360 Mr. Redfield's Reply to Dr. Hare, 



flux of wind from all points of the compass to supply the de- 

 ficiency thus created." He also states, that " in this mode of 

 viewing the phaenomena, no difference of opinion exists be- 

 tween Bache, Espy and himself, however they may differ re- 

 specting the cause of the diminution of atmospheric pressure," 

 &c. (21-22.) 



I have no desire to offer strictures upon the views of a re- 

 spected professor of science ; but it seems proper here to in- 

 quire how an ascending current of air is thus obtained, and 

 whether this effect, which perhaps may be due only to an ex- 

 cess of lateral and subjacent pressure on the exterior of the 

 tornado, be not here adduced as the cause of the effect. 



Dr. Hare has been " led to consider gyration as a contin- 

 gent, not an essential feature" in tornadoes, and he adduces 

 the dislocation and partial turning of a chimney top on its base, 

 in the New Brunswick tornado, as being due to a local and 

 not a general whirl in the body of the tornado, and proving 

 " that in tornadoes and hurricanes there are local whirls." 

 (23-24-) 



I have long since ascertained that local whirlwinds are not 

 of very rare occurrence in great whirlwind storms; the New 

 Brunswick tornado itself having been one of several violent 

 local whirlwinds which occurred within the limits of a some- 

 what remarkable storm of the above character. This tornado 

 also sent off" a duplicate vortex or whirl not long after its 

 passing the Raritan, the path and violent effects of both 

 whirlwinds having been distinctly traced on a field of unripe 

 grain ; the smaller one bi'anching off" to the right of the main 

 track, where, after causing some prostrations, it passed into 

 the Raritan marshes, and was no more seen. But the whirling 

 motion, so far from being only of " casual " and limited oc- 

 currence, appears to be a constant attribute of the tornado, 

 though not always exhibited with uniform intensity and effect 

 in its path; owing apparently to the frequent rising or nar- 

 rowing of the vortex, and perhaps other causes. 



Dr. Hare next says, " A fact which is admitted by Mr. 

 Redfield, was considered by Espy and Bache, as well as 

 myself, to be irreconcilable with the idea that a general whirling 

 motion is essential to tornadoes. I allude to the circum- 

 stance, that when several trees were prostrated one upon 

 the other, the uppermost was found to have fallen with the 

 top directed towards the point towards which the meteor was 

 moving; while the direction in which the lowermost trees 

 were found to have fallen indicated that they were overthrown 

 by a force in a direction precisely the opposite of that which 

 had operated upon those above-mentioned." (24). 



