Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-16
WHERE CYCLONES ARE BRED
DRAMA OF THE ELEMENTS IN THE
ROCKY MOI NTiINS.
what n CIoudburst Really is-Weird
Experience OF n Mining Engineer
-Roadbed of Chalk.



air the banked SHOWS. the subterranean
currents which form the basis of the en-
tire watershed. Their Id attitudes seem
to s1ed the waves % air which CONNECT
with the warmer waves in the plains below
ard in their battles generate the cyclones
and the lesser windy trrrors which deHas-
tate the western plains. They are the be-
ginning of the hsart-breakng biizzards
which tie up The traffic of the metropolitan
streets. or chill beyond endurance the
homes Of the poor. They are. in a wofh'
the atmospheric top Of Inc continent, anu
ont. would expect to find among them the
same cxcrSSts Of mature that are seen on
smaller scale when the WIND wnlpS the
flag, If the roofs Of lofty buildings. or
when dark clouds lower over the Jersey
hills or IL gentle mountains "l the Nuiii-
bcrland.
Yet. though tn. Rocky mountains are the
beginning OF such awful things as cyclones
and bIizzards, they are sinsulariy immune
from ih,. terrible effects Of these pneIoin-
ena when they reach their full growth on
the plains below. The storms are sharp
strong and typical. They are dranisttlt.
Ruf lacking in the chance of a long RIM
across the plains. where force Is constantly
accumulated with each successive nile OF
progress their life is usually nf short diira-
ton and their immediate sphere of action
small. They are If all the phenomena,
the storm from its genesis to is cpnfliSion'
were given in miniature In this respect
of the Swiss Alps The latter are severe.
protracted and full of catastrophe The
former complete themselves briefly. and
then let the balance of the continent
wreStle with what they have given forth
All Phases OF Nature.
Probably nowhere IS storm and climate
so varied. All phases of natures cata-
cIysms alternate with all phases of natures
peace and pleasure. The entire samut
from sunshine to black gloom frequently Is
run within a single day or an hour. ~
morning will open clear. with the sun
warm. Perhaps at noon the clouds VIII
gather and heavy rain begin In a Jew
minutes this will turn to sleet and then to
hail. Fifteen minutes after the storm be-
gins it will be showing heavily. and an hour
from the time the first cloud appeared The
sun will be shining again. The whole
shower rain hail and snow will have been
accompanied by thunder and lightning.
Two wayfarers We're recently driving
through the mountains in the South PARK
Of Colorado. when just AT nightfall a ter
rife storm came up- II lasted only abnnt
fifteen minutes hut during that time the
thunder and lightning were continuous.
After it was a dozen tree StumpS were
seen blazing like beacons on a neishbnrins
hill
Perhaps the most peculiar OF the noun
tain phenomena are the so-calied electrical
storms 'rhere is no precipitation. no
lightning. thunder. and usually no wind
Nothing Ia be heard and nothing to be
seen except the gathering Clouds But
much may be felt. Everything is charged
with the electric fluid; the earth. the air,
the very stones and trees and even human
beings full of it,
4 mining engineer visiting a tunnel To-
Gated ON a mountain side at an elevation
of l2.2np feet describes his sensations dur
ing one of these storms. All alone he was
climbing up the train to the tunnel, where
he wished To examine vein of ore. Great
back clouds began to gather on the hort
Zor. and ware soon rolling about the noun
tain side below him. \ calm prevailed.
then an unnatural stiffness seemed to be
In the air. Steadily the clouds rolled up
the mountain side like flood of black
water. The stones. as he stepped on them.
bts gan To crackle and snap, like dry wood
in fire. Realizing these unusual condi-
tinns. he hurried to the sheltering tunnel
above him. His hair felt as If a swarm of
flies had settled in it. When he tried to
brush them away with his hand he found
each hair standing almost straight. The
stroking Of his hair increased the peculiar
sensations he experienced, and. tingins
from head to foot. the now thoroughly
frightened man ran into the tunnel. No
sooner had he passed the entrance than the
peculiar sensations ceased. After resting
awhile. he went to the opening and dis
covered himself entirely surrounded by
clouds black and dense that he could
scarcely see five feet away, although the
hour was not far from noon. Stepping out
side to investigate, he received a shock
that sent him Keeling back into the tunnel.
where he remained for over an hour before
the storm passed.
The CIOudburst.
Such electrical storms seem to be formed
in strata. If a human being should make
such connection to draw the charge
from one of the layers. he would instantly
BE- incinerated. This accident. however. has
never been known to occur. Electrical
storms prevail throughout the mountain
region. but the severest storms Of this ma
With all the severity Of electrical storms,
and thunder showers. 1t is fact that
human beings are seldom struck by light
Iune in the mountains. Death from that
cause j. much more frequent the plains
bordering the ranges than in the mountains
themselves
The most destructive form of mountain
storm Is the so-called cloudburst. wnen the
ripping brook suddenly becomes a roaring
river, carrying death and destruction in Its
path. The noise made by cloudburst has
no parallel Above the rumble and roar OF
a mass Of rushing water is heard grind
ing. grooming sound OF falling trees. of
Slipping earth and rolling boulders, while
the banks of the stream. far above the dam
ger line trembe if in earthquake.
The senses nunbed by the awful cata-
clySm. and it seems to the spectator. al
though he Is on the high banks and out of
actual danger, as II the very foundations
of the earth had burst and Judgment day
was come. The food losses about mighty
trees and rocks If they We're straws,
1Ef DstilkS 81 the stream seem 10 dissolve
before his eyes and a feeling of awe at
the irresistible power of nature steals over
the observer. Once witnessed, cloudburst
T. never forgotten.
In point of fact. however there is no
euch thing as the bursting of a cloud. The
term ''cioudburst' is convenient express
sion Icy which the result Of very heavy
rain i designated Nearly all the surface
OF the earth in the mountain region is made
up either OF rocks adobe soil. The latter
in most cases, has never been broken to
cultivation. and is almost impervious to
sudden heavy downpOur OF rain. The con-
sequence is that the mountains are cut up
with aroyos. gullies and water courses and
In the course OF unnumbered ages into
mighty canyons which astound the tourist.
In unusually heavy rainfall the great
mass OF water spread large area,
instead ~ sinking into the ground, IS quick
~ accumulated in the beds of the streams
which rise many feet in a short time. When
this accumulation is rapid enough. and the
LAY OF the land Is just right, the water
rushes down the bed of the stream in a
solid wall, and Is called a cloudburst The
same precipitation IN open country, or in
one in which the soil has been broken up
by cultivation. would be called a heavy
rainfall. and would do no damage unless
continued long enough for the streams to
rise out of their banks and food the coun-