Additional Objections to RedfieWs Theory of Storms. 135 



77. Treating of whirlwinds excited by fire, the author thus 

 expresses himself: " The foregoing results can only he explained 

 by a violent vortical action steadily maintained. * * * 7'Ae as- 

 cending power of the vortical column or whirlwind^ is strongly 

 exhibited. * * * But the spire of a columnar vortex exhibits a 

 penetratiiig and ascending power which far exceeds, both in its 

 intensity and the extent of its action, any other ascending move- 

 ment that we witness. This effect appears to be oioing to the 

 spiral motion of the column which presses omvard. in the direc- 

 tion of its axis, till it reaches a limit of elevation yet nnknovjn.^' 

 (This Journal, Vol. xxxvi, p. 56.) Would it not be as reasonable 

 to expect the spiral of iron usually employed to open bottles, 

 spontaneously to penetrate a cork without being actuated by the 

 operator's hand, as that the aerial spiral, which agreeably to the 

 description above given, constitutes a tornado, should, " without 

 any foreign aid," " or any currents to meet each other," be en- 

 dowed with the force which he has described. Admitting the 

 storm-producing efficacy of a collision between trade winds and 

 islands, admitting that gravitation, and rotary and orbitual force 

 are to be substituted for all other agency, how are those causes 

 to extend influence to his aerial isolated spiral, so as to beget the 

 wonderful vortical force portrayed ? 



78. I do not deem it expedient to enter upon any discussion as 

 to the competency of the evidence by which the gyration of 

 storms has been considered as proved. By Mr. Espy that has been 

 ably contested. I have given some reasons for doubting the ac- 

 curacy or consistency of Mr. Redfield's representations, though I 

 have no doubt they have always been made in perfect good faith. 

 I have already alleged, that were gyration sufficiently proved, I 

 should consider it as an eff"ect of a conflux to supply an upward 

 current at the ax:is. Yet the survey of the New Brunswick 

 tornado, made on terra firma with the aid of a compass, by an 

 observer so skillful and unbiassed as Professor Bache, ought 

 to outweigh maritime observations, made in many cases under 

 circumstances of difficulty and danger. In like manner great 

 credit should be given to the observations collected by Professor 

 Loorais respecting a remarkable inland storm of December, 1836. 

 This storm commenced blowing between south and east to the 

 westward of the Mississippi, and travelled from west or northwest 

 to east or southeast at a rate of between thirty and forty miles 



