation
transpires throughout the breadth
and length of their violence. On
the other hand, the cyclone or tor
nado Il use these terms in their
popular senses are twists Or whirls.
As stated by Mr.. Llewellyn, they
| come from the skies and sweep
land and sea, and re-ascend to
their origin. 1t is near half
a century since from the deck
of astorm tossed vessel, | en-
ioyed the opportunity of examin-
ing some of the peculiarities Of the
water spout. Doubtless | have for
gotten much of what | saw, but as
the published accounts of the late
cyclone in this county revived much
of what was connected with both
the water spout and the hurricane,
| will endeavor to reproduce what |
witnessed, promising that the broad
horizon of the ocean furnishes a
much better opportunity for inves-
tigating wind freaks than can be
enjoyed on land, even under the
most favorable circumstances. On
the occasion | speak of, it was
blowing a spanking gale and our
vessel was hove to under short sail.
In a moment. as it were, a spout
began to descend until it reached
the surface Of the ocean from which,
after having traversed it some five
or ten miles, it arose, water laden
up to the clouds, IN which it orig
mated. While this was going on
others descended until at one time
as many as fifteen were visible.
Their general direction was with
that of the storm, but their courses
were in parallel paths at some dis
lance from one another. None OF
them continued apparently over the
space of perhaps five to eight miles.
Some never reached the surface of
the sea, and others disappeared be-
fore regaining the clouds. From
what | then saw | concluded that
one OF the objects of the law of the
water spout vas to furnish water
for the heavy tropical rains that al
most invariably fall at certain sea-
sons Of the year. | even conjec-
tured that the rapid whirl Of the
water spout was a means of denud-
ing salt water Of its saline particles
and converting ocean water into
fructifying rains.
What | most admired in Mr..
Llewellyn's communication was the
advice given as to how to avoid the
fury of the cyclone or whirlwind.
That advice was eminently practi-
cal. 1t is only the solid earth that
can be relied on for protection in
the midst of its fury and a dug-out
is as we'll adapted to this purpose as
the rifle pit is to shield against the
destruction of ball or bullet. At
sea, however, there is no such re-
liable bulwark to fly to, and other
means of protection haye to be re-
sorted to. Whatever may cause
the water spout, or to whatever its
whirl may be attributed, hat whirl
can be checked and destroyed by
counter atmospheric disturbances
and eonfusions. The firing of heav-
lily loaded cannon and the eoncus-
sion of a heavy peal of thunder will
destroy the water spout and eause
it to drop It's water into the ocean,
and doubtless the same things will
ard d. ahant, A.. aual- a..