The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-08-15
POWER OF ToRNApoFs
Facts Cleaned from Recent obserr,.
Thrnuphanf the


Thransh ent the Country.
Perhaps the most important dist;n.
ton to emphasize is that between n,
appearance of a thunder storm and
tornado, since, II this can be defnas
much needless fear at the approach :,
black but harmless thunder-storns ca.
be avoided. When not combined Viii
tornado manifestations the thunder,
storm sends aloft a narrow line of bl.o,
clouds in advance, which remains bioI'
In the air. At the right and left tba
black clouds seem to reach the earth
but this is caused, not by descent To tha
earth, as in tornado, but by distant
edges of the high, black clouds recedin,
below the horizon-line. 1t is one storm
which spreads to the left and ripbt
There is no splitting up of clouds with
the formation of 9 different storm a,
another part of the horizon.
The tornado is easily distinguished
from this perfectly plain edge of black
with its lighter rain-mist extendnot 10
the earth. Whether the funnel is yeiled
by rain or not, it is ordinarily so black
that as it approaches it appears as =
column of dense darkness, narrowest a,
the earth, with light breaking through
on either side of it. The most marked
trait of all is that other clouds seem
to be approaching, others moving nj
right angles, and distinct storm NJ
light hue is coming up from the south.
west. This is all caused by the tornado
which is drawing clouds and air cur
rents towards itself from great dis,
tances. As the tornado funnel comes
nearer, with its dark mass of rubbish
reaching to the earth, the roar is fright.
full, giving the observer Is or 20 minutes
warning. The southwest corner of the
cellar, if the tornado is approaching from
| the south or west, is the safest place Of
refuge. The tornado carries the wreck
age to the north and east, and if the fun.
mel is seen in the north or east it need
| not be feared, because it will almost GER
| tainly move away. OF GOO tornadoes
specially classified, all but IS moved
| from southwest to northeast, and near
The tunnels have rotary motion from
| right to left. and this motion is not due
to electrical action, but to acceleration
of conflicting air currents. Lieut.
| Finley shows that the lightning sup
| posed to be in the funnel is really in ad.
| incent thunder-elouds. The broken and
withered buds, bruised by the action Of
the mir, are eyaporated by the sun after
the tornado, causing the foliage to look
scared, giving rise to the error that the
tornado manifests burning electrical
| power. 1t has been demonstrated by
study of Wreekage that as the funnel
| leaves the earth and rises into the ain
It's force slightly diminishes, and that
this bounding motion causes the funnel
to spare one building and demolish an.
other. The funnel, with its small end
to the earth. spins like a top, moving
along at an average rate of about a.
miles an hour, but the velocity of the
spin is incalculable. 1t is like the mo
ton of air impelled by an explosion
Tornadoes generally occur between
three p. m. and five p. m, and not more
than one in 4 thousand takes place be
tween ten p. m. and noon the following
day. l have heard of only two in.
stances in which the tornado occurred
between midnight and morning-one al
1lohokus, N.J., and another in southern
Michigan, which caused slight loss OF
life. Since these are only two in about
two thousand cases, the danger from
tornadoes at night is so small that il
need not be nsidered.-Harpers
| Weekly.