Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-06-02
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-caves and
Cellars Are the Sole Pro-
lection.

Kansas City, Special: What il
the mysterious connection between tbs
condition of the sun and the prevalence
of tornadoes?
This seems one Of the unexplainablt
phenomena of nature, the recurrence of
which puzzles the scientists. Recent
tornadoes in Kansas, Missouri, Arkan-
sas. Texas, and other parts of the west
n south are monitory OF the bsg ming
of the storm season. and on the heels
OF this comes the announcement thai
a new sun spot period Of unusual ac-
tivity is also under way.
Pronounced Disturbances.
4 prominent official of the United
States signal service says that, While
it is impossible to accurately forecast
the effect of the disturbances on the
sur upon American weather, it is likely
to be more pronounced la Turing any
like period within a generation.
1t is an interesting fact that the tor
nado is an American speciality, and its
occurrence is rare anywhere else on the
globe. Even in this country IL operates
within certain definite limits.
The tornado belt begins near the
western edge of the continental plateau
and follows the Missouri and the south
ern states, particularly Alabama,
oOuIn IaTOlIld ana 1COISio. vi iiopI'
never occu. on the Alleghanies, 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 Tornadocs Are Born.
Tornadoes usually occur along the
southeastern border OF an area OF ow
barometic pressure. because only In
such a situation is a warm. moist wind
likely TO force it's way under a mass OF
cold air 1000 or more feet above the
earth.
The prevailing winds are from the
south and are usually laden with mois-
ture from the gulf and the Atlantic
This brings into play the ornado max
ing forces. The warm, moist air, being
lighter than the cold aid above IL,
seeks an outlet, and when u weak point
is found it begins TO pour through and
spread out like oil on water. To take
it's place the surrounding air PUSHES i'll.
In Opposite Motion.
Then for some reason which has
never been satisfactorily explained.
but which probably arises from the in
huence 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-
ilected from their course in Such u
as to draw spirally inward In
a direction opposite to the motion OF
the hands of a watch.
The more air tina rushes ian toward
the center the greater the velocity OF
motion at the center itself.
At length the whirl at the center be-
comes so swift that a semi vacuum
is formed, through which the warm
air rushes upward as through a tall
chimney of a factory. Thus the tor
nado Is born.
The thrush Of air sometimes attains
a velocity of 200 miles an hour, and
when ii reaches the center ascends
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 CT buildings, limbs of trees,
heavy timbers. cattle and human be-
ings.
Characteristic Funnel Shape.
The central funnel of the storm, pw-
ing TO the condensation of moisture
going on within it as the hot air PUSHES
swiftly up into colder regions, and "
ing also to the quantity OF dust and
debris of every kind that is sucked up
from the ground. becomes quickly of an
intense and even inky blackness.
Not only does the tornado wind whiri
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 q 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 it seldom hap
pens that the path of a tornado is to-
ward the southeast, and it is eve to-
ward the west.
Cellar the Only Refuge.
The speed with which q tornado ad-
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 ii touches the
ground commonly varies from 100 to
800 yards.
Thus such a storm may sweep through
a town of considerable size, making a
narrow pathway within which every
building has beer destroyed and the
trees and shrubbery leveled. while at a
short distance aside from the path little
destruction may have been wrought.
Tire length vi d tornado path - s:es
from a mile to fifty miles or more.
Oppressive Temperature.
Persons who live in the tornado belt
are we'll acquainted with h charac-
~teristic state and appearance or the at
mosphere when a tornado is imminent
The sudden quiet, the oppressive tenn
perature, the hush, the apparent walt
ing of nature, all these things are
phenomena thai nave often been OBJ
served.
Inasmuch as the course of a tornado
is lmost always toward the east or the
northeast, ii is possible for the innabi
tants of a threatened point who have
seen the gathering of the cloud on the
horizon of the west OF them 10 know IN
ADVANCE whether they are In danger.
The only safe refuge IN case the Itih-
mel cloud is sweeping down on the point
occupied by a spectator Is Iuriished Dy
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
SOS. Some of the storms did millions
of dollars damage. Fol several Years
past they have been comparatively in
frequent, but this yea they have
started In q 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 tornado belt. the interesting
question arises Uhethera tornado Is
likely TO lay It's pain across a great
city, and II SO, whether its power OF
destruction would be as great az In the
open country.