Oak Lawn High School..Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Starring Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox. Directed by Andrew Marton.

youtu.be/vIevnwsLDW8

 

Paramount distributed this big-budget production by Security Pictures in the spring of 1965. Crack in the World (CW) was partially a sci-fi movie and partially a disaster movie. Like many of the disaster-genre that would follow, the destructive power of nature itself -- rather than a giant reptile -- is the monster. Solid actors, a decent budget and ample action make CW one of the mid-60s' big A-level sci-fi movies.

 

Synopsis

Project Inner Earth, headed by Dr. Steven Sorensen, plans to tap into the molten core of the earth to supply unlimited power for mankind. Their problem is that they've encountered an extremely tough shell around the core which no drill can penetrate. Sorensen wants to use a nuclear missile to punch through that shell. Dr. Ted Rampion is worried that the earth's crust is too fragile, due to all the previous nuclear weapons tests. Some complex back story about Steve's wife Maggie (a much younger woman) being Ted's former girlfriend clouds the issue. Steve finding out that he has a terminal illness clouds his judgement too. Steve convinces his bosses to let him fire the nuke and does so. All seems to have gone as planned. The magma wells up and everyone is pleased. That is, until massive earthquakes start wiping out towns and a giant rip in the earth's crust appears. To make matters worse, the rip lengthens steadily. If it goes all the way around the earth, it could break in half and disintegrate. Ted and his team plant another nuclear bomb in a pacific island volcano to stop the rip. This seems to succeed, but the rip turns back towards its origin. More earthquakes and destruction. Steve is a jerk to Maggie. Ted is heroic. Steve is almost too ill to continue. The project base is wracked with tremors. Ted and Maggie escape, but Steve remains behind to record events. The crack meets its origin point. A glowing ball of magma rises into the fiery night sky. Earth now has two moons. A squirrel comes out of hiding in a hole. Ted and Maggie hug for joy. The End.

  

CW is an action-packed disaster flick. Lava, landslides, train wrecks and lots and lots of explosions. Any 12-year-old boy cannot help but love this film.

 

CW is a strong example of the Nuclear Caution branch of Cold War morals. Man, recklessly misusing nukes, sets off a chain reaction (much like modern wars have been) which threaten to destroy the world as we know it. A "counter strike" of another nuke (in the volcano) averts total annihilation, but leaves millions dead and the earth scarred forever. All this makes for quite a blatant nuclear cautionary tale.

 

Sci-fi, as a genre, is hardly famous for strict scientific accuracy. Aliens who look perfectly human and speak English? Big monsters who can eat whole cities, yet never have to poop? But never mind. CW's flawed scientific premise is that the earth's crust is an integral shell. The integrity of this shell is what keeps the earth from flying apart due to centrifugal force. Of course, if that were true, us unattached humans ought to be flying off into space. But never mind. Knowledge of Plate Techtonics was not new in 1965, but it had not filtered down to the popular level yet. Modern viewers will scoff at CW. The earth has always had cracks in it, and works rather well that way. But, to non-scientists in the mid 60s, with a hard-shell view of the earth, the premise was more credible and pretty frightening.

 

Dr. Steve Sorensen fills the customary role of misguided (mad) scientist in several ways. He wants to do some beneficial deed for mankind, but miscalculates and causes destruction. In this case, it is nature (the earth) who becomes the monster. Per the customary role, poetic justice prevails. The monster kills the offending scientist for his haste or hubris. Once he's dead, and his sin atoned for, the rightful order is restored (lovers kiss and small furry animals emerge from their burrows)

 

Many a sci-fi movie has been hobbled with tangled drama. CW is no different. In the midst of the impending destruction of the earth, Steve can still be a petty jerk to his young wife. Maggie can still be conflicted over her less-cerebral lust for Ted. Ted can still show off his big biceps, etc. This seems quite reminiscent of Catwomen of the Moon, where upon meeting another race of beings who are openly hostile, the main characters obsess over who loves whom. Perhaps astute movie producers knew that their young audiences were likely still mired in that high-school drama mindset, in which who liked whom and who was being a jerk to whom, etc. was more important than anything -- even the destruction of the earth.

 

Movie goers of the early 60s would probably have "felt" that Ted and Maggie really belonged together anyhow. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott had starred together before CW, as lighthouse-bound husband and wife biologists in Day of the Triffids ('62): another Security Pictures film. They would team up again in Security Pictures' Bikini Paradise ('67) -- a comedy outside of this study's scope.

 

Bottom line? CW is a well done disaster flick with ample entertainment value. There is plenty of action and the special effects respectable enough. After a steady diet of ultra-low budget movies, CW plays like an epic blockbuster.Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

 

The Test House provides UKAS-accredited testing services to industry. Our comprehensive, professional service includes mechanical testing, non-destructive testing, failure analysis/metallurgy and specimen manufacture.

