New Britain herald., 1924-10-14

THE most disastrous tornado of re- cent years, which struck our Southern States few weeks ago, destroying $10,- 00OO0O worth of property, killing more tnan 100 persons and seriously injuring about five times that many, was not one "cyclone twister" merely, but several.
 It was a most appalling combination. The first one appears to have started from the Arkansas Tennessee line, trav- cling through the southwest corner of Tennessee and the northeast corner of Mississippi into Alabama, and thence through Georgia and South Carolina. In its wake it left 1000 miles of desolation and wreckage along track few hun dred yards wide,
 There were other and almost simul- taneous tornadoes, each following path of its own, Louisiana and North Car olina suffered. Two of them actually met at ljorrcl Hill, s. C., where seventy five ch"lren were caught in school house 'aat was torn to pieces, four being Elod.
 Mary ,a7all towns and villages were either W ra5 out entirely or largely de- moli.i.d. A massive bridge spanning the flaw River was utterly destroyed, the steel girders being twisted as if by giant hands.
 There were the usual freak occur rences, characteristic of tornadoes At Union. Springs, Ala, child was hurled nearly mile and killed. In another instance a ve-month-old infant was picked I'D out of it's crib, whirled out of a window and deposited unhurt in field 100 yards away.
 At Opelika, Ala, man was picked up with the bed in which he lay, and a moment later found himself in the road outside, still between the covers and un- harmed. Cows and pigs were carried long distances through the air; chickens were piu,kod clean of feathers; wells were onp.ied of water.
 To anybody it is manifest that the forces capable of doing such work must be so tremendous as to be almost impos- sblc of comprehension. The United States Weather Bureau says that there is no artificial structure on the face of the earth, unless possibly the pyr- amids of Egypt. which would not be de- stroyed by the attack of tornado.
 The tornado that struck St. Louis in May 1896, tore brick buildings to pieces as easily as if they had been so much 8 lath and plaster. At Grinnell, Ia., a "twister" reduced to complete ruin in three or four seconds solid edifce of stone and brick used for public school, The "whirling cloud" which struck Louisville in 1890, described as shaped like a turnip," killed forty-four persons in the wreck of the Falls City Hall.
 Tomatoes occur in the Mississippi Valley more often than anywhere else.
 It is still and suItry aftern6on Dark and threatening clouds appear on the western horizon, and the sky from west to south takes on peculiar lurid or greenish tinge-the characteristic "torI nado sky" From the massed clouds a sort of tail is seen to project itself downward. Approaching it gradually assumes the aspect of a gigantic funnel, with the small end toward the ground.
 The funnel travels with great rapidity, its speed being sometimes eighty miles an hour. As it comes nearer an inde- scribable roar is heard, which has been likened to the believing of million mad bulls. Black as night, and resembling an immense balloon, it sweeps it's neck round and round with terrible fury, de- stroying everything in its path, It whirls with almost incredible velocity, some tiXes leaving the earth for a moment, then bounding back to continue its dire havoc.
 II1HAT is the meaning of this extraor- " dinary phenomenon? How and why is the funnel cloud formed? What makes'it whirl in such amazing fashion Whence come the forces which enable it to wreak such frightful mischief? These are questions for which science has but lately found satisfactory answers.
 We are all of us familiar with thunderstorms. which in the summertime are often violent enough to frighten timid people. They occur most commonly on hot days, when the air near the sur face of the earth is well warmed. A flood of cool air flows over the top of this warm atmospheric stratum. But the cool air. be,n~ heavier than the warm air should D, 2lt, 5e underneath the lat ter. al h r, a meteorological struggle ariseg, waisa gives rise to the thunder storm.
 Inc, . aN enormous energy is deyelr,s sloon of vapor goes swespn.. .h a fo~. 7 roar and