It is argued that this service was not as innovative as the electric telegraph technology that underpinned it. The first telegram service in Britain was launched by the Electric Telegraph Company two decades before nationalization of the telegraphs in 1870. Eight people were killed, which was actually a fairly low death count for such a strong 19th Century tornado, thanks to the fact that the tornado was easily visible as it approached.The paper examines the early development of the Victorian inland telegraph, and more precisely the telegraphic despatches, or telegrams, as they became widely known. Meteorologists at the time considered this one of the strongest tornadoes ever witnessed. On Apat 5pm a tornado touched down three miles northeast of Mechanicsburg, Indiana, and passed directly through Oakville, demolishing 27 of the village's 30 houses.Looking at Grazulis' work with tornadoes prior to 1950, only one additional tornado attained F5 status: *The Dunlap Tornado that struck southeast of South Bend, Indiana on Apis officially rated at F4, but Grazulis feels it should be an F5.Homes were completely swept away and three people were killed on the west edge of the Cincinnati metropolitan area around Sayler Park. The tornado stayed in rural parts of Indiana and Kentucky, but encountered a more urban environment as it moved west of Cincinnati. After crossing northern Boone County the tornado crossed the Ohio River once again and entered Ohio where it finally lifted just north of Dent after a 21 mile long track. It moved northeast and crossed the river into Belleview, Kentucky. At 4:10pm a tornado developed two miles north of Rising Sun, Indiana.The funnel was at F4 strength as it entered Indiana and leveled several farms before finally dissipating about a mile northwest of Laconia. The tornado stayed in contact with the ground as it came down the riverbank and crossed the Ohio River. Twenty-eight people died in Brandenburg, with another three fatalities earlier along the path. 128 homes were swept away and 30 businesses were destroyed. The tornado strengthened to F4 around Irvington, and then strengthened further to an F5 monster as it enveloped the Meade County seat of Brandenburg. It brought F3 level damage to the north side of that town, and destroyed about three dozen homes as it roared through northern Breckinridge County and into Meade County. At 3:25pm Kentucky's only F5 tornado came to earth five miles southwest of Hardinsburg.

The most intense damage was at Daisy Hill, where homes were completely swept away. As the storm moved into Clark County the funnel swelled to a mile wide and leveled farm after farm. The hamlet of Martinsburg was in the tempest's crosshairs, and 38 of the village's 48 homes were destroyed. In Harrison County DePauw was struck and another life lost in a destroyed mobile home, followed by yet another fatality two miles east of Palmyra. While still in Perry County, near Branchville, two more lives were lost as the tornado threw a school bus fifty feet into a ditch. The storm took a life quickly after forming as it destroyed a mobile home. It proceeded to the northeast for 62 miles, finally lifting in Scott County. At 2:20pm a tornado touched down in Perry County, Indiana three miles south of Huffman.Looking through the records, only three F5 tornadoes have been recorded in Indiana and Kentucky since 1950, and they happened on just one* day: Ap. A significant tornado was one that was of at least F2 strength or resulted in a fatality. But when they do strike, they inflict terrible suffering as homes and businesses are destroyed and, often, lives are lost.Īlthough official NWS tornado ratings only go back to 1950, researcher Thomas P Grazulis compiled a list of all significant tornadoes and assigned them F scale ratings all the way back to 1871. Tornadoes that are intense enough to warrant an F4/EF4 or F5/EF5 rating are classified as 'violent.' Fortunately, these tornadoes are extremely rare, accounting for only about two percent of all tornadoes. The scale divides tornadoes into six strengths, from zero to 5. The National Weather Service (NWS) has ranked tornado strength back to 1950 through the use of the Fujita Scale and, since February 2007, the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

Violet storm feet youtube