18 On the Action of the Barometer in a Hurricane, etc. 
Art. V.—On the Characteristic Action of the Barometer during the 
passage of a Revolving Storm, such as a Hurricane or Tornado, 
being a small rise wad not agreat fall; by JoHN CHAPPELL- 
SMITH. 
I wisH to Keni attention to some facts which afford evidence 
theories ; that, on the contrary, the Sees on the barometer of hur- 
ricanes and tornadoes, or of all storms accompanied with electric 
explosions, is a rise when the axis or centre of the storm passes 
near it. Some of the facts which lead to this conclusion will be 
found in the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, in an arti- 
cle by me on a tornado near New Harmony, Indiana, April 30, 
1852. In that article, the bearing of these facts on the subject was 
not pointed out, because I was not then impressed with their full 
force; my object was chiefly to point out facts directly opposed 
to the rotary or cyclonic theory of storms, so far as the proof of 
that theory depends on the direction in which bodies are pros- 
trated by the progress of a storm. After a careful examination 
of all that had appeared in this journal in support of Mr. Red- 
field’s views by himself and others, I could not resist the conclu- 
sion that the a Xd collecting and presenting the facts by 
the pares who hai orm phenomena was inconclu- 
sive; to pass over ray field of ibs wreck of a tornado, select a 
tree here and a tree there, ne them on a diagram, then assert 
that these were sufficient proofs of the rotary or cyclonic the- 
ory of storms is not enough. A much more Juborious examina- 
tion than this appeared to me to be necessary to attain just views. 
A tract of a square mile, at least, required to be plotted, with the 
magnetic bearings and relative distances of the prostrated bodies. 
This labor I performed, and AG in the contribution referred to, 
a plot of a square mile, on which is shown the magnetic bearing 
‘and relative distances of aay 7000 trees which had been pros- 
trated by the tornado in little more than a minute. Sections made 
an a like manner across the track, at 2 and at 8 miles distance, 
ere also given, which show a uniformity i in the mode of action 
of the ne power; the whole furnishing, as I think, a 
complete refutation of Mr. Redfield’s theory, so ‘far as he has at- 
tetapted to establish it by evidences of this kind. . 
But my object in this paper is not to dilate on what has been 
done in that contribution, but to point out the bearing of, the 
_barometrical facts, contained reg upon Mr. Redfield’s theo 
facts which pres veg the | ae barometer, which ae y 
exists at the tim Baa a tornado or hurricane, 
aused by the ra) = dependent on some oa pee 
Ate 
yea 
pis 
Pe ae ae 
- 
