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VOL. XXII.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, JULY 23,1887.
NO. 30
TOENADOES.-No. 2.
How to Avoid Danger—Directions for Escape—Safety in Oellars.
. Sontlnued.]
If you have a tornado-cave or a dug-out,
get into it with your family and your
treasures before the storm reaches you; if
you have no such means of retreat and
cannot get away from the storm, go into
your cellar and get as close to the west
wall as possible, never go to the east side
of a cellar or of any other inclosed space
in any building toward which the tornado
is approaching; always seek the west side,
towards the storm. Frequently life may
be saved by timely flight in the right direction. A tornado travels from southwest to northeast; stand facing it as it approaches; if it is going to the right of you,
run to the left; if it is going to the -left of
you, run to the right; never run towards
tbe storm nor with it, always run to the
northward or southward at a right angle
from it, giving the benefit of doubt in
favor of the north.
MF.ANS OF PROTECTION.
First in regard to life. How can you
save your life or avoid injury? In regard
to this question much, if not everything,
depends upon the manner and in what direction you move, together with the distance of the tornado-cloud, i|*s direction,
aud the kind of motion prevailing at the
instant you determine upon changing
your location.
We will now suppose the various conditions, and proceed to point out the necessary action in.eacli. instance. In all cases
it is granted for the sake of convenience
in illustration, that you arc in front of or
situated directly in the line of the advancing tornado-cloud. Under these circumstances if the progressive motion of the
cloud is prevailing, and your distance
from it is, say, 80 rods or more, move directly and with all possible dispatch to
the north. Whenever this motion is prevail
ing always run to the north, unless in so
doihg you would be obliged to cross the
entire path of the storm. A sharp glance
to the Westward will tell you whether you
are about on the southern edge of the probable path of the tornado-cloud, or more to
north. If in the center or half-way between the center and the southern edge,
your chances are best in a direct course to
the north. If further to the south, move
directly and very rapidly to the south,
bearing slightly east. In no event should
you ever run directly to the east or northeast. Suppose the tornado-cloud to be
distant from you ( west or southwest) 80
rods an.l its progressive velocity IK) miles
per hour, it would follow that one mile is
passed in 60 seconds, or si. rods in 15 seconds. Assuming the average width of the
destructive path of the tornado-cloud to
be 40 rods an.l your position at the center
of that path, it will be seen that you have
15 seconds in which to reach thc outer
edge of the path to the north (a distance of
20 rods) before the tornado-cloud could arrive at your location.
I have taken an extreme ease in every
particular. Most persons first see the tornado-cloud at a much greater distance,
from one to three miles, sometimes ti\<-
and ten miles on the prairies. Of course,
at the unusual distance of five or ten miles
you could not determine verv satisfactorily its probable course, especially with regard to your buildings or tho safety of
your own location. Watching the approach of the tornado-cloud closely at a
distance of 10 miles, and from that position on aud on in its eastward course
until it came within a mile or so of your
point of observation, would give you sufficient opportunity to predict its probable
course in regard to your location. When
that matter is settled satisfactorily to your.
judgment, move Immediately and without further hesitation. If you wait until
the tornado-cloud is distant one mile, jrou
have at least 60 seconds in whieh to run a
distance of 30 rods, supposing that you are
obliged to cover more than half of the destructive path of-the storm. In an average case you will probably have between
80 and ninety seconds in which to run a
distance of 20 rods. In either case I -am
supposing that you are prepared in every
particular to move at the very instant of
timely warning. Further, I am supposing that you have been watching the
weather of the day and understand that a
instantly killed or terribly crippled, for
no other reason than thai they ignorantly
threw themselves within the very grasp
Of the monster cloud. The lives of most,
if not all, of the people destroyed in tornadoes might have been saved by a clear
understanding an.l a strict adherence to
the simplernles herein set forth.
The rule prohibiting movement to the
northeast must be obeyed. The northeast
quarter is a fatal position, and I care not
what you may tell me about destruction
to life or property  in any   other.   If you
can get out of your linns ver remain in
it or any other building that is at all likely to be torn down or removed from its
foundation.If I'm • .1 5    b some misfortune
you are closely pressed by the advancing
cloud, never remain standing an.l attempt
to weather the storm, but throw yourself
prone (face downward) upon the ground,
head to the east, and arms thrown over
the head to protect it. If you should
chance to be near a large stone or stump,
or some heavy object low down an.l firmly imbedded in the ground, take a p si-
tion directly to the east of it,  lying proue
Tornado-cloud aa seen al Howard, Miner Co., Dakota, Ail*?. 2S. 1884.    Photographed by F
The cloud passed 22 miles wait <-r htm In a southeasterly direction, remaining In sight
hours.   Several people were killed, and all property in the path was destroyed.
