TORNADOES WARD. 145 



tornado risks across, not along, the usual path followed by tornadoes. 

 The complete, destruction often caused by a single tornado makes it 

 extremely unsafe for any local mutual insurance company to insure 

 over a small area only, where the loss occasioned by one tornado 

 may ruin the company. On the whole, general tornado insurance 

 in the " tornado belt," and buildings erected without regard to the 

 possibility of tornado occurrence, seem to be the best policy. The 

 present status of tornado insurance in the United States is an ex- 

 cellent illustration of the mistakes which are made when thoroughly 

 well-established scientific facts, which are easily accessible to the 

 public, are disregarded. 



