Id6 TRAiSrS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



my house, which has few openings to the west, so did not observe 

 their appearance after this time, and became very much absorbed 

 in reading. At 2 :35, St. Louis time* (definitely known), I was 

 aroused by an exclamation from Mrs. W., and simultaneously 

 our help cried out, " The mill has blown up !" (referring to a 

 planing-mill in a lumber-yard on the block west of us). We im- 

 mediately sprang to the window (open south) and saw lumber, 

 shingles, great sections of wooden sidewalk, limbs of trees, flying 

 through the air ; and so very thick did the air seem to be filled, 

 that it was impossible to see across the street. Rushing to the 

 door, the air was still filled with fine debris of leaves, pieces of old 

 shingle, bark and twigs, borne along with a strong wind accom- 

 panied by a little rain. Passing out to the street, it was abso- 

 lutely impossible for vehicles and very difficult for pedestrians to 

 clamber over the great piles of rubbish, composed of trees, fences, 

 wooden walks, lumber, &c. For three-fourths of a mile down the 

 main street of our little town lay the work of this terrific force. 

 After traversing this distance, we returned to extend the examina- 

 tion in the other direction, and not until we had passed our first 

 starting-point two blocks did the return current coming from the 

 north reach us, bearing a tremendous storm of hail and rain, 

 accompanied by a terrific electrical display. Would judge the 

 storm continued unabated for 45 minutes. 



Finally, as the result of not far from one minute's work, we find 

 in Collinsville 109 buildings more or less injured (24 entirely^ 

 25 partially swept away or crushed, and 60 slightly injured), and 

 involving the loss qf one human life and seven wounded. Such 

 is a brief view of the tornado. Although severely felt by those who- 

 suftered by it, yet, in comparison with many others that have 

 occurred in this and adjoining States, this exhibited much less 

 force and was followed by much less loss of life and property. 



Let us now consider more closely this phenomenon. At the 

 request of Mr. J. H. Weber, of the U. S. Signal Service, we 

 undertook to look into a few questions, and, as we progressed, 

 became so interested we could not lay the work aside. In order 

 to explain the diflficulties in the way of this investigation, we will 

 at the risk, we fear, of being considered prolix, detail the manner 

 in which one interesting question was solved — Where did the 



* Indianapolis time 2:5''. 



