The National tribune., 1891-08-13
The Geographical Distribution and Ere
quency Of Iornadoes.

The Geographical Distribution and Ere
quency Of Iornadoes.
Tornadoes are violent local disturbances
which form from conditions Of heat and moist
uTe in the cloud regions OF the atmosphere.
They cannot develop without the presence Of
excessive moisture aud excessive hCat. These
two requirements place "a certain restriction,
then, upon the region where such storms are
likely % occur. At once we can say that tor
nadoes cannot occur on mountain tops, high
plateaus, or in desert or raiulcss regions. In
yestigatIOn substautiates this statement; for,
generally speaking, tOTnadOe5 rarely, it ever,
occur west Of the lOjth meridian. This west
eTn region Of no toTuadoes is the dryCst Of the
whole United States.
Ia tue mountain regions Of the Middle and
South Atlantic States Tomatoes have occurred at
very high elevations, especially in parts Of
Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina,
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York.
But in ali that portion of the United States
east Of the Tooth meridian particularly, the at
mosphere is heavily laden with moisture, sup
piled from the Gulf Of Mexico and from the
Gulf Stream. 1t is also region OF extremes
OF temperature. TOrnadoes have occurred in
every state east Of the l0jth meridian, but as
there are varying conditions Of heat and moist
uTe over this great region so there are places
where tornadOes have developed with maximum
frequency. The regions of greatest frequency
are particularly noticeable in the South At
lantic and Gulf States, and in the Central Mis-
siszippi, Lower Missouri, and Ohio Valleys, Just
where We find. by actual observation, extremes
Of heat and moisture combined in . manner to
give rise 10 violent local storms.
Tomatoes have been observed and recorded
in this country since about 1850. On June 10,
1852, a very violent tornado occurred at New
Haven, Conn. full description Of which was
made at the time and has been published.
The earth has had its present atmosphere for
ages, and the sun has shOue upon both for time
beyond the memory Of man. The suns heat Is
the prime source of all atmospheric disturb
anccs. These commissions Of the air are not re-
corded and made known % man unless Observed
b. some OF his species The invention Of the
electric telegraph aud other means Of rapid COM
munieatiOn has brought al parts Of this vast
country within the knowledge Of every person
who can read a newspaper. The demand for
information now brings 70 light occurrences
which in the earlier history Of the country re-
ceived no attention whatever We find abuu.
daEt evidence OF tornado action through the
heavy forests Of the central and eastern pOr-
tious Of the United States. Over 900 wind.
falls extinct tornadocsj have been discovered
and charted in the State Of Wisconsin alone.
Tornadoes will always occur IN the eastern
portion Of the United States while the areas Of
land and water remain the same and the sun
continues 70 shine upou them. As the popula-
tio1 Of the country increases more tGruadoes
will be recorded, because more closely observed
and reported. These storms will also become
more destructive, because Of the increase OF
life and property subject to their violence No
other country in the world, so far as known. is
so subject 10 tornadOes rs the United States.
particularly the eastern portion of it. This
country is in the direct line Of storm move
meut from the Pacific to the Atlantic and be-
tween the two great storm-breeding grounds Of
the world.