On the Whirling Action, ^c, G9 



Art. VIII. — Remarks relating to the Tornado which visited New 

 Brunswick, in the State of New Jersey, Jane 19, 1835, icith 

 a Plan and Schedule of the Prostrations observed on a section 

 of its track ; by W. C. Redfield, Esq.* 



[From the Lond. Phil. Mag. and Jour, of Science. Revised by the Author.] 



In a paper printed in the American Journal of Science, in 

 which I referred to the support given by Prof. Bache to Mr. Es- 

 py's theory of storms, at the meeting of the British Association 

 in 1838, founded upon observations made on the New Brunswick 

 tornado, I have stated, that in my own examinations I had ob- 

 served numerous facts which appear to demonstrate the whirling 

 character of this tornado, as well as the inward tendency of the 

 whirling vortex at the surface of the ground ; and further, that 

 the direction of rotation was tovxirds the left, as in the North At- 

 lantic hurricanes.f It was due to Prof. Bache that my observa- 

 tions should be brought forward ; a task which has been too long 

 delayed, partly from a desire that he would revise his former con- 

 clusions. The facts now presented form part of the evidence to 

 which I then alluded. 



If the effects which I present for consideration be due to ''a 

 moving column of rarefied air without any whirling motion at or 

 near the surface of the ground," as maintained by Professor 

 Bache,$ we might expect to find a relative uniformity in the 

 effects on the two opposite sides or margins of the track. How 

 far this is the case may be seen by inspecting the observations 

 which are found upon the annexed plan of prostrations. 



The occurrence of these tornadoes appears to have been noticed 

 from the earliest antiquity ; and their violence has been consid- 

 ered as the effect of an active whirling motion in the body of the 

 tornado ; this peculiarity of action having often been supported 

 by the testimony of eye-witnesses. 



I 



* [Communicated by Sir John F. W. Herschel, Bart.] This paper was intend- 

 ed by its author to have been read at the late meeting of the British A.ssociation in 

 Glasgow, but was unfortunately detained. — J. F. W. H. 



t Amer. Jour, of Science, Oct. 1838, vol. xxxv, pp. 206, 207. 



t Transactions of Amer. Phil. Society, vol. v, p. 417, New Series. 



