1852.] On Bust Whirlwinds and Cyclones. 145 



ship so situated, perilous in the extreme, especially, if once involved 

 in the fatal calm centre. 



At sea, during such storm, and near its centre, an adequate explana- 

 tion is now afforded to account for the horribly confused pyramidal 

 masses of raging waters driven by the fierce impetuosity of the winds 

 one against the other, shooting up into the sky, and how on land, such 

 a whirlwind passing over a country, may prove a desolating hurricane, 

 sweeping it literally with the besom of destruction. 



In addition to the curved motion of the winds, taken as a whole, 

 there must be, what I have observed in the small whirlwinds, straight- 

 lined winds, blowing around and towards the electrical zone forming 

 the body of the storm ; the extent and force of which will probably 

 depend upon the amount or intensity of the electrical matter evolved, 

 and also upon the rapidity of the rotatory and progressive motions, 

 liable therefore to endless variety. 



The active portion of all rotatory storms seems to be a stratum of 

 electro-magnetic spirals diverted downwards to the earth's surface 

 from the higher regions of the atmosphere, far above the highest 

 clouds ; though from the sensible effects being chiefly confined to a 

 few thousand feet above ground the popular idea is, that the storm 

 itself is also limited to that region, and that it does not extend beyond 

 the cumulo-stratus, or the storm cloud. 



If the former supposition be correct, there must be, I think, wher- 

 ever such a storm is raging, many winds blowing in opposite directions, 

 overlying each other, like steps of a circular staircase, excited by the 

 self-same cause that sets in motion the air below near the earth's sur- 

 face, though not with an equal degree of force in consequence of the 

 more rarified state of the atmosphere in the higher regions. 



The opposite movements of the clouds during a storm seem to indi- 

 cate, that these varied currents in the higher regions do exist, and as 

 far as my limited experience extends, they do so with such uniformity, 

 that I am inclined to believe that in most, if not in all storms, these 

 opposite movements in the different cloud strata are present, though 

 from the great height of the cirrus cloud any motion affecting it is 

 detected with difficulty, requiring a strong and practical eye to do so, 

 even when marked upon a clear sky without intervening clouds : the 

 difficulty however is greatly enhanced, when during a storm, from the 



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