Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-06-11

but don't look for them, yet If you
must know when to take to the cellar
there are indications well worth not
ing. Both cyclones and tornadoes are
circular movements IN the air-atmos-
pheric whirlpools. A cyclone is a
very large whirlpool, a tornado is a
very small one. Cyclones pass over
Wisconsin every few days. They are
nothing more than the lows" or CEN
tiers OF low barometric pressure that
you see pictured on the weather map
hung up In the postoffice and else
where. The diameter Of these wind
circles is measured in hundreds or
thousands of miles. On so large a
track the wind trots about quite calmly.
But at sea, where these big circles are
reduced to diameter of fifty or hun
bred miles, as in the West Indies, the
speed made is far more rapid. A West
Indian cyclone is never popular with
yachtsmen.
Now, tornado has a diameter at It's
smallest part of only 100 feet or
thereabout and 1t cultivates a speed
correspondingly terrific. If you want
to understand the difference between
tornadoes and cyclones, pull the plug
out Of washbasin and watch the water
waltz. On the outside the circular
movement is very leisurely; in the
middle. where the little vortex or macs.
from is forward, the schedule is as
swift as sin.
AS often happens. it's easier to de-
scribe cyclones and tornadoes than to
explain them. But all these circular
movements in the atmosphere are due
to opposing currents and opposing con-
ditions. That is, an air current NOV.
ing In one direction meets a current
going In another direction cold air
meets hot air; dry airencounters moist
air, Then, in an attempt TO attain
the equilibrium which Is the absence
OF life, circular movements of the at
mosphere set in, usually on grand
scale. .~
And in the spring time, when the
earth is still cold and the air is being
heated up by the sun; when the dry,
northerly air currents from the Pacific
come down into the center of the con-
tinent and meet the moist, hot currents
from the Atlantic, then we have the
necessary contradictions of movement,
temperature and humidity. Big circu.
lar currents are started. These are
true cyclones. In addition, for reasons
We don't understand little eddies are
thrown off from the big current These
eddies are the tornadoes, the so-called
cyclones.
Every tornado forms vertical fun
mel tapering towards the earth, and
moving around and around opposite to
the direction taken by the hands of
watch, The funnel Is also a travelling
vacuum. Being a vacuum. il violently
attracts air from the outside. II the
top Of the funnel should be 5000 feet
across, or example, the air there might
be going no faster than seven miles an
hour But If. as is probable, the lower
end Of the funnel near the earth, was
only 100 feet across, the movement
might be increased to the rate of 200
miles an hour. In fact. some observa-
tons taken by photography and geom.
etry of cyclone off the Massachusetts
coast in 1896 showed that the rotary
speed OF the funnel at sea level was
$50 miles an hour This explains why
during tornado. a garden spade has
been driven six inches into a tree. and
why straws are frequently shot like
nails into oak planks
Another movement IN n ,,,Nx,.or.l
direction follows, from the tendency of
the hot air to rise towards the cooler
currents 1t is the sudden condensa.
tion Of the warm air that causes the
electric discharges so often reported.
The same condensation creates the
moisture that makes the funnel visible.
so II looks like a whirling cloud
Occasionally tornadoes move from
south to north. As rule they go from
the southwest to the northeast. On
its southern side the funnel exerts
dangerous suction, but not on its
northern side. So, unless the funnel
is considerable distance north of
spectator. he had better hurry away
with dignified speed. toward the north
and west. If he hasn't brought his
cyclone cellar with him. he should seek
the cellar of frame house. not of a
brick or a stone building Otherwise
he should get clear of houses and
trees, lie fiat down on his face, take
very long breath. and wait until the
procession has moved by.
In the west We have about twenty
fiye tornadoes a year--they are not in
creasing in number as some people
imagine, They seldom occur before
May ] or after July /, But If you ems
counter one in April or August, don't
stop to ask questions. In the course
of a year we don't have, on the aver
age. more than three tomatoes that
are highly destructive.
Almost everybody can tell tornado