The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-02

the mysterious connections bctwecn tic
condition OF the sun and the prevalence
OF tornadoes"
This seems one Of the unexplainabie
phenomena of nature, the recurrence OF
which puzzles he scientists. Recent
t~ornudoes in Kansas, Missouri, Aritau-
sas. Texas. and other PARIS of the west
aud south are monitOry Of the beginning
of the storm season, and on the hea.s
OF this comes the announcement taat
a new sun spot period of unusual ac-
tivity is also under way.
Pronounced Disturbances.
y prominent official of the United
States signal service says that, while
ii is impossible to accurately forecast
the effect of the disturbances on the
sun upon American weather, 1t is likely
10 be more pronounced than during any
like period within Il generation.
1t is an interesting fact that the tor
nado is an American speciality, and its
occurrence is rare anywhere else OH the
globe. Even in this country 1t operates
within certain definite limits.
The tornado belt begins nea, the
western edge of the continental plateau
and follows the Missouri and the south
ern states. particularly Alabama.
South Carolina and Georgia. Tornadoes
never occli. OF the Alieghanles. and
seldom in New York or New England.
The greatest center for these storms
seem TO be the plains of Kansas and
around the junction of the Missouri.
Ohio and Mississippi valleys.
How Tornadoes Are Born.
Tornadoes usually occur along the
southeastern border OF an area OF low
barometic pressure. because only in
such Il situation is a warm. moist wind
likely To force it's way under Il mass OF
cold air 1000 or more feet above the
earth.
The prevailing winds are from the
south and are usually laden with moi,-
ture from the gulf and the Atlantic
This brings into play the ornad max
Ing forces. The warm. moist air. being
lighter than the cold aid above it.
seeks an outlet. and when n weak point
is found it begins to pour through IL
spread out like oil on water. TO take
its place the surrounding air rushes i'll.
In Opposite Motion.
Then for some reason which has
never been satisfactorily explained,
but which probably arises from the in
fluence OF the cyclonic winds Them
selves sweeping %circularly around the
center OF the storm, these currents OF
warm air, rushing toward the point
where the rise is taking place, are de-
llactcd from their course in such Il
manne as to draw spirally inward in
a direction opposite to the motion OF
the hands of Il watch.
The more air that PUSHES in toward
the center the create. the velocity of
motion at the center itself.
At length the whirl at the enter be-
comes so swift that Il s"emi-vacuum
is formed. through which the warm
air PUSHES upward as through a all
chimney OF IA factory. Thus the to-
nado is born.
The thrush Of air sometimes attains
a velocity of 200 miles an hour. II
when 1t reaches the center asceNds
vertically with a suctional force which
is sufficient to draw Up to a height OF
hundreds, or thousands of feet the
heaviest objects-farm Implements.
fragments Of buildings, limbs of trees.
heavy timbers. cattle and human be-
ings.
Characteristic Funnel Shape.
The central funnel of the storm, ow-
Ing to the condensation of moisture
going on within it as the hot air rushes
swiftly up into colder regions, and ow-
ing also to the quantity Of dust n
debris of every kind that is sucked up
from the ground, becomes quickly OF an
intense and ever inky blackness.
Not only does the tornado wind whirl
With tremendous velocity, but. at the
same time the funnel of the tornado
itself. sweeping and dragging along the
ground. and sometimes resembling the
trunk of a gigantic elephant with its
head in the cloud. also moves swiftly,
usually from southwest toward north
east. Sometimes the motion is almost
directly eastward. but 1t seldom hap
pens that the path OF a tornado is to.
ward the southeast, and it is never to-
ward the west.
Cellar the Only Refuge.
The speed with which a tornado aa-
vances varies from twenty to fifty miles
an hour. The path Of destruction. that
is to say, the width OF the tornado fun
mel at the point where it touches the
ground commonly varies from 100 to
800 yards.
Thus such a storm may sweep through
a town OF considerable size, making al
narrow pathway within which every
building has been destroyed and the
trees and shrubbery leveled. while at a +,
short distance aside from the path little I.
destruction may have been wrought. /,
The length Of a tornsdo's path varies /
from a mile to fifty miles or more.
Oppressive Temperature.
Persons who live in the tornado belt,
are we'll acquainted With the charac-.
teristic state n appearance OF the at,
mosphere when a tornado is imminent.
The sudden quiet, the oppressive tenn
ing of nature. all these things aret
phenomena that have often been OBJ
served.
Inasmuch as the course of a tornado
is almost always toward the east or the
northeast, it Is possible for the inhabi-
tants of a threatened point who have
seen the gathering of the cloud on the
horizon of the west of them to know in
advance whether they are in danger.
h only safe refuge in case the fun
mel loud is sweeping down OH the point
occupied by Il spectator is furnished By.
the tornado or cyclone cellar.
Shows Up Threatening.
There is a record of 5000 people killed
in the United States by these storms /.
since observation began. The last great
period was in the late '70s INC the early,
sos. Some of the storms did millions
of dollars damage. For several years.
past they lave been comparatively in
frequent. but this year they have
started in Il threatening manner. and
more may be heard about them. not,
only during the next few months, but
for several years to come.
Since several populous cities now lie
within the tovnado belt. the interesting
question arises Whethera tornado il
likely to lay It's pain across a great
CITY. and If so. whether ito powpr NJ