The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-01
SCIENTISTS LOOK FOR
YEAR OF TORNADOES
Period OF Activity in Storms
Seems to Be at Hand---
Unusual Destruction.
SUN Is BLAMED IN PART
Interesting Data Regarding the Death
Dealing Windstorms-cavss and
Cellars Are the Sole Pro-
lection.

Kansas City. Special: What 10
the mysterious connection between the
condition OF the sun and the prevalence
OF tornadoes?
This seems one OF the unexplainabie
phenomena OF nature. the recurrence OF
which puzzles the scientists Recent
tornadoes In Kansas. Missouri. Arkan-
sas. Texas. and other pars of the west
and south are monitory OF the b, g nning
OF the storm season. and ON the heels
OF this comes the announcement that
a new sun spot period Of unusual ac-
tivity IN also under way.
pronouneed Disturbances
A prominent official OF the Cni,ed
States signal service says that, while
u 10 impossible To accurately forecast'
the effect OF the disturbances on tina,
sun upon American weather, ~ In likely
to be more pronounced than. during any,
like period within n generation.
IL IL an interesting fact that tina tor
nado In an American speciality, and ttS
occurrences 10 rare anywhere else on tho
globe. Even In this country IL operates
within certain definite limits.
Tho tornado belt begins near ths,
western edge of the continental plateau
and. follows the Missouri and the south
ern states. particularly Alabama.
South Carolina and Georgia. Tornadoes
never occii.. on the Alleghanies.. ana
seldom I'm New York or New England.
The greatest center for these storms
seem tn be tho plains OF Kansas and
around the junction OF the Missouri,
Ohio and Mississippi valleys.
How Tornadoes Are Born.
Tornadoas usually occur along. tho
southeastern bsrder OF an area OF low
baromctlc pressure. because only In
such a situation In "a warm. moist wind
likely To force It's way under mass OF
cold abr 1000 or more feet above the
earth.
The prevailing winds are frnm' the
south and are usually laden with mois-
ture from the gulf and the Atlantic
This brings into play the tornado max
Ing FORCES The warm. moist air. being
lighter than the cold aid above IL,
seeks an outlet. and when weak point
In found IL begins To pour through and
spread ont like oil on water. To. take
It's place the surrounding air PUSHES III.
I'm Opposite Motion.
Then for some reason which has
never been satisfactorily explained.
but which probably arises from the In
iiuenca OF the cyclonlc winds thoIn-
selves. sweeping circularly around the
cenfar OF the storm. these currentsN or
warm air. rushing toward the point
where the rise Is taking place. are de-
flected from their course In such
manner as 10 draw spirally inward In
n direction opposite To the motion OK
the hands of a watch.
The more air that rushcs- In towerd
the center the greater the velocity OK
motion at the center Itself
AT length the whirl Mt the. center he
comes 80 swift that a semt-vacunIzt
10 forulnd through which the warm
nd arH n
chimney Of factory. Thus this tor
nad0 Is born
The thrush OF air sometimes, attaias
velocity or 200 milcs an hour. AMI
when IL reaches the center ascends
vertically with "a sucuonnl force which
Is sufficient tn draw up to a hnight OF
hundreds. ar thousands OF feet the
heaviest obJects-farm implements.
fragments CT buildings, limbs OF trees.
heuvy timbers, cattle and hiraaan be-
ngs.
Characteristic Funnai Shape.
The central funnel OF the storm. ow-
ing TO the condensation of moisture
going on within IL as the hot air rushes
swiftly up into colder regions. and ow-
ing also to the quantity OF dust and
debris OF every kind that Ii sucked up
from the ground. becomes quickly OF an
intense and even inky blackness.
Not only does the tornado wind whirl
with tremendous velocity, hut, at the
same time the funnel OF the tornado
itself, sweeping and dragging along the
ground. and sometimes resembling the
trunk OF gigantic elephant with its
/ head In the cloud, also moves swiftly.
| usually from southwest toward north
/ east. Sometimes the motion In almoss
( directly eastward, hut II seldom hap
| pens that ihe path Of a tornado Is to-
| ward the southeast, and IL Is never to-
ward the west.
| Cellar the Only Refuge.
! The speed with which a tornado ad-
vances varies from twenty To ATTY niles
an hour. The path OF destruction. that
| Is to say the width OF the tornado fun
/ mel Mt the point where IL touches tina
/ ground commonly varies from loo to
I 900 yards.
Thus such a storm may sweep through
q town of considerable size. making a
narrow pathway within which every
building has been destroyed and tho
trees and shrubbery leveled. while nj a
| short distance aside from the path little
destruction may have been wrought.
The length OF a tornado's path varies
from a mile to nifty miles or more.
Oppressive Temperature.
Persons who live Ia the tornado belt
are well acquainted with the charac-
! teristic state and appearance OF the at
tuONDtleIe WHICH ~ "
The sudden quiet. the oppressive tenn
perature. the hush, the apparent walt
Ing OF nature. all these things ara
phenomena that have often been OBJ
served. - 2
Inasmuch aE the course OF n tok
II almost always toward the east or I'll.
northeast, II Is possible for the ifhab!.
tants OF threatened point who, have
seen the gathering OF the cloud on the
horizon OF the west Of them To know IL
advance whether they are In danger.
The only safe refuge IN ease, the fun
mel cloud IL sweeping down on the poisf;
occupied by spectator Is furnished b.
the tornado or cyclone cellar
Shows Up Threatsnins.is
There In a record OF 1900 people killed
In the United States by these storms
since observation began. The last great
period was In the late '70s and the early
SOS Some OF the storms did millions
OF dollars damage. For several years
past they have been comparatively In.
frequent, but this year they have
started In threatening manner, and