Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-05
TORNADOES
By Frederic ]. Haskin

Louis in 1896, it was noted by one
newspaper that all the churches had
been stricken and all the saloons left
untouched. The saIoonkeepers were
disposed to attach a prophetic signih-
canoe to this mysterious distinction,
but scientific explanation was also
published. Besides its wind velocity,
the tornado has an explosive action
due to the sudden decrease in barom-
etric pressure Now when this pres
sure is suddenly reduced one-half sew
en- pounds per square inch is added to
the interior of buildings containing air
for which there is no rapid means of
outlet. Thus the windows of churches
and other unventilated places. are
pried outward by the power of the
heavier air within.
the tornado, which, by the way, is
a Spanish word meaning "whirl" is
peculiar to the United States, being
practically unknown elsewhere except
in modified form in a few places where
there are frequent and violent violent
thunderstorms The theory has been
advanced that tornadoes occur oftener
or late years than they did in the past,
but this is unlikely, the only difference
being that now they are reported and
then they were not Some years. of
course, there are fewer than others.
On the 18th of February, 1884, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia,
Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi. Ten
nessee, Kentucky, illinois and Indiana
were devastated by 60 tornadoes or
more. This time the funnel-shape
cloud killed 500 peopls, wounded o.
900, left $4,000 persons homeless. de-
stroyed 10000 buildings and hundreds
OF horses, hogs and cattle.
In September of this same year Min
nesota and Wisconsin were visited bv
does e 4y,IN
Killed, 75 wounded and four million
dollars in property destroyed.
Again in July of 1877, Ercildoun,
Pa, was attacked by a tornado which
killed five people, wounded so, de-
stroyed go buildings and tore up by the
roots forty acres of heavy timber. Here
pillars decorating buildings were hurI-
ed from their places and half buried in
the earth; COW was tossed over a
2O-foot WALL and the surrounding
country was Strewn with school books
| letters, carriage wheels, quilts, blank
cts, etc., while many bushels of grain
were snatched from barns and soWn
eXtraVagantly over many acres.
These instances show that while the
mississippi valley is supposed to be the
home of tornadoes, they occur in the
east Atlantic States also. AS a mat
Ter or TACT, they occur occasionally as
Iar North as New England. Here
they became the subject of a poem bv
Oliver Wendell Holmes, in which he
describes the erratic flight of shirts
ana pettlcoats from the clothesline in
the backyard, and, most lamentable of
all MS Sunday breeches. Thew also
SHOW that the tornado does not ALWAYS
confine its attack to the period from
april 10 september, but may appear as
early as February. '''
Inc tornado is still a little explored
phenomenon. Few people are inclined
10 slt down and make deliberate and
elaborate notes on the progress or pc
UIiialisies ,.hifI Ii OF the funnel-shape cloud
while listening to the loud on,inoI's
rumble of its approach. Instruments
lor testing the barometric pressure oc-
casloned by it have at once been shat
rerea. Tered The most accurate details on
record nave been supplied by terrified
/ spectators who have been able to iot
Gown Gown, Their memoirs of confused i'm