The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-23
POWER or roRnADoes.


Bnaes Cleaned from Recent 0besfvati00D
rhroughoss the Cs.nsry.
Perhaps tho NEST important distinc-
ton to emphasize IS that between tho
appearance of q thunder storm and =
tornado, since, IL this can be defined,
much needless fear at the approseh o.
black but harmless thrDder-storms can
be avoided When NOT combined with
tornado MANIFESTATIONS the thunder
storm sends aloft . narrow line OF black
clouds in advance. which remains high
IA tho cir. At thu right and left tho
black cleu6s ssem 20 reach the earth.
but thisis caused. not by descent TO tho
earth. as in a tornado, but by distans
edges of the high. black clouds rcceding
below the horinon-iine. II Is osse storm,
which spreads 70 the left and right.
There is no splitting up OF clouds with
the formataion of different storm as
another part Of the horizon
The tornado is easily distinguished
from this perfectly plain edge CT black
W ith its lighter rain-nass extending to
the earth Whether the funnel Is veiled
by rain or not, IL Is ordinarily so black
that a. IL approaches IL appears -
column of dense darkness, narroweSt ~
the earth, with light breaking through
on either side Of it The most marked
trait Of all Is that other clouds seem
right angles, and a distinct storm OF
light hue is coming up from the south
west This is al caused by the tornado,
which Is drawing clouds and abr cur
rents towards itself from great dis
tances. As the tornado funnel comes
nearer, with its dark wass of rubbish
reaching 10 the earth. s& roar is fright
full, giving the observer Is or 60 minutes
warming. 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 20 the north and east, and If the fun
mel is seen in the north or cast il need
not be feared, because n viii almost GER
tainiy move away. OF 600 soSnadoes
specially classified. all but IS moved
from southwest to northeast. and near
" al of the IS moved eastvvaryily.
The tunnels have n rotary motion from
right to left, and this motion n not due
TO electrical action, but to scceleration
of conflicting air currents. Lieut..
Finley SHOVE that the lightning sup
posed to be Ia the funnel Is really IN sd-
jacent thunder~clouds. The broken and
withered buds, bruised by the action OF
tie air. are evaPoroted by the sun after
the tornado. causing tbs foliage to look
scared. giving rise 70 the error that the
tornado manifests burning electrical
power. 1t has been demonstrated BY
study of wrecknge that as the funnel
leaves the Garth and rises into the air
its force slightly dizniniskes, and that
this bounding motion causes the funnel
to spare one building and demoiish an
other. The funnel with Its small end
TO the earth, spins like top, moving
along at an average rate of about 20
miles an hour, but the velocity Of tbs
spin Is incalcuIable. 1T il like the mo-
ton of air impel!ed ty an erplosion.
Tornodoes generally occur between
three p n. and Ave p. m. and not ners
than one in n Thousand takes pince be-
tween ten p. Il. and noon the following
day / have heard Of osly two an
starces In which the tornado occurred
between midnight and morning-onea
uohokus. n. J and another in southern
Michigan, which caused slight loxs of
life. Since these are only two n. sbous
two Thousand cases. the danger from
at night is 70 small tlnt 10
need not be overwhelmingly
Weekly.