Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-25
q TORNADO Protection.
A Scientific Device to Destroy the FuI
mel shaped Cloud.

A seisntino Devio. to Destroy the Fun
mel shaped Cloud.
The ..para-tornadoes," or tornado
DESTROYER, is the name OF q machine
or contrivance which may we'll take
rank as one of the most ambitious
inventions of the age. The power Of
this new weapon against terrific
enemy has not been tested yet First,
because 1t has been scarce month
since the brain OF its inventor de-
signed it. and, second, because there
have been no tornadoes available in
his locality to destroy.
1t is the invention OF Eugene Tur-
pin. a man recently released from q
French prison. Ho says Lieutenant
Findlay, OF the United States weather
bureau, confirms Faye. or ut least
he declares that nearly all tornadoes
are formed in the upper layers of
atmosphere.
The records OF the United States
weather bureau show that the tor
nadoes in America always travel
from the southwest to the northeast
This oeing established, it is com
paratively easy to face the enemy.
because you know from just what
direction. he will come.
Tho dangerous extent is only an
eighth of the point, Of the compass,
says the Kansas City journal, that
is, IL you protect a town on its south
west boundary for one-eighth OF its
circumference it will be tornado
proof
1t is we'll known fact that a water
spout at sea collapses instantly IL n
heavy gun is fired. This is SO well
understood that nearly all ships in
tropical latitudes carry a cannon for
this purpose. A tornado on land,
which is u phenomenon Of the same
nature. can be dissipated in the same
way.
His plan in nutshell, then, is to
establish aerial torpedoes, fixed on
high towers. and, like the electric
light towers used in some American
cities. and SO placed that the explo-
sion can only take place by auto
matte action of the tornado itself.
1.-The apparatus which l have de-
signed. and patented u few days ago,
is 80 constructed that a wind of tor
nado intensity will by simple me-
chanical means discharge the power
full explosive with which the maya
zine is loaded.
II am acquainted with explosives
and 1 do not exaggerate when l say
that the apparatus which l have in.
mind will keep in perfect working
order without attention for about q
century. l should use about 20o
pounds OF the most powerful explo-
sive in each tower. or pylone. The
explosion would devclope an immense
amount OF gas under enormous pres
sure, quite capable of destroying
any tornado in its vicinity. At the
same time the explosion taking place
120 feet or higher in the air would
do no damage to. buildings or other
property lower down.
1.-The number of these towers or
para-tornadoes necessary would de-
pend upon the area or Importance of
the town or buildings to be protected.
To furnish absolute protection it
would be necessary to place them
from fifty to 100 yards apart-the
minimum width of the path of tor
nado-within the dangerous octant.
Take, for instance, u town three miles
in diameter. The dangerous octsnt
would be about mile along its
southwest border. l would place
sixty ra-tornadoes in four rows
along that section OF the clrcumfer-
ence. That would represent an ex-
pense OF about $50, 900. ,.-