N.  Robinson.
over tWO
terrible storm is imminent. Thero is,
under ordinary circumstances, no reason
why you should not be so informed. A
tornado-cloud does not come out of a clear
sky, and there are many and ample signs
of its approach.
If you are not possessed of the tornado
cave or cellar tornado cave, your best plan
is to move from your house or wherever
you may be at the moment, as directed
concerning the various motions of the tornado-cloud. If not able to lienetit by
these directions, retreat instantly to your
cellar and place yourself, face forward,
against the west wall. This is the best
position in any cellar. If, for any reason,
you cannot get to the west wall, take your
position (the next best) face forward
against the south wall, but as near the
southwest corner as possible. In these
positions thc building, if removed from
the foundation, will always be carried
above and over you, or if torn to pieces,
the debris will be instantly removed to
the eastward. Under no circumstances,
whether in a building or a cellar, ever
take a position in a northeast room, in a
northeast corner, in an east room, or
against an east wall. Kemember that the
tornado-cloud invariably moves in a
northeasterly direction. I have not space
here in which to relate to you, how many
and iu what   manner, persons have been
If possible, always open your buildings
and let your stock out, driving them to
north. In this matter of caring for stoek
(which should not be neglected if otherwise possible) always drive them from
your buildings to the (as a rule) north-
ward. Try and perforin this duty on the
lirst indications of the character of the
storm, though not until you have assured
yourself of the probable course of the tornado-cloud. (If course it is quite possible
that the tornado-cloud may pass to the
north of your buildings; in that event
your stock should be driven southward
an.l vice versa.—Concluded next week.
Thk prolonged drouth, aided by the excessive heat has been very injurious to
corn, potatoes an.l the pastures. Much of
the corn had reached that stage when
abundance of moisture was most needed,
and the yield will be mostly in nubbins.
Potatoes in many sections of the State
will make less than half a full yield. The
pastures are as brown an.l bare as iu winter, and many of those along railroad
lines have caught lire and burned from
sparks of the looomotive. Stubble fields
and shocks of oats and wheat have suf-
ler.-d iu this way in many instances.
Others differ from us as lo tin- condition
of the corn crop, and insist that, no matter
how much rain may fall from this time
on, there will not lie more than half an
average yield. The corn we have seen
promises better than that, but we have
seen more upland than bottom field corn.
It may be that the latter has suffered
most.
upon the earth, head   toward   tfe ..I t,
protecting the former with yiW folded
arms. This advice is given iu thc event
of extreme exigencies where other and
better Opportunities'have been forfeited.
It is better, if possible, never to trust-your-
seir behind or about any object located
within the center of the storm's path; by
all means not a   tree   or   any  object that
, rises some distance above the surface of
the ground. If forced to remain in your
house and where you have no cellar, always take a position against the west or
south wall (better the former) either prone
(face downward) upon the floor or standing with your back to the wall.
In any building always take your final
position on the lirst or ground floor.
Never stand or lie   in   front of  a door or
: window , or near a stove or heavy piece of
! furniture. Make every effort to get into
the west room, and if possible before the
onslaught remove therefrom all furniture,
j at least from the western portion. Always
shut tightly every window and door in
your house or other building in which
you may be located at the time of the
storm. You should never let doors and
windows remain open during any violent
storm. Never take refuge in a forest, in a
small grove of trees, in an orchard, or near
a fence of any kind, unless all these obstructions are entirely out of the line of
the storm.
Wkai hkk. Roe Bulletin No. 11 from the
signal Ollice, at Washington, for week
ending July 16 says: During the week
ending July 16, 1887, the weather was
warmer than usual, except in the t'ulf
States, northern New England, and on the
I'a.ilic coast, the average daily excess
ranging from 3° to 8° from the middle At-'
lantic States westward to the Rocky
Mountains. There was a deficiency in
rainfall generally throughout all agricultural districts east of the Rocky Moun-t
tains, except iu Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, Colorado and eastern Dakota,
where slight excesses are reported. There
has been an excess of temperature and
more than the usual amount of sunshine
in tho corn regions, an.l these conditions,
combined with the deficiency of rainfall
for the week, have probably resulted in
some injury to this crop.
 ■*>
Om Sim Coy a saloon-keeper of this
city made a trial of jail life, for a few days
last week, perhaps to see how he would
like it as a regular thing after awhile. He
is under indictment with several other of
our citizens for changing the talley sheets
at the last election. Simeon evidently
thought that United States Circuit Judge
ilreshani would- decide that ho had no
jurisdiction in the case and order his
release. So he went to jail and had a writ
of habeas corpus sued out. But Judge
Harlan of the Supreme Court who took
charge of the case gave a full and able
opinion showing that Coy was amenable
to the United States court aud must appear for trial on thel9th. Coy immediately got bail, and it is safe to say that he
will not go to jail again till he is obliged
to.