Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-11
WHAT TO EXPECT.
Three Storm Waves of June
Followed by Cool Weather.
FROSTS EXTENDING SOUTH.
Fallacy ofthe Hot Air Theory of Storms of
Lieut.. John p. Finley of the
United States Weather
Bureau.
Special 10 the Gazette.

Special TO the Gazette.
ST JOSEPH, Mo, June EN- my last
letter | gave forecasts of a dangerous storm
period covering the time from June 10 %
inclusive, stating that this period would
contain three principal storm waves. one of
which, 18th to 18th, l particularly described
The second of these dangerous storm waves
will be due to leave the Pacific coast. about
the 18th, cross the Rocky-Allegheny valley
from 18th to 10th and reach the Atlantic
coast about the nth | cannot say which
of these three storm waves will be of great
est force, but am inclined to believe that
it will be this one. and that its most de-
structive energy will be expended not far
from the center of the RoclSy-Allegheuy
valley and lot far from June 10. Following
this storm wave the weather will be I'M
usually cool. and in Northern ATTITUDES
froSts will occur much further south than
is ordinarily the case for this season of the
year. The middle part of June will have a
few hot days, but will average quite cool,
with no extended hot term. Rainfall will
be unevenly distributed, with too much in
some localities and not enough IN others.
This concentration of rainfall in particular
spots as the storm waves pass across the
continent will lead many who do not look
beyond what they can see to imagine that
no storm wave is passing and that my fore
casts have not been verified. Those who
read and observe, however, will realize that
the regular storm pulsations are about as
well timed as the railroad trains. My next
letter will describe the third great storm
wave of the June period of destructive
storms.
FINLEY on ToRNADoES.
Lieut.. John P. Finley of the United
States weather bureau has had the most ex
tenSive experience in the investigation Of
tornadoes of any man living. and therefore
is the best informed as TO the history of de-
structive storms of all those who have
given attention to this subject. He also
stands high as a scientific scholar. and re-
celving good salary from the United States
government for many years, has enabled
him to devote his whole time to the subject
OF destructive storms. He is the champion,
the Header, the oracle of those who hold
that wind alone is the force of all storms,
and that all winds are caused by heated air
rising, thereby causing suction, the result
being an inflow OF atmosphere to ill the
vacuum caused. by the rising column of
heated air. This is the old theory OF storm
forces, and no man in Europe or America is
better able TO uphold that theory than is
Lieut.. Finley. He has published book on
tornadoes and other destructive storms, in
which he gives a record of 5000 storms,
covering period Of more than 200 years.
Besides Being valuable record, the special
purpose of his book. as stated by himself,
is to prove that the force of the storms is
wind alone and not electricity. On page AS
of his book he says: in 1879. 1850 and
1851 the question of the electrical origin OF
wind storms came before the courts of
certain states, principally Wisconsin, Mis-
souri, and Kansas in the interest of insur-
ance claimants. Certain parties who were
policy holders had their property, which
was insured against lightning, destroyed by
wind storms, and brought suit for the
recovery against the insurance companies
on the ground that both in the popular
acceptation of the term and IN its true
scientific meaning, lightning or electricity
was the cause of all violent wind storms.
This theory the policy holders tried to
maintain by every possible means, and in
course of the struggle l was summoned to