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  ARTICLE 
  XXI. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Causes 
  of 
  the 
  Tornado, 
  or 
  Water 
  Spout. 
  By 
  R. 
  Hare, 
  

  

  In 
  July 
  last, 
  I 
  visited 
  the 
  scene 
  of 
  the 
  tornado, 
  which 
  had 
  in 
  the 
  

   previous 
  month 
  produced 
  so 
  much 
  damage 
  in 
  and 
  near 
  New 
  Bruns- 
  

   wick, 
  New 
  Jersey, 
  and 
  heard 
  it 
  described 
  by 
  various 
  witnesses, 
  and 
  

   have 
  likewise 
  been 
  edified 
  by 
  the 
  observations 
  made 
  respecting 
  its 
  

   effects 
  by 
  professors 
  Henry, 
  Torrey, 
  Johnson 
  and 
  other 
  sagacious 
  and 
  

   learned 
  observers, 
  and 
  especially 
  those 
  of 
  my 
  friends, 
  professor 
  A. 
  D. 
  

   Bache, 
  and 
  Mr 
  Espy. 
  Probably 
  in 
  no 
  other 
  instance 
  have 
  the 
  effects 
  

   of 
  a 
  tornado 
  been 
  so 
  faithfully 
  and 
  skilfully 
  traced, 
  ascertained 
  and 
  

   registered. 
  Professor 
  Bache 
  regularly 
  surveyed 
  the 
  path 
  of 
  the 
  de- 
  

   vastating 
  agent, 
  and 
  ascertained 
  the 
  bearings 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  bodies 
  pros- 
  

   trated 
  by 
  it, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  several 
  accurate 
  plots.* 
  From 
  an 
  examin- 
  

   ation 
  of 
  these, 
  the 
  proximate 
  causes 
  of 
  the 
  changes 
  effected, 
  are 
  those 
  

   of 
  a 
  vertical 
  current 
  at 
  the 
  centre 
  or 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  tornado, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  hori- 
  

   zontal 
  conflux 
  of 
  the 
  air 
  towards 
  that 
  axis 
  from 
  the 
  surrounding 
  space. 
  

   Some 
  trees 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  thrown 
  down 
  on 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  the 
  

   hiatus, 
  both 
  directly 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  it 
  and 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  ; 
  some 
  fell 
  at 
  right 
  

   angles, 
  others 
  obliquely 
  to 
  the 
  path. 
  Hence 
  they 
  were 
  found 
  to 
  have 
  

   a 
  great 
  variety 
  of 
  bearings, 
  but 
  always 
  pointing 
  towards 
  the 
  path. 
  

  

  * 
  I 
  hope 
  that 
  these 
  plots 
  will 
  appear 
  in 
  this 
  volume. 
  

  

  