122 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 
white funnel-shaped cloud seemed to sweep north of the city of Wyandotte, 
crossed the Missouri River writhing and bounding and carrying with it great 
clouds of dust, and scooping up vast sheets of water in its course. 
" It traveled east and disappeared. In the meantime the contending forces 
in the west seemed to battle with renewed fury, and a tremendous movement 
toward the south with indications of a second cyclone, was distinctly seen. 
" If this storm took the shape of the first tornado or cyclone it was so envel- 
oped in the clouds and rain that its outlines were not distinctly traced. It only 
presented peculiar, undefinable colors as it rushed on to the south. Gradually 
its Course turned to the east, and in its progress seemed to throw off its surround- 
ings and assume the funnel-shape, which fact seems to be substantiated by a 
number of cool, intelligent witnesses. Finally, taking a course almost due east, 
the storm passed through the bottom and struck the bluff at a draw near Sixteenth 
Street, and at the residence of Mr. Horton. In this instance the well-known 
tendency of these storms to follow draws was illustrated. 
" From this point the storm veered slightly to the northeast, and with a 
breadth of about a block zigzagged its destructive course through the entire city. 
" Seldom has a tornado condition been presented to a larger congregation of 
spectators or under more favorable conditions for observation. About 4 o'clock 
the elements gave indication that the forces from which tornadoes are born, were 
at work. These conditions are the meeting of two currents of air, one warm, the 
other cold — the former from the southwest, the latter from the northwest. As the 
afternoon advanced the southern sky was comparatively clear, the sun shining 
and the blue expanse obscured by only a few patches of white cloud, while the 
northern sky was obscured by a heavy mass of black and slowly advancing 
clouds. 
" The line between the two was the meeting point of the two currents, the 
warm, moist air condensing as it met the cold current, forming the black clouds 
which advanced, as the cold current moved forward. These opposing currents 
could be distinctly seen through rifts in the clouds, the upper strata being more 
dense, of a less.dark hue, and with more sharply defined edges. To their meet- 
ing was due the hail that fell. 
''The barometer fell very rapidly during the half hour preceding the tornado, 
to 28.43 inches — lower than it has been for ten years, even lower than during 
the Marshfield tornado a few years ago, the lowest point up to the present since 
we have kept a barometer. The temperature was only 70°, showing the pres- 
ence of the cold current, as in ordinary conditions with the barometer at such a 
low, the temperature would be above 100° — possibly as high as 110°. In this 
locality twenty-nine inches is a very low barometer, our's marking but twice 
below that for many years, once during the terrible storm that inundated the 
coast towns of Texas, the other during the Marshfield tornado referred to. These 
facts show the remarkable atmospheric conditions conspiring in this vicinity on 
Sunday." 
Upon going over the ground traversed by the tornado, several days after its 
