CURRENTS OF AIR. 105 



Glirred in Ohio, within the last fifty-two years, to which we 

 add one, that occurred from the west and southwest winds 

 coming in contact with each other. On the 28th of May. 

 1807 the wind blew down the Ohio river with violence, in the 

 morning. One current of air bore its clouds, to the north, an- 

 other current was carrying its clouds to the east The dif- 

 ferent currents prevailed at different altitudes; The western 

 current traversed the southern one at right angles; Before 

 noon, both currents had united their volume and were moving 

 towards the east, or up the Ohio river. Soon after this, the 

 West wind was at the sui*face of the earth. Before two o'clock 

 P. Mi a narrow whirlwind, or tornadoe, swept over the eas- 

 tern part of Cincinnati, demolished a few, old, ruinous houses^ 

 threw down some old tops of chimneys, and finally prostrated 

 several fruit trees, in the vicinity of the town. Similar phe- 

 nomena were observed over the western country, north and 

 south of Cincinnati, for a distance of one hundred miles. 

 These whirlwinds moved along in narrow veins, in the direc- 

 tion of the AUeghanies until they were stopped in their 

 course. These two currents of air, the southwest and west- 

 ern, produce tornadoes as low down as Tennessee and Upper 

 Alabama. And we have had three such, it appears, within 

 fifty two years. Two were produced by the northwestern and 

 southwestern currents of air, coming in contact, and one was 

 produced by the western and southwestern currents. The 

 whole three were just about equal to one northeastwardly 

 storm along the Atlantic coast, such as prevail there every 

 year. But, inasmuch as the storms do not, and will not visit 

 us oftener than once in eighteen years, on an average, the au- 

 thors of geographies in the eastern states visit us with them, 

 on paper, and represent our peaceful valley, as peculiarly sub- 

 ject to tornadoes! With what truth, the world may judge 

 from our statement of facts, which is beyond the reach of all 

 contradiction. 



As to our warm weather, we have about two months more 

 of it in Ohio, than the people of western New York, Vermont 

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