Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-05-28

AAAANS AAoaA viz 4C5AdCuSC VI xs ID.
Ham.
Mrs. I. B. Ham lost SIS. It
was blown away in her handbag.
Mr.. Eph. Hughes, of near Wor-
cester, lost two beef cattle.
Mr.. j. F. Llewellvn furnished
the LEDGER with some statistics,
which are very valuable.
The following facts lead the OBJ
server to believe that the primary
principle or governing factor OF the
tornado was electricity: The ba-
rometer did not indicate the pres
ence of any decided storm-centre
in this immediate vicinity. The
velocity of the wind did not indi-
cate that ''low" existed in the
Immediate vicinity. The tunnels
move on the outer edge of white
cumulus clouds of no threatening
aspect, following in the rear of
what appeared to be either stratus
or nimbus clouds. No precipita-
ton except the hail occurred any,
where in the vicinity of the torna-
do. The ground disturbance pre-
ceded the cloud disturbance at the
beginning of the tornado, and
every time it returned to the earth
after having contracted. When the
black funnel would descend to the
ground, the white one would con-
tract, and rice uersa, showing a di-
rect and intimate connection be-
tween the two somewhere in the
upper atmosphere, either in or
above the clouds. When in the
act Of forming, the funnel connect
ed with the earth by gradual wav-
ing undulations or extensions and
contractions, each extension being
greater in proportion than the pre-
ceding one, until the cloud and
ground disturbance were connect
ed, The ever present ribbon.like
white line, and especially the
thread passing back and forth with
the bright ball or mass at its end,
rendered luminous perhaps by
friction.
With a knowledge of the affinity
of opposite electricities, and an
approximate conception of their
great tension, it is easy to conceive
that the distance between the
clouds and the earth could be over
come, and an interchange be es-
tablished between the two. The
tornado's progressive track would
then probably depend upon the
direction from which the greatest
pressure came, and the width of
Its path upon the size and force of
the current, and the degree of the
heat generated by it in Its passage
through the air.
Miss Matte Logan, of this city,
was at the residence of Douglas
Murray, out northwest of Worces-
ter, when the tornado passed. 1t
missed Mr.. Murray's residence
only a short distance. The family
wrapped themselves In blankets
and made preparations to lie fat
on the ground. Miss Logan says
the wind skipped about in zig-zag
manner and the path of the storm
was as black as smoke. The wind
came rushing by the spot where
the family were with great velocity
and resembled somewhat the puff
ing OF smoke from a locomotive. -
A storm by any other name, we
suppose, would have done as much
damage. 1t was not cyclone; it
was tornado. The point of great
est destruction of a tornado is in
the center. The center of a cy-
clone is calm and the destruction
is result of the wind around the
edges of the cyclone. We have
never had any cyclones in Mis-
souri,. Our severe storms have all
been tornadoes.
The neighbors are all gathering
together and putting up fences, re-
moving the debris, burying the
dead stock and getting things in
shape so that new houses can be
put up at once.
| The noise from the tornado WAS
plainly heard at distance from 6
to 8 miles, and sounded like the
roaring to the ocean. The storm
moved very slowly and all could
have escaped had they known in
which way to have gone.
| A LIBERAL OFFER.
| To the Editor of the Ledger.