32 JOURNAL OF THE 



" after blow " causing all this, I suppose to have been due to the 

 fact that the wind immediately behind the tornado, blowing from 

 the southwest, would rush in to join 'he whirling and rising current. 



The width of the tornado path, as already indicated, varied from 

 500 to 1600 yards. Over the eight miles of the path where the storm 

 was most violent, the width varied from 1200 to 1600 yards. The 

 region of greater violence extended from 200 to 300 yards to the 

 left (n. w.), and from 400 to 500 yards to the right (s. e.) of the 

 "centre." What is called the "tornado centre,"' so far the region 

 over which this passed could be identified, while varying in width 

 and appearance, seemed to have been more generally between 100 

 and 200 yards wide. 



The total length of the tornado path, so far as information could 

 be obtained, was about twenty miles. 



The exact time of occurrence ol the tornado could not be learned, 

 but general testimony showed that the storm passed Rockingham 

 at about 10 o'clock p. m. The time of starting or time of ending 

 of the tornado could not be learned ; and hence the rate of the pro- 

 gressive movement could not be estimated. The length of time 

 consumed by the tornado in passing by any one place after its front 

 had reached such place was generally estimated, by those exposed 

 to the storm, as being less than one minute. 



With regard to the appearance of the tornado cloud, and the at- 

 mospheric conditions preceding and accompanying the storm, it was 

 difficult, and in many cases impossible, to obtain satisfactory infor- 

 mation, owing, in part at least, to the fact that (1) the tornado oc- 

 curred at night, and (2) the people exposed to the storm were prin- 

 cipally negroes, who were too badly frightened to observe closely 

 what was taking place about them. Summing up the best evidence 

 taken, the following seems to be as nearly correct as the report 

 could be made : During the two or three days preceding February 

 19th, nothing was noticed about the weather that was considered 

 peculiar or at all unusual. On the night of the 17th a lie:ht rain 

 fell in the vicinity of Rockingham. The 18th was a generally open 

 day, a few clouds in the morning disappeared later in the day — 

 winds not violent, generally from west and southwest. The morn- 

 ing of the 19th (day of the storm) nothing unusual — wind brisk, 

 but not violent, generally from the west. Between one and two 

 o'clock p. m., wind changed to southwest, and became some stronger ; 

 heavy clouds began to form in the southwest, and distant thunder 

 was heard in that direction. During the afternoon, wind increased 

 in strength, and continued to blow from southwest. The clouds in 



