The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-16

house, but after the storm passed the
dog came running back. A gFind-atone
Just outside was simply upset and q
typewriter andspeFcelain plaque were
picked from the wreck untouched. Four
miles east q struck the Trotter place,
the house rising bodily In the nir to q
distance Of twenty feet, where II SEEM
cd 70 explode. i then passed close 70 q
school house. whore the inward draw or
suction caused e6nsiderable destruction.
Four hundred yafds from the path Of
tho storm this suction turned . heavy
farm wagon around and upset Il. In the
yard Of A. Lehni two hundred feet from
the storm. everything movable Ut out
for the centre Of disturbance and his
house was moved siI inches toward II,
A mile further on the storm SRent to
pieces. This occurred In the pasture OF
". 3. Jerome, who was witness to the
dissipation. he says the funnel came
to a standBtill. Wavered, spreads out,
lost color and motion and collapsed
with fail Of loose trash and light rub
Dish, Immediately followed by sharp
hail. To his mind the hail broke It up.
He estimated tha funnel from earth to
cloud 10 be ave hundred feet long, and
the tornado cloud about eighty ae'O1 in
area, detached from the cloud strata
above. which mas loaded with hail. All
he noticed Waa 9 sWishlnE sound. and
he 10 the only one who observed any
noise. This rain and hail came from
the northeast. the direction In which the
funnel was headed. Other Observer OF
the tornado Bay that at no time was the
cloud above hvp' hundred feet from the
ground The tran through the farm
land Is not over sixteen feet wide, and
was marked only by fiattened grass
with turf occasionally torn up. In sum-
ming up the weather bureau expert
says:
"All evidence points to the conclusion
that at the beginning Il is'R very sim
pie nifair ond IN character IKE sum
mer dust Wiifis 90 often noticed on q
stlll, hot day IN August, and is rs impo-
tent for harm X Il went no further. It
Is only when high condemnation IL go
ing on above and clouds are forming
rapidly that e can take on the features
of a destructive tornado. This brings
us to q study Of the union between the
descending point and the ascending
whlrl. The cloud point or funnel u
like the letter v, and only has color,
black, dense and compact. while the
ascending ground-whirl Is, comp1Ta-
lively speaking, devoid Of color, The
belief Is strong in my mind that, al
though not Visible, this ground-whirt
extends upWard.to the tornado cloud, Is
entungled' with It and gets its motion
therefrom. At the ground there is no
motion which would start II; the calm
is dead. In this case, the ground whirl
had very thin edge. tive or six inches
wide. like the tire OF cartwheel or the
rim OF q saucer: in short, simple rim
OF circling air, extending to the cloud
and colorieGs. II envelopes the cold,
hanging point Rb0ve. which 10 making
an effort 70 descend TO earth down the
center Of the hot air shaft surrounding
It. Several attempts are made before a
satisfactory adjustment Of the TWO
forces. heat and cold, Ia the dropping
core and rising air arc effected"
Until this q done no special energy
Is developed. When, however, the stl-
perior energy o. the descending core
overcome8 0bioctionB and interminBlea
with the moderately moving rim and
both merge into perfect whole, tha
tornado - ready for business. AS proof
Of this theory, change in color to the
character Of the soil swept is proper.
The usual circular motion contrary to
the hands Of the clock was evident,
The width Of the path at no place eX-
ceeded thlFty.three feet. 1t, Travelled
eighteen miles, consuming an hour in
moving. The indraw seemed stronger
farther away thnn close to It."
The report has been forwarded to
WnshinEton, and Il Is believed will form
a valuable contribution to tornado lit
ernture, especially because Of the testi'
mnny secured AZ to the start, finish and
working Of T.