Telegram-herald., 1891-06-21
JERK OFF THU FEATHERS
Ths Scurvy Tricks Played on I'm
offensive Chickens
IORyiDOES DO SOME FUsyl THINGS
Efsisy Atsribstss IL 10 wtsa, bat Foster
30 EieerEtesty-Jiss Llftiss Pew
era Of that Fiafs-Fisisy's
Theories Demolished
speeiAl 20 tss TrlseaAs HsA.Ls.

sT. JoszFH. Mo-, June z0--My last
letter gave forecasts OF the storm wave
due 70 cross the continent hom June
- 70 20. The nex. Will DC due 10 leave
the Pacific coast about June 80, cross
the Rocky-Ailsgheny Valley from July
~ 3 and reach the Atlantic coast
about the 4th. There arc no special
features about this storm wave except
from this on. Throughout the Year AL
storm waves Will show increased energy.
THIS storta will take a northern route
and the weather preceding Il viii 10
very warm and viii constitute one OF
the not periods of July, but vii not be
Of long duration. Rams will fall only
IN spots and the weather wall be too dry
ia many places for the good OF the
crops. More eopious rslns may DC ex-
pected for the two weeks following July
yinley On Tarnadoess Ne. g.
In his book Mr.. Finley points out
that water - drawn out OF deep wells,
iron bridges lifted from stone piers
while these piers are left standing; ono
house out OF a cluster Is picked up and
carried away while the others are left
standing and that feathers are all blown
OF of chickens without hurting these
fowls HE then declares that IL IA I'M
possible for electricity 10 dosuch things.
Mr.. Finley correctly states the facts
about these matters but his theory as
10 the cause ia not backed up by sound
reasoning.
difficult TO understand how wind
or AIR by suction can be made TO draw
water out OF any we'll, and 1t IS impos-
able foI suction To draw water more
than 80 feet. Before suction can draw
water from ecu . shallow well the air
must be left tree 10 rush down into the
well as fast as the water q drawn out
and the point OF tornado funnel
would need 10 DO very nicely adjusted
10 enter a cistern through an eighteen
Inch opening az the top, reaching the
water with It's suction 90 as 10 leave
space around the tornado funnel for
the air TO go down into the well. III the
tornado funnel should be large enough
10 cover the mouth OF the well so as TO
draw ali of the atmosphere out OF II,
the water would not follow, for It re-
quIrcs the weight of the atmosphere
on the water outside OF the funnel or
pump tube to force the water up
the earth Is charged with electricity.
that electricity will lift and convey
water, and II - not difficult TO under
stand that if the moving force of tor
nado IS q current OF electricity, that
currents competent TO carry water out
of the we'll asst streams forth from the
ground.
But = still greater drawback TO Mr..
FInley's theory Is that many cases are
on record where the tOrnadoes have
carried all the water out OF wells more
than thirty-three feet deep. How rs he
going to make suction do such work?
Why do iron bridges go from their
stone piers IN tornado without lifting
the stones OF the piers Because cleo
tricity takes hold of IRON more readily
than OF stone. In tornadoes the bells
of school houses and churches are the
first TO 20, and in the lsS tornado, at
Kansas City, Mo, where go many
children were killed, the iron beams
supporting the bell we're thrown from
the school house, and the mechanics
testified that this appeared 10 be the
only cause of the destruction to the
building. The wind alone theory will
not explain this. while electricity alone
answers every demand.
Can II be possible that wind alone
can completely stTiD the feathers from
= chicken and not nurt the fowl
Never; but it "a possible for
electricity TO do this. Place a man
or woman on an Insulating
stool so that the electricity will not
pass through the body to the earth and
then heavily charge the body with cleo
trIcity and every hair OF the head, even
O woman's long hair, will
stand Out Like Iron spikes.
or the sized hair of the Circassisn show
girl. No doubt If the electric charge
should be increased. ID would drive
every hair out OF the head, and this IS
reason that so many chickens are
stripped OF their feathers by tOrnadoos.
ON page " OF his book, Mr.. Finley
relates that geraD.ums in pots were
carried a mile hv tornado, without
injury To the plsnts. How could wind
do this7 Even suction would have de-
iuollshed them, for suction isa push
from behind by incoming water or at
mospheric pressure. aud therefore the
same ss Wind, and how could wind
with sufficient force 20 carry these
plants a mile do so without breaking =
twix' To evsde such eDtsngie-
nlsnts. Mr.. finley nissfates a fact
a. 10 electricity. lie says: A magnet
will only manifest its force in the pres
ence of bodies capable of being magne-
tized.' lt IS true that magnets will not
attract such bodies. but they will rcpel
them, and electricity will enter and
asomize any kind of matter. Pith balls
the pltn Of cornstalks or elder--ars
not capable of being magnetzed. but, II
hung n a cluster. will fly ssunder when
electricity e introduced among them.
Feathers DO not conduct electricity.
and | will guarantee that All the feath-
ers can % driven from a chicken by
charging q body with a strong current
OF Electricity.
After showing mp some OF thefsIlures
Of the Wind theory I viii take up the
ether side and introduce To my readers
theory that vii better explain All the
phcnomena OF tornsdoes.
". T. FosTER-
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