CLOUDS, TORNADOES AND ELECTRICITY. 757 
of the centrifugal force produced by its rotary motion is thrown outward, forming 
the so-called funnel or tornado cloud. Sometimes the forward movement of this 
cloud is very rapid, often with a bounding motion, passing for some distance high 
in air, and anon, descending to the earth, where it destroys everything in its path, 
—the strongest works of man’s genius or mechanical skill, beind demolished in 
an instant; and trees that have withstood the ordinary storms for ages, at once 
falj prostrate by a single breath of this irresistable destroyer. 
Now the question arises, does electricity play any part in the production of 
these phenomena? It is a fact that there is a large amount of electricity exhib- 
ited during these storms; but I would rather believe that certain peculiar mani- 
festations of electrical action are due to the phenomena above stated,—viz., the 
mingling of currents, the condensation of vapor, etc., than that the tornado itself 
is the result of electricity. I think, however, that after the formation of the tor- 
nado is complete, there are numerous phenomena caused by the electric force. 
Every object directly underneath the funnel is electrified, so also is the funnel, 
but with the opposite kind of electricity. According to Prof, Henry, the base of 
a cloud is charged with positive, and the surface of the earth with negative elec- 
tricity. There isa great tendency on the part of electrified substances to rush 
together if charged with opposite electricities; and conversely, just as strong re- 
pellent action when both are positive or both negative. It is also true that any 
object strongly electrified instantly imparts its own species of electricity to an ob- 
ject in contact with it, and immediately tbrows it off or repels it violently. These 
facts clearly account for many of the astonishing phenomena, which occur during 
the passage of the tornado. If we’place upon a flat surface, as a table, a lot of 
iron filings, and pass a magnet along about an inch above them, each little metal- 
ic particle will stand upon one of its extremities, and perhaps some of them will 
rush through the intervening space and attach themselves to the magnet. It is 
nearly the same phenomena in the tornado:—the objects lying on the earth’s 
surface are the metallic filings, the funnel cloud of the tornado is the magnet. 
Though the phenomena are similar, in the two instances, there is a vast difference 
in their effect. . 
It is said that the stem of the tornado cloud, when extending toward the 
earth, but not reaching it, sometimes becomes incandescent or apparently red-hot 
from the electricity which it accumulates. I have never observed this appear- 
ence, but many instances have been noted by observers both in this country and 
in Europe. 
These, then, are the conclusions drawn from observation and research con- 
cerning the connection of electricity with the tornado. These meteors are less 
rare than many : uppose; for by keeping a careful watch, we, who are residents 
of the upper Mississippi valley, may see one as often as once in three years. 
Some tornadoes, however, do little or no damage, passing along a short distance 
and are then absorbed by the clouds above them, and are seen no more. 
As regard tornadoes, they seldom occur in the forenoon, but generally be- 
tween the hours of two and eight, p. m.—the Tampico (Ill.) tornado, of June 6th, 
