Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-08-25
TURNING OF TORsADOEs.
A Difference Of Opinion Regarding the
Detection OF Wind Storms
by Tall Objects.

To the Editor OF the Ledger.
RUSH HILL, Mo-, August "a
AS ]. N. Basket invites those who
have watched and made observations
of the reflections of the tornadoes
that have come under their observa-
ton, / will take up the one that
occurred the Goth of May, 1891. He
says its course was directly eastward
for a distance of thirty miles and its
DETECTION right and left to every tall
object lei its path. Mr.. Basket
seems to advocate two things. One.
is that tall objects attract these terri
BILE tornadoes travelling at the rate of
so or rs miles an hour, andthe other
is that when they strike these objects
the course is changed. Mr.. Basket
advanced the theory thata wire fence
gave this tornado referred to its first
impetus. Is it probable that posts
and wire stretched a half mile or a
mile would give a tornado such a
send off as it would continue its
course for thirty miles? My obser-
yation was, in travelling over the
line of this tornado, that the
storms track was eastward in a zig
gag way, DETECTING away without
any reference to tall objects. Mr..
Basket can make his theory very
plausible by taking the fact that
bulky objects attract and then repel
such a cyclone. My observation in
following the track of this tornado
was but one instance where the
course was changed after striking
an obstruction. That was a belt of
heavy timber, near Judge Kendall's,
perhaps a half mile wide. | tpassed
squarely through, twisting large trees
into splinters. When through the
timber in the open prairie it diverged
to the south at an angle of65 degrees.
Rush Hill was directly in its course,
seeming that it was attracting the
storm, but after it had passed over
about 80 miles and was within a
half mile of the village where there
was a number of tall buildings and
trees, the course was changed direct
ly to the east and that, too, was out
in an open space where there vas
neither house nor tree to attract or
repel it. | believe the detection
that occurred just after passing
through the timber and the one fol-
lowing it three miles distant, were
from the same course and that course
at present is beyond scientific
solution.
l have a theory and will ask Mr..
Baskets opinion of it. These cy-
clone clouds, as he says, (and no
one would deny it) are highly cleo
trifed. My theory is this: That the
atmosphere during these tornadoes
is more or less impregnated with
electricity and gathers in certain local
tiles more than in others and causes
the defalcations. Is it not possible
that the atmosphere is more densely
filed at some places that causes
these electric clouds to rise and fall?
If Mr.. Baskets theory is correct in
regard to high objects attracting and
causing the d~efaTcation of these tor
nadoes, is his suggestion in regard
to planting trees and setting high
posts around our houses not rather
dangerous? He argues that these
objects attract the tornado. If they
do, from observation l am satisfied
his theory of trees planted around a
house or posts or derricks will have
no effect to repel a tornado. There
is a vast difference between a COM
mon wind storm and al electric cy-
clone. J. B. CLALK.
Report of a mine disaster near
Peoria, Ill.,, had no foundation ex-
cept that some miners were detained
by the presence of a big blacksnake