384 Mr. Redfield's Notice of Dr. Hare's 



Art. XV. — Notice of Dr. Hare's " Strictures on Prof Dove's 

 Essay on the Law of Storms ;"* by W. C. Redfield. 



The "strictures," under the title above quoted, in the last 

 number of this Journal, appear to be, mainly, a continuation of 

 Dr. Hare's " objections and strictures" on my views and state- 

 ments relating to whirlwind storms. It seems proper, therefore, 

 that the article should receive a passing notice. 



Dr. Hare commences with a commentary on a note by which 

 the Editors of this Journal had obviated the perversion of my 

 views of the " cause" of violence in destructive tempests : and 

 in further quoting, he improperly italicises the phrase " unmeas- 

 ured violence," instead of " rotative movement,'" which last I had 

 alleged as the cause of violence in storms. Having already ex- 

 plained the passage in question, I am unable to account for the 

 tenacity with which an improper construction of my language is 

 maintained. 



Though seemingly conscious of the proper " difference" be- 

 tween a general " cause" of wind and the cause of its violence in 

 peculiar cases, Dr. H. appears to think that "gyration, instead of 

 accelerating that velocity on which violence is dependent, must, 

 by the expenditure of momentum resulting from collision with 

 inert portions of the atmosphere, consequent to centrifugal force, 

 cause a great loss of velocity." 



Now, " that velocity on which violence is dependent," can 

 hardly need " accelerating." I may also remark, that the results 

 which have been established by careful observations, are oppo- 

 sed to his speculative objection. Dr. H. here takes for granted, 

 that which is necessary to be proved, and which I wholly deny, 

 viz. the alleged " collision with inert portions of the atmosphere 

 consequent to centrifugal force" in a whirlwind. Observation 

 shows us that the centrifugal force, in any particle or series of 

 particles is held in check, and continuously resolved by the joint 

 influences of the surrounding momentum and pressure, aided by 

 the interior rarefaction and spiral discharge in the direction of 

 least resistance which are "consequent" to these resolved and 

 inwardly tending forces, in all cases of clearly marked vorti- 



*For Professor Dove's Essay, see page 315. 



