The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-05
THE LATE STORM.
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas city star.
The reports from Kansas, Nebraska
and the transmissouri country leave 1t
matter of uncertainty whether the de-
struction of yesterdays storm was
wrought by cyclone or hurricane
such in general character as visit the
West Indies and other tropical and semi
tropical regions. In either event the
storm was a remarkable one in its force
and extent and will be long remembered.
The cyclone or whirling storm has, OF
course, always torn its way across the
face of the earth, but it is only within
few years that its character has been
carefully noted and described by sclen-
tific observers. Its habits, if that ex-
preston may be used, are singularly uni
form. The distinguishing feature is the
black funnel-shaped cloud; its lower eX-
tremity is like the trunk of an elephant
in its appearance and operations, de-
scending from a vast cloud OF lnky
blackness and the whole proceeding
across the devastated country with
whirlinc motion and at great speed;
not making a regular track over the
surface of the earth, but bounding
into the air and descending with
q movement often compared too the rico
cbetiuc of a cannon ball. The passage of
the cloud is preceded by a fall of temper
AZURE. itself a warning, and followed I'M
mediately by heavy fall of rain or hail
and ram. The season of the cyclone Is
the early spring, varying with the latl-
tude. earlier in the south and later In the
north. whenever the change from cold
weather to warrlves, and In vast ma
fIa
tween the hours of 2 o'clock and IN the
afternoon, and has appeared IN the early
part of the night, though the instances
are rare. The course OF the storm Is gen.
orally from southwest to northeast.
In the case of the great storm of Thurs
day and Friday it had, in its direction
and the time OF its appearance In South
ern Kansas. some OF the features OF the
cyclone, but had not the cyclone mar
row track or its brief duration. Mention
is not made in the reports OF the
whirling cloud; and SO far from
passing a few moments and hnally
rising, as it were, into the sky, the
storm prevailed all over Kansas and
Nebraska and kept up with diminishing
violence for twenty-four hours. No one
will ever forget the gale which pre-
vailed in Kanats City on Friday after
noon.
Should it turn out that the storm was
a true hurricane, heavy wind blowing
in one direction and for long hours to-
ge,her. it will only serve 10 show that
there is something among those wild
forces of nature more TO be dreaded
than the cyclone with its narrow track
and intermittent force. The hurricane
covers more ground and lasts longer.
IL is to be hoped that further reports
will lessen rather than increase the
amount of destruction of life, limb and
propertv. This is usually the case with
these calamities. Even the Johnstown
disaster, awful as it was, was discovered
months after to have been exaggerated.
There are reasons to believe that, great
as is the force of the wind, the storm
cloud ls diverted in its course. IL may
be diverted by a solid and heavy obsia-
Gle. rs a musket ball glances in striking
what seems a slight obstruction at an
angle: and it may be that when houses
are strongly built of brick or stone, they
will not prove the death traps that slight
balloon frame dwellings are now when
they happen TO stand ia the track OF the
storm. Ii NAV be, too that weather
service will some day be devised or eX-
tended which will give warning IN season
of the approach Of these awful tTaveiefs
OF the earth and sky. But now we feel,
a. much as ever did the most untutored
savare who ever saw God IN the storm or
heard him in the whiriwind. that we are
heIpIess before those forces Of nature
which man may study but cannot fully
L-ra