128 Philosophy of Storms. 



On examining the trees which stand near the borders of the path, 

 it will be found that many of the hmbs 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 efiiux 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 from Avithin 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 drops 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, and 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 Ihem, 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. 



