The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-25
Wby We See It
Reascas Gytleaes
Hire nislDle.
IRE hislDIe.

1
clone is quite correct. but though small
er 1t may be more destructive. It's mys-
terry has all been dissolved before the
work Of the meteorologiEts. and now Il -
not only known how 4 tornado IL pro-
ii duced, but from whence II derives It's de-
wasting force AS yet. however, the wea-
ther bureau y unable to prognosticate its
occurrence. owing to the rapidly with
| which It is formed and dissipated. Cy-
| clones which originate in the southwest
] and hurricanes. particularly the latter,
/ which originate in the Caribbean Sea.
| may be foretold In time to save much
| property and many lives. Cyclones may
| be loo miles in diameter, hurricanes from
/ SO TO 500 miles. while a tornado Il only
| a mile or so broad at the top and very
| much smaller at the bottom. The storm
that swept New Richmond and other
| places IN Wisconsin last week possessed
all the characteristics of a true tornado.
1t occurred during the period Of the year
when they are most frequent June. and
| happened in the Mississippi Valley. the
most frequently devasted section of the
country. and was distinguished BY the
water spout" appearance. Tornedoes at
sea are known as water spouts. IN deserts
as sand storms. as fair weather whirl-
winds when they happen in fair weather
on lakes or land, and as white squalls in
dry atmosphere.
Notwithstanding the terrific force OF
these storms. II Is possible TO account for
their energy by the velocity Of the vOr-
tex motion that pfoduces them. their en-
ergy primarily being derived from heated
tropical currents Of air mixing with cold
er polar air currents. According 10 Pro-
fessor S. H. Bigelow, professor OF mete-
orology TO the weather bureau. in q PAM
phlet on tornadoes and kindred storms re-
Gently issued b. the government, It x
commonly believed by meteorologists that
The heated air Of the tropics rises near the
equator. flows in the upper strata Of the
atmosphere toward the poles and then de-
sends in the Arctic regions to complete
its circuit near the ground. flowing to-
ward the equator. Owing 10 the local
conditions this interchange Of air cur
rents becomes very much mixed. which
results In a lawless interchange. the char
acter OF which. whether rain storms.
thunder showers. hurricanes. cyclones or
tornadoes. depends OH circumstances.
Sometimes calm areas occur in the Mis-
sisslpp! and Missouri Valleys. and then
when two currents Of air. one hot and one
cold. meet at such a spot. a condition Of
unstable equilibrium Is produced in the
atmosphere which ultimately results In a
storm. Under certain conditions these air
currents result in the formation Of a
storm OF the tornado type. when a syra-
tory motion Is given TO a mass OF air and |
a tornado tube extends toward the earth. |
If a mass Of ar 5000 feet in diameter is
rotated at a one-half-mIle level and Il |
runs into a vortex shape. so that the tube |
is 100 feet in diameter. and sVpposing the |
outer edge Of the upper vortex makes |
seven miles an hour, then at the rim near |
the bottom vortex would have a velo- |
city OF 90 miles an hour. This causes an |
enormous centrifugal force in the lower |
tube and creates a partial vacuum OF low |
temperature.
1t Is accompanied by fordward move |
ment Of the entire system which. owing to |
It's vortex motion. acts practically as !
solid mass, striking a blow like a ham
mer. and. owing TO its great velocity. the
damage II does is correspondtngly great.
Inc vacuum which is produced by this
whirling vortex is largely accountable
for many OF the strange freaks OF such
storms. Everyone knows what an euor-
nous pressure Is produced by creating a
vacuum on the side OF a wall. tree or
other object and calculation shows that
with the velocity OF the air known TO ex-
ist in these whirlwInds-for such they
truly area pressure OF 80 pounds per
90 h. 10 |
gyratory motion. with an upward trend.
that produces the devastng effects so
of tornadoes. The fact that
the area Of the t0rnedo. the path swep;
by the funnel shaped cloud. may be only
two or three hundred feet IN diameter.
was we'll illustrated by the New Rich
mond storm. which merely destroyed the
principal street. houses several hundred
feet distant on either side Of the path
being passed unharmed. As the air on
the outskirts of the whirllng mass is con-
s.antly drawn into the vortex. a partial
vacuum < created. ard the other air
rushing into this void expands. producing
a lowering Of temperature and condens-
ing IL water vapor; and :, is this phe-
nomenon that makes the weil-known fun
nei-sha ped cloud visible = the eye.
There is no practical way Of wardinz OF
.0-nad7es when conditions are favorable
Tor their Development The tubes resist
an explosive discharged IN the air out /
side. these often having been fred upon !
- cannon al sea, and the pressure Of 4
forest or a groups Of buildings apPears
70 have 70 eject IN checking their on
ward progress or In breaking Up the yor-
I. 4 -. /
building that could be erected. within
practical limits q strength. that could
ii as;ard the vortex % a tornado when
I operates az fun. Nevertheless. strong. !
-ubstaniial structures would greatly les
zen the damage % property and u
decrease the fatalities.
THE COST OF THE DISTURBANCES.
According 20 the published reports % the
-ni:ed States weather bureau. the num- ;
,er % well defined ard Destructive tor
iadoss Is about twenty-five a year. and
heir frequency r quite Uniform from year
: year. Tie damage resulting from :helr
operations = perhaps g Go 90 a year O.
n average. though single ;ornad5es cave !
destroyed 80 ~. 1p1 20 tIsafo no Worta o .
'ropsr-y. 70 say nothing % the appalling
ass % lie.
THOUGHT IT WAS THE CARFT.
vhen the h7en~1 re-e Hgh-ng .hs r
,a1s 81 the we<c sais Tuesday riRst. :
Re first Information they ootaine-I q ths
- thS sde % the rtys- Ezs Shs, tns
ar-y 5ote, was o. Ere AID until they
eac5ed Eas; Douglas rbsy though <
-zs ths Carer.
RAISING A KICK
Tha-a q ra-r-- .n-r-A 49, .---. l .