Year: 1871

.SD.


ridge, over which the road passed, afforded
an extended view, and 1 saw a mass of
back cloud detached and hanging over
the western horizon. 1t appeared nearly
circular in shape, with the exception OF
slight angular projection, like an inverted
cone, at its lower edge afterward as
certained that it was at this time about
five miles distant from me, and a culcula
ton, based upon the estimated angles,
fixed the elevation of its base above the
surface at about fifteen hundred yards,
and its diameter, considering it sphere,
at about six hundred. 1t was entirely at
rest


The first view of this cloud suggested Of
me the possibility Of tornado, and l
watched it closely as drove along in my
buggy. While I was driving, leisurely,
more than quarter of mile. it maintain
ed its position and outline unchanged. At
length farm house with it's shade
minute, and when came again in sight of
it, the projection beneath the ground ap-
pear in violent commotion. There was
now no longer any doubt of the character
of the phenomenon about to be exhibited,
and satisfied, from kno Wedge of the
general direction of tornadoes, that it
must come near me, leaped from the
buggy and released the horse as quickly
as possible, in order to give him chance
for his life. This did not occupy more
than half minute, and when l turned to
look again, the black column was formed,
reaching from the cloud to the ground
A few moments showed that it was rapid
ly approaching. l remember noticing
small fragments of cloud moving toward
it from the north, but there was no per-
ceptible breeze where stood. When
about q mile distant saw that it would go
south of me, and at this time first oh
served the surface drift, which appeared
like an innumerable flock of birds, flying
around the summit of the column, and
here, too, the pine tree spoken of emerged
from the vortex, and settled slowly to the
earth. The column was now much
shorter than when first formed; the cloud
had descended much nearer the surface.
1t passed about three hundred yards south
of my position, and at this point the first
electric discharge took place. The light
ming zigzagged down the column, she'd
ding through it lurid glare. The roar
was deep.toned and powerful. The gyra-
tory motion was distinctly visible. When
little further on, it became so enveloped
in clouds as to be no longer distinguish.
able, but knew, by the now frequent
peals of thunder, that it was increasing in
violence and leveling all things in its
path.


This tornado was formed about mile
and half west of Tuscaloosa, over an ex-
tensive marshy fiat, where an observer
characterized il as big whi lwind." 1t
was not destructive at first but grew in
energy as it progressed, and two miles
from lis starting point threw dOwna dilap
idated building. About six miles from
Tuscaloosa it struck log cabin in which
were sittiug woman and several chill
dren. Every log above the floor was car.
r1ed away, while the occupants were Left
unlniured. Twelve miles further on it
performed similar feat, taking off every
log of house without the slightest hu1t to
any of the family, all OF them having taken
refuge within on its approach. This is
remark bile, but th-re are other like in
stances well au' he n,icated. and ii is com.
monty believed that q log house is the
safest retr. at. The direction of this tor
nado was east by 90 n,rth. After its pas
sage the air vas cool and pleasant, and at
four o'clock in the afternoon heavy rain
came from the north, follow, d, for the
next few days, by clear weather with
nor Invest winds.


The most remarkable fact disclosed by
the phenomena of this storm is the in
h, rent power of progression which it un-
ques ionably possessed. After the gyra-
ton was es ablished, it began at once to
travel eastward, not driven by any wind,
but blowing its own way through the
tranquil atmosphere with tremendous
speed. Here is presented problem,
winch, 80 far as know, has not hereto
fore been propounded. Its solution is
important to the science Of meteor
olo.y. The fact that tornadoes in
variably move from southwest to
The northeast is we'll established, as also
the fact that, by an impulse acquired from
the earth's motion on its axis, they eyrate
from north to west by south. This back
ward gyration is thus explained; all paral-
lels of latitude decrease in diameter, and
therefore in circumference, as we 60 to-
wards the poles of the earth. As they all
revolve in twenty-tour hours, it follows
that every one, approaching the pole on
either side of the equator, moves around
more slowly than the one preceding it
Therefore, current moving southwark, to
the vortex Of tornado in the northern
hemisphere, finds that vortex rotatiD 6
eastward with superior velocity, and is
left behind, or projected to the west,
while for the same reason, current blow
ing northward to the vortex, finds it ro-
tating with inferior velocity, and preserv:
ing its own easterly momentum, is hurled
forward or projected to the east. Thus
the south half Of the rim being impelled
eastward, and the north half westward, the
backward or left handed gyration is fixed
and maintained. just the reverse is true
in the southern hemisphere of the earth,
while on the equator the gyration would
be free to take either direction.