 

We have 25 years’ experience of conducting independent, confidential tests on metals to national and international standards.

 

Testing is carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts using state-of-the-art technologies, either on-site or in the custom-built facility we moved into in 2015.

 

In addition to testing and results analysis, The Test House offers consultancy and advice services, including weld procedure and welder qualification approvals, standards interpretation and dispute resolution.

 

Our short lead times, competitive pricing and ability to respond flexibly to our clients’ needs have earned us a reputation for responsiveness, reliability and value for money.

The Test House provides UKAS-accredited testing services to industry. Our comprehensive, professional service includes mechanical testing, non-destructive testing, failure analysis/metallurgy and specimen manufacture. We have 25 years’ experience of conducting independent, confidential tests on metals to national and international standards. Testing is carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts using state-of-the-art technologies, either on-site or in the custom-built facility we moved into in 2015. In addition to testing and results analysis, The Test House offers consultancy and advice services, including weld procedure and welder qualification approvals, standards interpretation and dispute resolution. Our short lead times, competitive pricing and ability to respond flexibly to our clients’ needs have earned us a reputation for responsiveness, reliability and value for money.

 

For more information www.thetesthouse.co.uk/

 

If you wish to use this image each use should be accompanied by the credit line and notice, "Courtesy of TWI Ltd".

 

A Ddoge Coronet is parked among the wreckage, hopefully the owner only had broken windows to contend with..

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Ectopistes migratorius (Linnaeus, 1766) - passenger pigeon (extinct) (mount, public display, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Ilinois, USA).

 

The story of the passenger pigeon is famous as an example of the idiotic destructive power of modern man ("Homo stupidus") & human overpopulation. The passenger pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius, was at one time the # 1 most abundant bird in North America, and likely the # 1 most abundant bird on Earth. The species became extinct about 100 years ago. The last known individual was a captive bird held at the Cincinnati Zoo. It died at 1 PM on 1 September 1914. It is the only species whose extinction timing is very well known.

Ectopistes migratorius occupied the central & eastern portions of temperate North America. It was driven to extinction by professional hunters (the birds were destined for food markets - American Indians also killed these birds as a source of food) and clear-cutting of forests. Passenger pigeon flocks were famously huge - they darkened skies and took hours to fly by. Their droppings fell like snow. Individual flocks were estimated to have contained more than three billion birds. Flock density was so high that when two flocks flying in opposite directions collided, numerous stunned birds fell to the ground.

 

Passenger pigeons nested in huge colonies, occupying hundreds of square miles of forests. Single trees could have hundreds of nests. Tree branches were seen to break from the weight of all the perching birds. Late 1800s hunters targeted the nesting colony areas. Oddly, passenger pigeons couldn’t nest alone or in small colonies. With the destruction of the nesting colonies, the species couldn’t make a comeback.

The passenger pigeon is the only species in the pigeon/dove family driven to extinction by gun nerds. However, several other birds in this family, usually island species, have also gone extinct, due to other human factors.

 

The Lesson? Natural resources can run out. (think oil as well)

 

Classification: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Aves, Columbiformes, Columbidae

--------------

Birds are small to large, warm-blooded, egg-laying, feathered, bipedal vertebrates capable of powered flight (although some are secondarily flightless). Many scientists characterize birds as dinosaurs, but this is consequence of the physical structure of evolutionary diagrams. Birds aren’t dinosaurs. They’re birds. The logic & rationale that some use to justify statements such as “birds are dinosaurs” is the same logic & rationale that results in saying “vertebrates are echinoderms”. Well, no one says the latter. No one should say the former, either.

 

However, birds are evolutionarily derived from theropod dinosaurs. Birds first appeared in the Triassic or Jurassic, depending on which avian paleontologist you ask. They inhabit a wide variety of terrestrial and surface marine environments, and exhibit considerable variation in behaviors and diets.

 

Starring Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox. Directed by Andrew Marton.

youtu.be/vIevnwsLDW8

 

Paramount distributed this big-budget production by Security Pictures in the spring of 1965. Crack in the World (CW) was partially a sci-fi movie and partially a disaster movie. Like many of the disaster-genre that would follow, the destructive power of nature itself -- rather than a giant reptile -- is the monster. Solid actors, a decent budget and ample action make CW one of the mid-60s' big A-level sci-fi movies.

