Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-14
THEDEADLY TORNADO
1t Sweeps Down Without Warning
and Disappears as Quickly.
DIFFICULTY In PREDICTING IT
The Atmospheric Conditions Which
Usually Cause Cyclone.
STORM BATTLES IN THE WEST

Scientific knowledge of the destructive
cyclone, or rather tornado, is still in its in
fancy" said Prof. Frank H. Biglow of the
weather bureau to a representative of The
Star
Science can find canals on Mars and the
satellites of Jupiter; it knows much about
Saturn's rings and the topography of the
moon, but the atmosphere surrounding
Mother Earth can get on a rampage and
snuff out the lives and devastate the
homes of hundreds of her children, ard
science is neither able to foresee, prevent
nor explain.
1t is just because the terrible phenome non
of the tornado is so close to us that it is
so difficult to study. The professor said
that lack of reliable data is the great draw
back to an accurate knowledge of the re-
volving storm. The astronomer can sit
serenely in his observatory while watching
for signals from his brother in Mars, but
the meteorologiSt has to study the destroy
er while his house tumbles about his ears.
and his thoughts If he has any, are Of
escape or the hereafter. There few
| photographs Of cyclones in progress any
nearer than those on the surface of the
sun. The monster steps out of its parent
! blackness, deals its destruction and is
away before any one knows from whence
| 1T came, or what manner of thing it was.
The tornado, like the lightning, never
striking is never anticipated.
Conditions for Prediction.
Science is not. however. totally ignorant
of the tornado. Prof. Biglow said that the
conditions favorable to the production Of
these destroyers are known, but whether
| these conditions will at this or that time
actually produce tornado cannot be pre-
dicted. The conditions may be the same
over three or four states, and yet the re-
suit may be terribly destructive storm
In one and no unusual occurrence in the
others. The weather bureau gives warning
of cyclonic coDdtbons by a prediction of
severe local storms" But as these storms
form almost on the very spot that they
deal destruction, these predictions are of
little value in helping people to escape the
dread results.
The tornado usually generates where the
isobaric lines form a "V," and two oppos-
Ing currents of radically different tempera-
lures meet and commingle. The colder
current comes from the north or northwest
and the warm current comes from the
south. They meet and contend like two
tiers of two rapid streams, and the storm
is the eddy formed in the air-it is an
aerial maelstrom.
The Cause.
The directions of the opposing winds de-
termine the direction of the movement of
the storm. AS these elements are usually
from northwest and south, the tornado
moves from the southwest or toward north
and east Its course is erratic. turning to
the right or to the left seemingly, like the
biblical wind as 1t listeth. Its approach Is
heralded by a sudden banking of black
clouds on the southern or southwestern
horizon, in the middle or toward the close
of close, sultry day. There is the awful
darkness and the oppressive stiffness, and
if not obscured with dust the dark whirl-
ing monster, vibrating like the trunk of a
huge angry elephant ticks the earth here
path.
The terrible force of the storm is, Prof
Biglow says, not well understood, but is
| supposed to be generated by the mixing of
air currents of radically different tempera-
lures, and the consequent rapid expansion
and contraction. 1t is possible that cleo
tricity plays a part, but the professor is
inclined to look upon the electrical display
observed in tornado clouds as an effect
rather than cause As to this, all is
speculation; there are innumerable theories,
but none are generally accepted The ex-
ploding of houses in tornadoes is said to be
due to the rarefacton of the atmosphere
without the walls. and the consequent
enormous pressure of that confined within.
An American Product.
The land tornado, or as it is popularity
called the western cyclone. is essentially
an American product. Not even a tariff is
necessary to enable the home product to
drive the inferior European article out of
the market. The great Mississippi basin is
the favorite habitat of the untamed cy-
clone, for it is there the northers from the
snow reaches of Calgary and the balmy
winds of the gulf meet and strive for mas
terry. In Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, the Da-
kotas and Illinois the cyclone is frequent
vistant, while Missouri, Minnesota Wis
consin and the entire Ohio valley know
something of the destroyer. No part of the
United States is entirely free from the tor
nado. Washingtonans will remember the
storm which unroofed Metzerott's Hall and
did considerable damage throughout the
city.The memory of the tragic bush meeting
of last summer is still fresh in the minds
of Virginians. New England, New York
and Pennsylvania all have souvenirs OF
this unwelcome visitor. The tornado is
however, comparatively uncommon east OF
the Alleghanies, and the scientist who
would wish to study it in its vigorous ma.
tive state would do well to move beyond
the Mississippi.
Opposing currents are more numerous in
the spring time when the temperature is
changing rapidly, and hence this is the
best season for the cyclone; but portions OF
the prairies are superheated later in the
season, giving rise to destructive storma
far into August.
Seemingly More Frequent.
Prof. Biglow thinks that the cyclone is
no more common now than in former
years. the greater seeming frequency be-
ing due to the fact that storms are now
more generally reported. The weather bu-
reau has been collecting data Of land
tornadoeS Tor a number or years, but has
not yet been able to apply it very salts
factorily. The professor is confident how
ever. that the tornado will be explained in
time and predicted definitely enough to
aid people in escaping its fury.
There are some strange freaks attributed
to tornadoes The professor told of seeing
the bark of tree like the back of porcu-
pine. stuck full of straws. driven into 1t
by the force of the storm. Others tell of
beams driven through oak trees and loco
motives blown from the track. 1t is not
uncommon to have whole houses carried
away and distributed in debris for miles
along-t the path of the storm.
The tornado, wherever found, the pro-
fessor said, Is due to the same causes. The
water spout and revolving storm of the
West Indies and the tornado of the Indian
ocean are both maelstroms of air set to
eddytng by the meeting of contending cur
rents. The reason why the prairies of the
west are devoted to the storm demon more
than elsewhere is that there the warning
north wind and the south wind find a most
unobstructed, convenient battle ground.
The Slaughter of Elephants.
From the London Daily News.
In Berlin a number of African travel
ers colonial politicians and scientific men