The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-08-16


many insurance companies are no"
making it part of their business TO
rnderwrite property against them. 1t
has been estimated that, taking an
average, each tornado costs one LIE.
No subject in the science OF meteor
ology is of such absorbing interest
as that of tornadoes. Their perform
ances, says the Washington Star, are
so amazing and the manifestations by
which they are accompanied are so
terrifying that the mind has difficulty
in grasping the matter understand
1ngl y. As rule they give fair warn
ing 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 a peculiar
lurid or greenish tinge. The tor
nado sky" is characteristic feature.
TIE FUNNE1-sHAPED CLOUD.
From the suspended masses of vapor
a sort of tail is seen to project itself
downward. 1t gradually assumes, while
approaching, the aspect of 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 indescrib-
nble roar is heard, which has been
likened to the believing of million
mad bulls or the rumbling of 10000
trains of cars over as many bridges.
Still the great cloud advances, black
as night, somewhat resembling an i'm
mense balloon, sweeping its neckround
and round with terrible fury and de-
stroying everything in its path. 1t
whirls with almost incredible velocity,
sometimes leaving the earth for mo-
ment, 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 ap-
pears, the wind turns to the south and
NIL quiets down. No one would sup
pose that a terrible catastrophe had
occurred, save for the devastation that
is all about and the cries of the unfor-
tunates.
It often happens that the funnel
shaped monster is preceded by great,
cloud of dust, producedby an outrush
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 en-
gendered. 1t is frequently accom-
panied by a vivid display of lightning.
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 mighty river
had passed and left them behind.
Just after the tornado usually come
torrents of rain, which has caused
these phenomena to be called "cloud-
bursts" On one occasion hail was re-
ported as having fallen to depth of
four feet.
CAUSES WHICH PRODUCE ToRNADoEs.
The causes which produce tornadoes
are pretty well understood. They are
found very often in the Mississippi
Valley, which, as is we'll known. is a
region particularly liable to such at-
mospheric disturbances. Suppose that
the day is warm and sultry and the
stratum of heated air near the earth is
full of vapor. A current of cold air
flows in above. There you have a sit
nation 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 warm stratum on top
of it. So there is tendency for the
two to change places. A meteorolog-
ical 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 de-
scending funnel of vapor. 1t whirls
around in obedience to the same law
which causes q stream of water pouring