Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-10-13
DEATH IN The AIR.
How TOrnadoes Garry Destruction
Far and Wide.

that many insurance companies are
now making it Il part of their business
to underwater property against them.
1t has been estimated that, taking an
average, each tornado costs one life.
No subject in the science OF meteor
ology is of such absorbing interest as
that OF tornadoes. Their performances
are so amazing and the manifestations
by which they are accompanied are
so terrifying that the mind has diff
Guilty in grasping the matter under
standingly. As rule they give fair
warning OF their approach. The air is
usually very still and sultry. People
feel depressed without knowing why.
Dark and threatening clouds appear
on the western horizon, and the sky
from west to south takes on peculiar
lurid or greenish tinge. This "tor-
nado sky" is a characteristic feature.
From the suspended masses OF vapor
sort of tail is seen to project itself
downward. 1t gradually assumes,
while approaching, the aspect of a
gigantic funnel, with the small end
toward the ground. This funnel
moves with enormous rapidity. Its
speed being rarely under forty miles
an hour and sometimes as much as
eighty miles an hour. AS it comes
nearer an indescribable roar is heard
which has been likened to the below
ing of a million mad bulls or the
rumbling of ten thousand trains of
cars over as many bridges.
Still the great cloud advances, black
as night, somewhat resembling an
immense balloon, sweeping its neck
round and round with terrible fury
and destroying everything in its path.
1t whirls with almost incredible We
locity, sometimes leaving the earth
for moment. then bounding back to
continue its dire havoc. The whole
period OF destruction may occupy only
three or four minutes, but in that
time towns are wiped out and fields
are laid waste. A few minutes later
the blue sky appears. the wind turns
to the south and all quiets down. No
one would suppose that a terrible
catastrophe had occurred, save for the
devastation that is all about and the
cries OF the unfortunates.
1t often happens that the funnel
shaped monster is preceded by great
cloud OF dust, produced by an out
rush of air before the storm, so that
the approaching danger is not seen
until it is Immediately at hand. The
mighty balloon of vapor travels twice
as fast as the tempest out of which it
is engendered. 1t is frequently &C.
companied by vivid display of light.
ening. The width of the destructive
path is rarely over 800 feet. In the
central line all trees are strewn in the
same direction, as though a mighty
river had passed and left them behind.
Just alter the tornado usually come
torrents OF rain, which has caused
these phenomena to be called L" cloud
bursts" On one occasion hail was re-
ported as having fallen to the depth
Of four feet.
The causes which produce tornadoes
are pretty we'll understood. They are
found very often in the Mississippi
valley, which, as is we'll known, is q
region particularly liable to such at
mospheric disturbances. Suppose that
the day is warm and sultry and the
stratum of heated mir near the Garth
is full OF vapor. A current OF cold air
flows in above. There you have sit
uation which is calculated to make
trouble. The cold air being much
heavier than the warm, the natural
place for it to occupy is the bottom
layer, with the worm stratum on top.
So there is tendency for the two to
change places. A meteorological
squabble ensues, which produces what
is called storm.
Presently the cold layer of air aloft
finds place in the warm layer below
it, through which it can make its way
downward. 1t does so, and the per-
formance is exhibited to the eye of
the observer by the appearance OF a
descending funnel of vapor. 1t whirls
around in obedience to the same law
which causes a stream OF water pour
ing through a hole in the bottom of q
bowl to revolve. incidentally an enor-
nous energy is developed. The bal.
loon OF vapor goes sweeping along
with tremendous roar and an ac-
companying electrical display. 1t is
nothing more nor less than highly
exaggerated thunder storm. Thunder
storms are brought about in exactly
the same way, save that the cold
stratum above and the warm stratum
below are mingled more gradually
producing less violent symptoms and
forming no whirling funnel.
The tornado is precisely the same
thing as a water spout at sea. Water
spouts have often been dissipated by
the firing of cannon, and it has been
suggested that explosions of dynamite
might produce the same effect on the
terrestrial phenomenon. The diff
Guilty would be to get near enough,
and nobodyswho could run away would