Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-08-22

ATTACKING TORNADO WITH CAhNON.
cannon, purchased by popular subscrip-
ton from the condemned stock at the
New Orleans arsenal, on the four sides
of the town, each gun under the care OF
a watchful attendant during the cyclone
season. The cannon were designed to be
fred into the face Of an approaching hur-
ricane in the hope of breaking It's force.
When the news reached Hennessy that
a tornado was sweeping southwark over
the prairies east of the Rockies, it was
feared that when it reached the CHINA
mon river it would swerve from its track
and follow the course of the stream, as
was done by the hurricane that killed sew
en- people there in the autumn Of 1897, a
sharp bend in the stream then throwing
the storm over the peninsula upon which
Hennessy Is situated.
The cannon to the west, where the
town is partly protected by the Wichita
and placed on the northern border as an
additional protection. Unfortunately.
however, on the approach of the funnel
shaped cloud the western gun was fired
a couple of seconds too soon, swinging
the storm toward. the east, SO that the
shot from The other gun did not take full
~AAS@AoS<~
the tornado's course. however, that only
the extreme eastern edge Of the town
was touched, but there the one house
fully in its path was completely demol-
ished, and the cannon which guarded that
end of the peninsula was blown from its
carriage, carried fully 500 feet and bur-
led in sand bank. The attendant at the
gun and the inhabitants of the solitary
dwelling demolished were warned In time
to escape with their lives.
The tornado district proper lies be-
tween merjGians 50 degrees and 1O1 de-
grees and includes parts Of Kansas, Mis-
souri,. Iowa, Illinois and the eastern edge
Of Indiana. In an official paper on this
subject Lieutenant Finley Of the wealth
er bureau says: "A map prepared to show
the entire topography Of that portion of
the United States included within the
meridians Of 80 degrees and 1O1 degrees
would plainly illustrate IN important
truth in the tornado problem-viz, that
there is nor another section Of our vast
domain wherein there exist opportuni-
ties so unlimited for the unobstructed
ningling and opposition of warm and
cold currents and currents highly con-
trasted in humidity. As an area of low
barometer-not necessarily storm area
advances 10 the lower Mississippi val
ley warm and cold currents set In toward
it from the north and south respectively.
which. if the low pressure continues
about stationary for some time, ultimate
ly emanate from the warm and moist re-
gions Of the gulf and the cold and COM
paratively dry regions of the British pos
sessions. Here lies the key to the mark
ed contrasts Of temperature and moisture,
invariably foretelling an atmospheric dis
turbance Of unusual force, for which this
region is peculiarly fitted by nature and
in apparent recognition of which It has
' received the euphonious title of the bat
tie ground of tornadoes.' 1t cannot be
disputed that so far as the history Of
tornadoes is concerned the majority have
occurred over this region, and why? Be
cause Of its peculiar topography. From
the gulf northward to the central portion
of the lower Missouri valley and from
the British possessions southwark to the
same locality there II permitted an en-