REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 37 



"been furnished to Dr. I. I. Hayes, who has undertaken a new explora- 

 tion in the Arctic regions for the purpose of gaining additional informa- 

 tion as to the existence of an open sea. It is prohahle that Dr. Hayes 

 will spend the present winter at some point on the coast of Greenland ; 

 and if he should do so, he has promised to make good use of the instru- 

 ments and to adopt measures by which the records of the observations 

 may he transmitted to Washington. 



The summer of 1880 was rendered remarkable by the occurrence of 

 a number of tornadoes in different parts of the northern and western 

 portions of the United States. Some of these were of so peculiar a 

 character, and their destructive effects were so extensive, that it was 

 thought a matter of sufficient importance to adopt means for their 

 special investigation. For this purpose it was deemed advisable to 

 send a competent observer to make an accurate survey of the region 

 passed over by the meteors, and to collect all the facts which might 

 tend in the least degree to throw light upon the character of these 

 terrific visitors. The person chosen for this service was Mr. W. L. 

 Nicholson, of the United States Coast Survey, who undertook the inves- 

 tigation for the sake of science ; his actual expenses alone, exclusive of 

 transportation, being paid, and a free passage having been secured for 

 him by the Institution through the commendable liberality which 

 characterizes the acts of many of our railroad companies. 



The most violent of these storms was that of June 3, in Iowa and 

 Illinois, which swept over more than 600 miles, destroying three towns 

 and perhaps two hundred persons, besides domestic animals and other 

 property to a large amount. 



In regard to these remarkable disturbances of the atmosphere, Mr. 

 Nicholson collected a great number of interesting facts, by personal 

 inspection of the effects which still remained, from oral information 

 derived from many eye witnesses, and from actual surveys of the paths 

 of the tornadoes and the relative position of the more prominent objects 

 which remained strewed in their course. These will all be presented in 

 proper form to the Institution as a report of actual facts ; and it is 

 proposed by the Secretary to discuss the phenomena in connection with 

 the various theories which have been advanced to explain the origin 

 and progress of storms of this character. Attention was not exclusively 

 confined to meteorological phenomena, but was extended to the physical 

 and other peculiarities of the regions visited ; and Mr. Nicholson en- 

 deavored to diffuse a taste for meteorology among the people, which 

 it is hoped will in the future supply some vacancies in our corps of 

 observers. He warmly expresses his gratification on account of the 



