The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-06
ATORNADO'S APPEARANCE
Causes Of These Destructive Phe-
nomena, Indications Of Their
Approach, How to Escape.
Proper Subject OF Study, as Much
80 ~ Plaques or Pestl-.
lence. :"
Tit True Tornado Occurs Only ON Land.
in the Afternoon. Travels Southwest
to Northeast

to Northeast
Tho appearance Of the true tornado in
the n~eiRhborhood Of Montreal many miles
northeastward of its usual haunts. thus
early in the summer, Ia my sole excuse for
the explanations and instruction. which
follow. ! think that il becomes the duty OF
a msteorologist, says a writer in the Mon
tresl Witness. in GASES where danger is i'm
minent. and where violent atmospheric dis
turbanoes have called the public attention
to certain natural Oc0urrences. to call spe-
cial attention TO any method or methods
which science can suggest TO obvlate their
effects. especially where the protection Of
life is concerned. To this end I ask per.
mission to glance rapidly over the cause Of
the true tornado, what indicates its ap-
proach, what should be done TO escape from
it whom it is almost upon one. etc. Had
the teacher in the wrecked school house the
other day at Ste. Rose been acquainted
with eertain facts in meteorOlogy. whom
she saw the funnel shaped cloud approachS
ing, it would have been a very simple thing
for her to have escaped with her charges.
While Canada has NO cause to fear that
the tornado will ever become a. frequent
within her borders as in the United States,
1t were folly, after recent happenings, for
US to remain in fancied security. The
broken nature Of this province will do
much for us; it's mountain ranger extern
sive lakes and broad rivers will cut up the
surface currents to = great extent. but will
not. in extraordinary seasons, give us per-
feet immunity from this dreaded visitant,
indigenous to the western and southwestern
states. 1t 10 needless to think that because
We have hitherto escaped w shall always
60 scott free, therefore all should have q
knowledge of the tornado. This knowledge
is not very hard to obtain. given . mind of
ordinary intelligence. Az tho population
increases. in the same ratio increases the
danger. Where the tornado formerly cut
its way through the forest, it now tears up
the farm house, destroying valuable lives
and property. If. therefore,, we strive to
protect ourselves from disease. FIRE, etc..
should not also gain sufficient knowledge to
protect us from tho terrible effects Of the
funnel-shaped cloud.
The true to nado occurs only on land. 1t
varies in width from q few yards to LOO
feet. 1t moves from a point in the south
west to a point in the northeast. 1t takes
the form of a funnel, the lower end touch
ing the ground. The air in this cloud re-
wolves with an immense velocity. in adirec-
ton contrary to the hands of a watch. 1t
almost always occurs in the afternoon,
usu6lly between two. and four O'Clock.
Now mark. Outside the actual path of
the tornado the smallest objects are usually
quite safe. The largest stone buildings
within its area are CT rushed to atoms, while
MT 4 atiCk Ia TnnvoH frnyn a forco in Ahn
immediate vicinity outside its path. All
this has Just been emphasized at Ste, Rose.
Next, how to tell that the atmospheric
have become or are becoming
'''danesrously tornadic." A gradual pro
longed movement of the air sets in. If
the south; if from the south las was the
case at Montreal, J the tornado il forming
to the north. The general direction of a
great continental wind area previous to the
storm will disclose nothing. A tornado is
n local whirlwind and subjects the air in
Il continuous westerly win here in the
upper strata that day; it was in the lower
strata that the danger lurked. To the
of the tornado there is a cold wind,
md usually hail, as ut Lachute. 10 the
south. oppressive weather with rain as at
"&
Huge masses of black clouds form. The
humid southern currents come in contact
the colder northern currents. At last
the instability is no longer possible, there
is a sudden uprush of immense volumes Of
air, whirling clouds form, the funnel
cloud gradually descends toward
the earth, and. reaching it, moves over the
men and animals in mortal terror
Of their lives.
1t Is imagined that the preliminary signs
Of a tornado are beyond the ken of even
trained meteorologists. This is not 80. On
tho day of the terrible tornado ut Lawrence,
alers that tornadoes must be in progress
10 the south of us. 1t was the same during
The Ste. Rose st. Johns visitation. These
Indications are even within the understand
|ng of the ordinary observer. There is a
'ultry, oppressive feeling in the atmos-
ohere. There is a great change in the tenn
perature; the heat feels peculiarly "clam-
n.y." heavy and sickeninR. Every living
hing feels languid.
The ClOud assume marked forms and
,olors which the least observant can not
nut notice. These clouds appear in the
and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in
he northeast. The light clouds look like
the dark ones have IN angry. deep
hue. or they are deep black. like
he smoke from q locomotive. Sometimes
hey take on a purple or blue tinge or dark
.reen, but ars always peculiar and notice
Die. Iney dash pell-mell O Ter each other.
III this occurs before the dangerous funnel
haped tornado cloud appears, so that. us l
AVE already said, there is an ample warn
ng.
Last Of all, even after a funnel cloud has
developed. there is a roaring noise, like u
loZen railway trains Q ossing the Victoria
ridge at once. This has been so violent in
ONE cases in the west that people have
ompared it to ''the rush of ten thousand
Of oars" The roar varies In inten-
ity according to the near approach of the
1t is always distinct and peculiar
nough to cause alarm.
When the tip of the funnel-shaped cloud
ouches the earth its extreme fury begins,
to whirling velocity IN estimated at from
90 to 800 miles per hour. With the Ryra-
Dry motion objects are drawn toward the
enter, carried upward, and finally thrown
when thsv fall to the earth. The
loud comes and goes in a very short space
+ time. The general rate is estimated at
bout forty miles per hour. The tornado has
ften q rising and falling motion, bounding
p and down. Sometimes it lifts for sew
raj miles and descends again in all it's
ury. Sometimes, as partially at Ste. Rose,
ae cloud lifts and skins along, taking off
le roofs Of buildings. stripping the
removing the tops of chin,nevs.