Mr. Redfield’s Reply to Dr. Hare. 
sanliiien and activity ; some of which, may occasionally become 
extended and spin on an upright and moving axis, with that vio- 
lent and continued action which characterizes the tornado or water 
spout. Indeed, it must be obvious, that uniformly direct lines of 
motion, belong not to our atmosphere or system. But, as before 
observed, I have here no special concern with the origin of these 
or other vortices; the simple fact of their existence being all that 
is necessary for me to maintain. 
Dr. Hare then proceeds to state, that in former papers on the 
causes of tornadoes, he has adduced facts and arguments ‘“ tend- 
ing to prove that the proximate cause of the phenomena of a tor- 
nado is an ascending current of air, and.the afflux of wind from 
all points of the compass to supply the deficiency thus created.” 
He also states, that ‘in this mode of viewing the phenomena, no 
difference of opinion exists between Espy and himself, however 
‘they may differ respecting the cause of the diminution of atmos- 
pheric pressure,” &c. [19-20.| 
I have no desire to offer strictures upon the views of a respected 
professor of science ; but it seems proper here to inquire how an 
ascending current of air is thus obtained, and whether this effect, 
which perhaps may be due only to an excess of lateral and sub- 
jacent 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 casual joe 
not an essential feature’ in tornadoes, and he adduces the dislo- 
cation and partial turning of a chimney top on its base, in the 
New Brunswick tornado, as being due toa local whirl within the 
body of the tornado, and proving that in tornadoes and hurricanes 
there are local whirls. p. 144. . 
I have long since ascertained, that loos whirl winds are not of 
very rare occurrence in great whirlwind storms; the New Bruns- 
wick tornado itself having been one of several violent local whirl- 
winds which occurred within the limits of a somewhat remarka- 
ble 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 dis- 
tinetly traced ona field of unripe grain; the smaller one branch- 
ing off to the right of the main track, where, after causing some 
calle it Ptesend into the Raritan marshes, and was no more 
But the 1, onlv of “ casual” 
amen from being bate 
