The Baptist headlight., 1894-02-01

trolling them remain to a great ex-
tent unknown. They have come to
be recognized as among the most
destructive of natural phenomena,
80 that many insurance companies are
making it a part of their business to
underwrite property against them. LII
has been estimated that, taking an av-
erage, 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 difficulty
ingrasping the matter understandingly:
AS a rule, they give fair warning of
their approach. The air is usually
very sti1l and sultry. People feel de-
pressed without knowing why. Dark
and threatening clouds appear on the
western horizon, and the sky from west
to south takes on a peculiar lur1d or
preenish tinge. This tornado sky" Is
characteristic feature.
The Funnel-Shaped Cloud.
From the suspended masses of vapor
g sort of tail is seen to project itself
downward. It gradually assumes, while
approaching, the aspect of gigantic
funnel, with the small end toward the
ground. This funnel moves with enor-
nous rapidity, its speed being rarely
under forty miles an hour. AS it comes
nearer, an indescribable roar is heard,
which has been hkened to the below
ing Of million mad bulls or the rum
bling 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 neck round
and round with terrible fury and de-
ltroying 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 de-
struction 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 APP
pears, the wind turns to the south, and
all quiets down. No one would suppose
that a terrible catastrophe had oc-
CURED, save for the devastation that
is all about and the cries of the unfor-
Inmates.
It often happens that the funnel
shaped monster is preceded by great
Va OuoU3 pLO0oSOO ~ GIL NoOA N0AA
Of air before the storm, so that the APP
preaching 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 engen-
dered. It is frequently accompanied
by a vivid display of lightning. The
width of the destructive path is
rarely over 300 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
after the tornado usually come tor
rents of rain, which has caused these
phenomena to be called "cloudbursts.
On one occasion hail was reported as
having fallen to a depth of four feet
Causes Which Produce Tornadoes
The causes which produce tornadoes
are pretty we'll understood. They are
found very often in the Mississippi val
lev, which, as is we'll known, is regior
particularly liable to such atmospheric
disturbances. Suppose that the day /:
warm and sultry and the stratum o
heated air near the earth is full of va
Dor. A current of cold air flows il
above. There you have a situation
which is calculated to make trouble
The cold air being much heavier thar
the warm, the natural place for it t