The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-08-10
IN A TORNADO.
The Only Thing % Go is 10 Cp,n the Docs
and Windows.

Discussing the awful disaster in
Wisconsin, Prof. T.. Il. Garriott of the
weather bureau. says that when people
see a funnel shaped cloud coming they
should throw open every door and win
dow in their houses. and then wait for
the storm to pass over.
Your furniture will probably be
damaged by the heavy rain that usu-
ally accompanies a tornado he says,
but your house will not be carried in
TO the next county, nor torn to pieces
by the fury OF the winds. The veloc-
ity of the wind causes a vacuum In the
atmosphere. When ule cloud reaches a
house with all it's doors and windows
shut the four walls OF the building
must gave way in that vacuum or the
mousse rs lifted from its foundation and
- carried with the wind. When the
destructive cyclone visited 81. Louis a
LEW years ago many large and substan-
tlal houses Were blown down. In the
pain Oh the storm were many frail
houses and sheds. These places es-
capped without the loss OF a shingle. The
numerous openings permitted the air
10 escape freely. On the other hand
where the buildings were large and se-
curely closed the confined air caused
destruction, There was a similar incl
dent Just outside Chicago a few years
ago. There storm wrecked a large
barn. Within few feet OF the demol-
ished structure were a workshop and
corncrib. which escaped without dam
age.
1T is difficult to forecast tornadoes
or rather 10 predict where one will
strike. 1t is like a emptlng to foretell
where lightning viii hit. The only
ffe 70 he. I.a,,.
your neighborhood is to throw open the
doors and pray that the storm center
viii not strike in your neighborhood
The cnances of escape about equal
those of destruction. The storm may
MT or miss you. 1t is purely a matter
of chance
Ihe Northwest has Jared as well tn
year as any other section in the matter
OF destructive storms" continued DR.
Garriott. THAT section has been ia
vorite stamping ground for tornadoes.
lhese centers are caused by the con-
tact OF warm air and cold air. which
generally meet in Minneso.a. Southern
Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. The
reports or storms. as may be expected.
increase yearly as the population in the
.>SrtnWest becomes more dense. Here
,oiore tne storms have swept over the
section Tor years and years, and moth
ing Wes heard of their severity while
tHeir iorce was spent upon trees and
piains. Now, as cities and towns are
oelng buiit every few miles. the paths
Di the storms are obstructed by houses.
Nhich cannot be destroyed without the |
public learning of IL.
iornadoes travel from west TO east |
inu are more frequent i'm the North |
vest and Middle West, where there are /
nIies OF prairie. In the winter the
'torms iorm on the Pacific coast and in
ne Gulf states The summer torna-
'oes come out of the Rocky mountain
eslon and are mild until they come
~ contact with the warm air of the
aney states. The combination of rhe
oiu ar In the original storm and the
NarIi ar meeting and mixing az diff
erent angles forms the cyclonic force
men causes THE destruction. lorna
oes are broken by obstacles and can
~ eNist in n mountainous country.
ne storms form at n low barometric | .
assure: They go in groups. and their
nea AT times will cover several states
NC cycionic force of the disturbance ia
onnheu generally TO the eastern sec
ion or the storm, and sometimes 10
= nlkh IN the atmosphere as TO cause
o uamage. The cyclonic forces remain
mystery and while the causes of the
nenomena arc known we are not sue
Ssiui IN forecasting the storms"
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