Tracking a Tornado
ID: SIA2010-0730
Creator: Lapham, Increase Allen 1811-1875
Form/Genre: Document
Date: August 21, 1857
Citation: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 60, Box 7, Folder: Storms and Tornados
Usage Conditions Apply
The Smithsonian Institution Archives welcomes personal and educational use of its collections unless otherwise noted. For commercial uses, please contact photos@si.edu.Summary
Report from I. A. Lapham of Milwaukee to the Smithsonian Meteorological Project regarding the map showing the track of a tornado that had passed over the eastern portion of Wisconsin on August 21, 1857. See SIA2010-0732 for the map.
Subject
Henry, Joseph 1797-1878
Category
Historic Images of the Smithsonian
Notes
After he was appointed Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Joseph Henry's first major project was to create the Smithsonian Meteorological Project by using a country wide network of voluntary observers to record weather information and send it to the Smithsonian. Observations were sent to the Smithsonian primarily on a monthly basis through the mails, but some observers used the growing telegraph network for more rapid transmission of the information. The Smithsonian Meteorological Project existed from 1846-1870 and led to the founding of the National Weather Service. Joseph Henry's research in electromagnetism was instrumental in the development of the telegraph and he was interested in using this new form of data transmission to record scientific information.
Contained within
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 60, Box 7, Folder: Storms and Tornados
Contact information
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
Date
August 21, 1857
Restrictions & Rights
No restrictions
Topic
- Weather
- Storms
- Letters
- Tornadoes
- Natural disasters
- Volunteers
- Maps
Place
Wisconsin
Form/Genre
Document
ID Number
SIA2010-0730
Physical description
Number of Images: 1; Color: Color; Size: 7.5w x 5.25h; Type of Image: Letter ; Medium: Document