164 - On the Harrison ( Ohio) Tornado. 
One remarkable feature of the storm at this point, which will 
strike the meteorologist upon a bare inspection of the plot, is, that 
the current which destroyed the house should have been so far in 
advance of the axis as to carry fragments 30 rods to the west, be- 
fore it curved into and mingled with the axis. 
A second feature is that such unparalleled violence in the over- 
throw of the house, should have been exhibited by the outskirts 
of the storm. When the house fell, the axis could not have been 
less than 40 rods from it. Usually in narrow tornados, a point 40 
rods from the axis is out of the range of violence 
What effect the contour of the ground may have had in pro- 
ducing these results, I leave meteorologists to judge. ‘The por- 
tion of the tornado which struck the house, can be easily traced 
up the valley, which lies near the right hand border of the storms 
path. It passed up the valley and when near the head, plunged 
down the slope, and bridging over the bottom with fallen trees, 
ascended the opposite side, and gradually curved round into the 
axis. Portions of the house which were. first swept around west- 
ward into the axis, were subsequently carried by it towards the 
east. A tea spoon was found E. 30° S. from the house, half a 
mile distant. A part of an eve-trough near the same place. 
A piece of a chest easily identified, was carried N. E. two 
miles, and fell a mile north of the track of the storm. If the 
tornado had the form of an inverted cone, like the miniature whirls 
so often seen, then the transportation of this stick upwards an 
outwards is easily explained. Other explanations might indeed 
be given; but they are scarcely necessary unless the rotary action 
be denied. 
Five miles east of the Graham place, the tornado descended 2 
high and steep range of hills which enclose the Whitewater rivet 
on the west, prostrating as usual the forest in its descent. 
In crossing the valley, it passed through the south part of Har- 
rison. Fortunately the track of destructive violence was here 
narrowed to two or three hundred feet 
he roof of a large church was raised perpendicularly into the 
air, and carried over the steeple towards the east. A tin ball two 
feet in diameter on the top of the spire was nearly torn from the 
iron rod which passed through it. There was no bruise upon it 
to indicate that it had been struck by a hard body. 
The roof of a carpenter’s shop was taken off and the posts 
broken just below the upper story. The lower story was thrown 
down, and the upper fell back upon the fragments without further 
injury. Two workmen were in the upper part, and were not 
aware of their descent till the door, which led to a flight of steps 
on the outside of the building was opened. 
It was supposed by some intelligent observers that the effects 
produced upon the shop and some other buildings were indicative 
