The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-23
c..asis of Tnrnadoes.

Tho fatal energy with which the season Tor
| ,vas.arr tornadoes has opened TINS week EN-
| nhasizes the need of further researches 70 aH-
CERTAIN the cause of these glRautic STORMS
and how 10 foretell them. theories Oh 'neit
-aneeis are plentiful but none OF these mas
-. snabled ueteorologists 10 make timely
ooJ practical prediction as to when and
- annroximntely the whirling monster OF
! Tho air will fall III prediction could 90 no
more than specify the day ana section j.,
which the tornado would strike much would
la ACCOMPLISHED. But before tins becomes
,,oss;bIa The true cause of the deadly tempest
must be learned. The fayorite hypoth-
esis that a tornado is formed by
ou ascent or bursting up OF ar rom
rho lower through the upper strata or the NJ
u0sphere when unstable equilibrium eAis1s
and the air acquires at least a sliEuI ln51'n'
whirling motion. has apparently had us Gay
II IL at best very incomplete explanation Oh
the remarkable geographical and seasonal 9is-
tribution AS we'll as the mechanical pLe
n0mena Of tornadOes. The atmosphere j.
often observed 20 acquire initial Wllrin1 h'"
ton under conditions OF unstable egillhnrlhhi
when 4 tornado Is bred. whenever 'he Waii",
yapOr-laden trade wind is drawn n0rthWalu
over the Mississippi Valley the equilibrium OF
the air is disturbed. and whenever 1t comesl
conflict with northwest w.nd whlrl neccs
sarily ensues. Were these conditions
adequate 10 produce tOrnadOes we should
have TO chronicle them at all seasons,
and much oftener in spring aud sum-
mer than they hayc ever been known 10
occur Moreover, If ascending currents can
originate cyclone of any kind. 1t would FOL
low that the equatorial ocean, where there
are all the year the greatest ascending cur
rents. would be prolific Of storms, WhIe III
fact it is OF all regions OF the gioOe inc
colmest. Some striking facts go to show that
the fatal tornado never forms except at
periods when there is unusual acti"ty IN the
irresistible upper tropical currents. moYlnS
from southwest 10 northeast. with an 90,
served velocity exceeding one hunuIed
miles an hour and descending on our
Western plains and valleys. ms was
evidently TIE case on Wednesday, May
Goth. Just before the Missouri tornado APP
peared. at 3 2. W. From A. NJ. to ?. NJ,
while feeble general cyclone was drifting
from the DakOtas 10 Lake Superior the ba-
rometer was everywhere rising, from Texas
and tho Gulf coast nOrthward 70 Missouri
and Illinois, and the increase OF pressure con-
tinued into Thursday with southerly winds:
This was the first time such a pronounced ana
universal rise OF tho barometer over the
Southwest has been observed for a consider
able period 1t is natural, therefore 10 con,
clude that the descent of the upper tropical
current from the Southwest was then taking
place in the Mississippi Valley. Simultane-
ously. in the rear of the Dakota cyclone. quite
"a strong surface current from the Northwest
was pressing down the valley OF the Missouri
river toward the region where the more pow
erful tropical current was apparently descend
ing. within which Wednesdays tornado did
its terrible work All the essential phenomena
of cyconic storms can be satisfactorily ex-
planned by just such n mechanical conflict -
is thus indicated the ascending current beng
merely consequence. not the cause OF the
storm Many Of the ablest meteOrologists, rs
Redfed and Dove reached this conclusion
more than quarter of century AGO. But
the recent observations of cyclone and anti
cyclone by DR.. Ham at different attitudes on
the Austrian Alps seem TO have cOnclusvely
established it, 1t appears evident. therefore,
that no decided progress will ever be made IN
predicting tOrnadoes or any other class
of revolving storms until meteoroiy
can discover some method Of observing
fundamentally the movements OF the
gigantic upper currents which. de-
scending into tho lower atmosphere are
resolved into terrific whrls. within whose
vortices the air is suddenly rarfed 50 in
tensely that ascending currents are set up and
the upborne vapor, nstantancOusy cooled by
expansion. is condensed into destructive tor
rents or cloud bursts" If the United States
mad, as Europe. m Alpine mountain wall
stretching east and west along our Southern
borders to protect us from the full for, c f
the descending upper current. we should he
as exempt from tOrnadOes rs the Old World
is. Since we cannot turn aside this mighty
generator of cyclones we should az least
watch its movements York Herald.