The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-05
THAT CYCLONE.

The city was excited yesterday over the
possibility of tornado visiting it. A dis
patch from Washington stated shat the
conditions were very favorable, and hun
dreds besieged Observer Jobnson's office
to ascertain his opinions in the matter. He
gave them no encouragement with refer
ence to the possibility of the storm, but
showed clearly that it was not probable.
He demonstrated by scientific means that
the conditions for tornado were even
more favorable for this section OF the coun-
try than they were last Thursday when
Towanda was reduced to splinters and
many persons killed all over the state.
The center of the storm yesterday forenoon
was about 400 miles north of Wichita and
10Omiles west, and it was probable that the
southwest quarter of this storm would ex-
tend to this vicinity in the afternoon If the
course of the wind did not change. 1t is
the southwest quarter of a wind storm
that breeds the misunderstanding tornado.
When it became generally known that a
storm might occur DR.. Stevenson took the
precautIon to dismiss the schools and i'm
mediately messengers were sent out to in
form the principals thereof. Some of these
messengers were Of a sensational disposi-
ton and gave the alarm in a manner that
caused a stampede among the scholars in
many schools which could not be con-
trolled by the usual discipline. The
poor children were terrorized and
many of them left school without
their cloaks or hats and went running
home with speed that would outstriD
the wind itself. One school of about sixty
scholars when they gained the open air
went flying through the streets, frantically
announcing the approach of a 'cyclone"
in twenty minutes, and their cries and
yells caused great CONSERVATION among
the inhabitants of the streets through
which they went. When the children
went home they alarmed their mothers,
and by o'clock the entire town was in an
uproar.
The telephone girls had their hands
full: messages come in from all parts of
the city making inquiries, while all the
ladies who had telephones in their resi-
dences shouted by electricity for their hus
bands to come home, and it became neces-
sary for the husbands to obey, for they
could not convince their wives that it was
not sure thing that the cyclone would
come within fifty miles of Wichita. An
immense quantity Of dust flying through
the air augmented the fears of the ladies
and the children. A reporter for the
EAGLE called on Observer johnson and
had talk with him on the cyclone pre-
dicted in particular and wind storms in
general a cyclone, said DR.. johnson, is
not only HARMLESS but it is absolutely
good thing. 1t brings us rain and does no
damage. People have a wrong idea about
cyclones and tornadoes. A cyclone is a
body of wind from 500 to 1900 miles in
diameter and always pursues straight
course; tornado is body of wind
from % to one 100 feet in diameter
and is twister which uproots trees,
blows down houses and takes up and
carries away heavy articles. A cyclone is
an ordinary wind. A tornado originates
in the southwest quarter of cyclone and
is what people commonly, but wrongfully,
call cyclone. Mr.. johnson assured the
reporter that he did not know that tor
nado wonld occur yesterday and that the
weather department did not forecast one,
but that the conditions were favorable
only. The day passed and the cyclone did
not visit the Peerless Princess. 1t was
that it struck Hutchinson, but
inquiry there by the EAGLE developed the
fact that it was unfounded.