Tornado, April 29, 1909. 33 



General Observations. 



1. The destructive track of the storm was about fifteen miles 

 long in this county (Montgomery), varying in width and intensity, 

 generally from two hundred to four hundred yards. 



2. Occasionally trees and buildings a good distance from the 

 center of the track suffered more than some that were nearer — 

 showing "flaws" in the winds. 



3. As nearly as can be inferred, the whirl was "counter-clock- 

 wise," or "laevo-gyrate" (left-handed), with most destruction on 

 the right or southeast side of the track. 



4. No evidence of very excessive rainfall appeared, though in 

 some places along the center of the track there is evidence of a 

 mixture of water, light trash, chaff, etc., plastered against trees 

 and bushes. 



5. There is no doubt of the whirling character of the storm. 

 Trees on each side of the line of greatest destruction have fallen 

 inward towards that line, and fragments of houses and other 

 things are scattered out on each side of the track, often beyond 

 the region where the trees are broken. These seem to have been 

 thrown out from the top of the funnel after having been drawn 

 in below and carried up. 



6. Two persons claim to have seen a revolving funnel-like 

 form, with lightning playing through it incessantly. Many re- 

 port hearing a great roaring sound. As the time of occurrence 

 was after dark, most people were shut up in their houses at the 

 time. 



7. All agree that the duration of violence was not more than 

 a minute or two, which is probably a full estimate, as observers, 

 under such circumstances, are more likely to overestimate the 

 time than the contrary. This proves it was advancing swiftly, 

 but there were no data proving exactly how fast. 



8. The most singular thing of all was the condition of the 

 deep sink-hole at Anderson's, where all surrounding objects seem 

 to have been thrown into the sink, many large trees, on the north- 

 east edge of the sink, being thrown hack in the teeth of the ad- 

 vancing storm. We venture as an explanation of this the follow- 

 ing: The revolving funnel hugging the surface of the ground 

 as it moved along, formed a very strong partial vacuum by cen- 

 trifugal force, at the same time forming a sort of zvall around the 



