of the Providence Tornado. 51 
Taunton river the tornado appears to have preserved an in- 
clination to the south of east; the track, though slightly si- 
nuous, appearing, like that of the New Brunswick tornado, to 
form part of a great curve, with its convex side to the north- 
ward. 
On the track from the Lyon farm to Peck’s house there 
were many interesting memorials which might confirm the de- 
ductions already made. On some portions of the track, also, 
the tornado appeared to have risen almost entirely from the 
surface, its reversed apex leaving but a narrow trace, and on 
some fields even no trace at all. But in these cases, as on 
the tracks of other tornadoes, the compass bearing did not fail 
to lead the explorer to new ravages, where, at times, the 
energy of the tornado appeared to be greater than before*. 
Before we take leave of the Fig.6. Providence Tornado. 
traces of this tornado I would 
adduce another of my prepared 
sketches, which shows the rota- 
tive effects in a manner which 
I think should satisfy the most 
strenuous opposer of whirlwind 
action. 
In this sketch, fig. 6, we 
have represented a portion of the 
track which crossed at right an- 
gles a line of weak post-and-rail 
fence, a, a. On the right of the 
axis, this fence was prostrated 
eastwardly or in the direction 
of the course of the tornado, 
as shown by the short arrows which may represent the 
posts of the fence ; the rails also having been scattered onward 
and inward, towards c, in the general manner represented in 
the figure. On the /eft side, however, every post was pro- 
strated westwardly, and the rails were likewise blown slightly 
backward toward 4, in the same general direction. The scale of 
feet, which measures across the track, was obtained by estima- 
ting twelve feet to each length of the rails. The locality of 
this sketch was perhaps a mile eastward of the Lyon farm. 
The application of the foregoing views of rotation to this case, 
it can hardly be necessary to point out. 
I have noticed many effects of similar kind on fences; but 
that the backward prostration on the left side of the track 
* This is not uncommon in tornadoes, and is especially noticed in the ac- 
count of two “ Trombes” which are given in Pouillet, Elémens de Physique 
et de Météorologie, § 655. 
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