TORNADO, a sudden and vehement gust of wind from all points of the com pass, frequent on the coast of Guinea.
A tornado seems to partake much of the nature of a whirlwind, or perhaps of a water-spout, but is more violent in its effects. It commences very suddenly, several clouds being previously drawn together, when a spout of wind proceed ing from them, strikes the ground, in a round spot of a few rods or perches dia. meter, and proceeds thus half a mile or a mile. The proneness of its descent makes it rebound from the earth, throwing such things as are moveable before it, but some sideways or in a lateral direction from A vapour, mist, or rain, desceacts with it, by which the path of it IS marked with wet. The following is a description of one which h.ppened a few years since at Leicester, about fifty miles from Boston, in New England : it happened in July, on a hot day, about four o'clock in the afternoon. A few clouds having gathered westward, and coming overhead, a sud den motion of their running together in a point being observed, immediately a , spout of wind struck the ground at the west end of a house, and instantly carried it away, with a negro man in it, who was afterwards found dead in the path of it.
Two men and a woman, by the breach of the floor, fell into the cellar ; and one man was driven forcibly up into the chim ney corner. These preserved, though much bruised ; they were wet with a vapour or mist, as were the re mains of the floor, and the whole path of the spout. This wind raised boards, tim bers, &c. A joist was found on one end, driven nearly three feet into the ground. The spout probably took it in its elevated state, and drove it forcibly down. The tornado moved with the celerity of a mid dling wind, and constantly declined in strength till it entirely ceased.