The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1927-11-18
WIND PLAYS ODD.
STORM TRICKS

The occurrence Of tornado in the
National Capital emphasizes the
vagaries of these destructive winds
and raises anew the question:
when is a storm wind tornado?"
Washington is outside the regu-
lar haunts of tornadOes,' a bulletin
from the National Geographic So.
Ciety headquarters here points out
yet more than once the National
Capital has been visited by them.
The most historic occasion was Au-
gust IS, 1914, the day after Wash
ington was captured by the British
and the Capitol and other buildings
burned. The storm unroOfed many
buildings in the infant Capital, and
the rain that accompanied it is sup
posed to have put out the remaining
fires.
Valley Has Most TornadOes
"In July. 1913, destructive
storm struck the business section
Of the city. domolishing a number
Of buildings and causing several
deaths.
THE favorite haunt NJ tornadoes
in the United States" continues the
bulletin. includes the States of the
lower Mississippi Valley and the
eastern portion Of the Great Plains
States. Both to the west and east
their occurrences are fewer. SO,
too. relatively few tornadoes occur
in Canada and in Mexico.
"TornadOeS are strictly local
storms, bred usually by sultry and
humid weather. They strike most
often in the afternoon, and almost
always take a path from southwest
to northeast This direction in the
United States results from the fact
that lows drift across the eastern
part of the continent almost always
from southwest TO northeast and
that the tornado IA secondary dis
turhance attached to the low
takes the same direction. The
rapidly swirling column of air
which is the heart Of the tornado
is usually marked nv funnel
shaped, black cloud of vapor
This whirling' mass sucks air
from all sides ia lis lower end and
then upward. Even heavy objects
fly toward the column as dust
particles and bits Of paper fly into
the throat Of a vacuum cleaner.
Amazing NelOCities Reached
The winds created do not blow
for any great distance horizontally,
but in their brief dash for the fun
mel they move at amazing speeds
sometimes with the velocity Of a
rifle bullet. 1t is these tremendous
veIocities that bring about The
freakish antics Of tornadoes: Guills
and straws penetrate boards and
planks are driven through trees.
Most Of the destructiveness of
/ t0rnadOcS is traCeahie TO their 70
ducttou NJ Air pressurcs when their
"enierS pass over or hv an area
The pressure being suddenly re
6uced outside building the air in.
side y expands and pushes the
walls down or the roofs up-the
buildings really explode because Of
the release NJ what amounts for
the moment to the compressed air
within them
sometimes tornado clouds go
Skipping or bouncing along. working
havoc where the lower end touches
the ground and leaving everything
/ uninJured where the end lifts.
a distinction must he made he
/ tween the velocity Of the air RUSHING
INTO the funnel and the speed Of the
. funnel itself moving Owe, the earth
1t has been pointed out that the
! former velocity, close to the funnel
may he that OF a rifle bullet The
funnel itself. however, seldom moves
more rapidly than 80 or 40 miles an
hour, the speed OF an automnhiia
H..