New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-05-29

Louis, and everybody wanted to know whether
New-York was IN any danger OF similar Vlsita-
tion That question can be answered negatively at
once at least In so far the tornado Is concerned
for that child of the wind and temperature died
peacefully away in the upper air long ago
THE STORMS ARRIVAL
The front of the general storm OF which the St.
Louis tornado was the undoubted offspring was
heralded By the flags maps and indications OF the
Weather Bureau yesterday morning. IL arrived On
time and the afternoon sky was filled win 'huhue,
and vivid with lightning while the air was shee'eu
with rain which fell to the depth OF oS OF an illch
as measured In the rain gauge on top OF 'he MAJ"
haitian Life Insurance Companys building III io"er
Broadway The questions asked In the course OF the
day betrayed a perhaps pardonabe lack OF A"o"E
edge on the part Of the general public ana the con-
fusion in this instance as nearly always was iui
Their increased by mixed illusions 10 cyclones anu
tornadoes as meaning one and the same 'nHis' ~
Is this interchange Of one term for the o'her 'na'
Particularly vexes the soul Of the man VINO SITS
aoft in the big black tower OF the Manhattan Build
ing watching over wind and weather and anaiyz'hg
conditions He has talked about 1t Till most OF 'he
school-chdren understand It, and yestsraaE ih'no
noon noodr ne Kbe they conversed the wind
blowing great guns OUTSIDE the @ the face Of the
Back western cloud through the eI 10 tSe
street nearly four hundred feet below
MEETING OF COLD AND WARM WINDS
II has bcen the experience OF the Weather Bureau
ofter .wenty-dye years Of close observation. That
the storms which in summer sweep over the country
generally form In the far Northwest In iact as lai
out as the Pacific slope The winds from the Norlh-
west are cold and their general direction Is TO the
southeastward as shown by the pointing arrows ]"
the man illustrating this article. That leads them
toward the Gulf. From the warmer country below
warm airs ascend TO meet their emily reia'Nen
from the mountain region. The warm "liius au
vance toward the area Of low pressure. ana with
most hospitabe intent try to get TO the centre OF
IN warm things up On reaching the main point OF
resistance they are detected like the wind from
siraieht on they are attracted and begin TO circle
about sparring, as II were TOT an opeIIs, ~.
fndsT hook S al h sne w map as by
around yesterdays area OF low Pessure, M crcmisr
esb1nn and the CONTINUED amount Of resistance
they meet is one OF the prime causes OF hurricanes
HOW TORNADOEs ARE FORMED
The storm by It's nature. has two motions one
forward rather slowly. the other rotary ana II s
the latter movement that contains the danger eie-
ment The cyclone is storm OF tremendous ex-
tent covering often a territory of from hve 10 NJ
teen hundred miles in area. 1t moves from west
10 east and Is attended by lots OF rain and warmer
weather than ID usual or natural to the season OF
the year in which 1t occurs. The tornado ~ the
smaller storm. but at the same time the most pow
erful known 70 the weather scientists. II always
forms on the southeast southern rim OF the
quadrant Of the storms circle. and briefly. Is
caused by sudden meeting Of flying winds bearing
extremes OF temperature At the moment they
meet there Is a convusion OF nature. The warm
winds are trying TO equaze the temperature. Ihey
sweep In from below and instantly begin TO rise.
Meanwhile the circular motion in which they have
been involved bsfcre becomes contracted TO fear
fully narrow compass They riot to find the exit.
and funnel with the small end down. 10 created.
The finely pointed body begins to move with In
credible swlftness the surface Of the ground.
reason that any near enough at the time 10 try
has generally been otherwise occupied. Estimating
results in lifting trains of cars and engines
of brick and stone, the authorities con-
cude that II often reaches speed OF 400 miles per
hour. II In path. from nifty yards 70
one half mile In width and 1t may travel for 200
miles; but the average distance Is far less, possibly
have been equazed the point of the funnel recedes
from the earth and the whrllng current Is lost in
the upper air This is exactly what occurred at
st. Louis. The city was in the very centre OF the
tornado's formation Strangest circumstance of ALL
few hundred yards outside OF the tornados inhu
all lie calm and peaceful.
A further study of the map Will show another
thing regarding the general storm which arrived
yesterday 1t is of immense area, extending far
west as Central Iowa then in an irregular line
southeast TO the Northern Georgia line east and
northeast to Cape Hatteras then out to sea, back
again through NewYork, and so on up into the far
north Of Canada The area OF low pressure being In
the lake region and the direction OF the winds ia
vorng. Mr.. Dunn remarked that tornadoes were
LA be to be heard from In parts of Pennsylvania
yesterday. 1t is probable that the worst of the
mountains and pass out the ST. Lawrence Valley.