The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-07-03
HOW TO NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

Torpedo StNttOns-PrOf. Hazen state
tho Selentiiic Basis.
Washington Correspondence of the
Boston. Transcript.
Fifty years hence not big towr
in the Southwest will be without a
tornado trap said Prof. II. A. Hazen
of the weather bureau. today. THE
time has arrived when serious atten.
tion must be given to finding means
of defense against these whirling
storms. AS the 81 called cyclone belt
becomes more thickly populated, disas
tiers from this cause will grow more
frequent. Already people in that part
Of the country have begun to regard
the question as having an important
relation to their future. welfare. When
a menacing looking cloud is seen, they
are terrified, anticipating catastro-
phe. My belief is that any town in
that region would be rem dered safe
against Tomatoes by series of look
out stations extended in line from
north to south, so as to interpose bar
Observation-Disclosures, that is, the
westside, from which the revolving
storm invariably comes. This barrier
would be made effective by means Of
system of dynamite bombs, connect
ed with the stations by wires. 1t
would not be necessary to keep guard
all the time, but the men appointed for
that purpose would only go on duty
when warning was received from the
weather bureau that conditions were
favorable for cyclones. On seeing a
funnel cloud approaching, the operator
rns,I1 OF. ,,Ix, ~ until IL
enough and then touch off the cart
ridges which wouldlblow it to smith
Greens.
What reason is there for doubling
hat such a method would be success
ulsDo we not know that water spouts
It sea are sometimes dissipated and re-
luced to harmlessness by the firing of
runs from threatened shipsY A water
pOut is nothing more nor less than
marine tornado Occasionally they |
ave been seen to turn upon the land |
nd transform themselves into cy-
lones. II the tornado we're not de
troyed by the dynamite explosions, it
'ould be likely to be deprived of so
luch of its energy as TO be rendered
Incapable of doing harm. The cost of
such systems of defense
the cyclone belt would not
mount in 1000 years to the $40, 600,
90 which tho recent calamity is said
0 have cost st. Louis.
"Money ought to be appropriated by
congress for studying this strange and
title understood phenomenon. 1t is
1ost important that we should learn
bout the mechanism of the tornado
meteorological disturbance capable
+ destroying $40, 600, 900 worth Of prop
rty in 10 minutes. All we know at
resent is that the energy of the cy
lone must be electrical. In an other
'ay could the destruction caused by
be accounted for. 1t is always &C
by severe thunder storm.
he weather bureau report says that
uring the st. Louis tornado the cleo
'ic display was exceedingly brilliant,
he whole est and northwest sky being
q almost continual blaze of light.
Intensely vivid flashes Of fork, Il light
ing were outlined in green, biue and
right yellow against the duller back
round of never ceasing sheet light
ing.
Evidently, then, it is necessary that
e should find some means of dissipa
ng the electricity with which the de
.ructive funnel could is charged. We
ust do for the tornado what We do for
lie ordinary thunder cloud, whose
ghtning We conduct away harmlessly
yfmetal rods. just here want TO call
,ur attention to very interesting
ct. / have devoted great deal Of at
ntion to the study of cyclones, follow
g the history o.all tehave been
corded for great many years back,
id I.have never known of case
here one of them struck town that
ldfa forest of even few acres in ex-
ut to the southwest.
'Tornadoes always travel from south
est to northeast. l am inclined to
link that forest of moderate extent
the Southwest of town is a most
icient protection against storms OF
is kind. Why9 you ask. Simply be-
use the trees draw off the electric
? that gives to the cyclone its energy.
this is true, it follows that every
wn in the danger be ought TO plant
ses for tornado barrier, if it has not
ready this defense. Such plan Is
UGH simpler and less costly than the
Mantle system which l have already
ggested. OF course, the growing OF
,es takes time. The towns ought
t to remain undefended while wait
g for trees to grow, and 80 l would
oppose that temporary make shi IT
ght De serviceable, consisting of
rrier of tall poles with a network of
res extendedibetween them.