128 Philosophy of Storms. 
On examining the trees which stand near the borders of the path, 
it will be found that many of the limbs are twisted. round the 
trees and broken in such a manner as to remain twisted, those 
on the right hand side of the path from left to right, and those 
on the left hand side of the path from right to left. However, it 
will be found that only those limbs which grew on the side of 
the tree most distant from the path of the tornado are broken; 
for these alone were subject to a transverse strain. 
The houses which stood near the middle of the path will be 
very liable to have the roof blown up, and many of the walls 
will be prostrated all outwards, by the explosive influence of the 
air within, and those houses covered with zinc or tin, from being 
air tight will be liable to suffer most. The floors from the cellars 
will also frequently be thrown up, and the.corks of empty bottles 
exploded. 
All round the tornado at a short distance, probably not more 
than three or four hundred yards, there will be a dead calm,-on 
account of the annulus formed by the rapid efflux of air above, 
from the centre of the upmoving and expanding column. _In this 
annulus the air will be depressed, and all round on the outside of 
it, at the surface of the earth, there will be a gentle wind out- 
wards ; and of course all the air which feeds the tornado, is sup- 
plied doi Within the annulus. Nor is this difficult to understand, 
when the depression of the air in the annulus is considered, for 
any amount may be thus supplied by a great depression. 
Light bodies, such as shingles, branches of trees, and i of 
rain or water formed in the cloud, which are carried up to a great 
height before they are permitted to fall to the earth ; for though 
they may frequently be thrown outwards above, oni then de- 
scend a considerable distance at the side, they will meet with an 
inblowing current below, which will force them back to the cen- 
tre of the upmoving current, and so they will be carried aloft 
again. 
The drops of rain, however, will frequently be carried high 
enough to freeze them, especially if they are thrown out above 
so far as to fall into clear air, for this air will in some cases be 
thirty or forty degrees colder than the air in the cloud. In this 
case if the upmoving column is perpendicular, the hail will be 
thrown out on both sides, and on examination it will be found 
that two veins of hail fell simultaneously, at no great distance. 
apart, 