 

Synopsis

Project Inner Earth, headed by Dr. Steven Sorensen, plans to tap into the molten core of the earth to supply unlimited power for mankind. Their problem is that they've encountered an extremely tough shell around the core which no drill can penetrate. Sorensen wants to use a nuclear missile to punch through that shell. Dr. Ted Rampion is worried that the earth's crust is too fragile, due to all the previous nuclear weapons tests. Some complex back story about Steve's wife Maggie (a much younger woman) being Ted's former girlfriend clouds the issue. Steve finding out that he has a terminal illness clouds his judgement too. Steve convinces his bosses to let him fire the nuke and does so. All seems to have gone as planned. The magma wells up and everyone is pleased. That is, until massive earthquakes start wiping out towns and a giant rip in the earth's crust appears. To make matters worse, the rip lengthens steadily. If it goes all the way around the earth, it could break in half and disintegrate. Ted and his team plant another nuclear bomb in a pacific island volcano to stop the rip. This seems to succeed, but the rip turns back towards its origin. More earthquakes and destruction. Steve is a jerk to Maggie. Ted is heroic. Steve is almost too ill to continue. The project base is wracked with tremors. Ted and Maggie escape, but Steve remains behind to record events. The crack meets its origin point. A glowing ball of magma rises into the fiery night sky. Earth now has two moons. A squirrel comes out of hiding in a hole. Ted and Maggie hug for joy. The End.

  

CW is an action-packed disaster flick. Lava, landslides, train wrecks and lots and lots of explosions. Any 12-year-old boy cannot help but love this film.

 

CW is a strong example of the Nuclear Caution branch of Cold War morals. Man, recklessly misusing nukes, sets off a chain reaction (much like modern wars have been) which threaten to destroy the world as we know it. A "counter strike" of another nuke (in the volcano) averts total annihilation, but leaves millions dead and the earth scarred forever. All this makes for quite a blatant nuclear cautionary tale.

 

Sci-fi, as a genre, is hardly famous for strict scientific accuracy. Aliens who look perfectly human and speak English? Big monsters who can eat whole cities, yet never have to poop? But never mind. CW's flawed scientific premise is that the earth's crust is an integral shell. The integrity of this shell is what keeps the earth from flying apart due to centrifugal force. Of course, if that were true, us unattached humans ought to be flying off into space. But never mind. Knowledge of Plate Techtonics was not new in 1965, but it had not filtered down to the popular level yet. Modern viewers will scoff at CW. The earth has always had cracks in it, and works rather well that way. But, to non-scientists in the mid 60s, with a hard-shell view of the earth, the premise was more credible and pretty frightening.

 

Dr. Steve Sorensen fills the customary role of misguided (mad) scientist in several ways. He wants to do some beneficial deed for mankind, but miscalculates and causes destruction. In this case, it is nature (the earth) who becomes the monster. Per the customary role, poetic justice prevails. The monster kills the offending scientist for his haste or hubris. Once he's dead, and his sin atoned for, the rightful order is restored (lovers kiss and small furry animals emerge from their burrows)

 

Many a sci-fi movie has been hobbled with tangled drama. CW is no different. In the midst of the impending destruction of the earth, Steve can still be a petty jerk to his young wife. Maggie can still be conflicted over her less-cerebral lust for Ted. Ted can still show off his big biceps, etc. This seems quite reminiscent of Catwomen of the Moon, where upon meeting another race of beings who are openly hostile, the main characters obsess over who loves whom. Perhaps astute movie producers knew that their young audiences were likely still mired in that high-school drama mindset, in which who liked whom and who was being a jerk to whom, etc. was more important than anything -- even the destruction of the earth.

 

Movie goers of the early 60s would probably have "felt" that Ted and Maggie really belonged together anyhow. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott had starred together before CW, as lighthouse-bound husband and wife biologists in Day of the Triffids ('62): another Security Pictures film. They would team up again in Security Pictures' Bikini Paradise ('67) -- a comedy outside of this study's scope.

 

Bottom line? CW is a well done disaster flick with ample entertainment value. There is plenty of action and the special effects respectable enough. After a steady diet of ultra-low budget movies, CW plays like an epic blockbuster.Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

 

Starring Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox. Directed by Andrew Marton.

youtu.be/vIevnwsLDW8

 

Paramount distributed this big-budget production by Security Pictures in the spring of 1965. Crack in the World (CW) was partially a sci-fi movie and partially a disaster movie. Like many of the disaster-genre that would follow, the destructive power of nature itself -- rather than a giant reptile -- is the monster. Solid actors, a decent budget and ample action make CW one of the mid-60s' big A-level sci-fi movies.

 

Synopsis

Project Inner Earth, headed by Dr. Steven Sorensen, plans to tap into the molten core of the earth to supply unlimited power for mankind. Their problem is that they've encountered an extremely tough shell around the core which no drill can penetrate. Sorensen wants to use a nuclear missile to punch through that shell. Dr. Ted Rampion is worried that the earth's crust is too fragile, due to all the previous nuclear weapons tests. Some complex back story about Steve's wife Maggie (a much younger woman) being Ted's former girlfriend clouds the issue. Steve finding out that he has a terminal illness clouds his judgement too. Steve convinces his bosses to let him fire the nuke and does so. All seems to have gone as planned. The magma wells up and everyone is pleased. That is, until massive earthquakes start wiping out towns and a giant rip in the earth's crust appears. To make matters worse, the rip lengthens steadily. If it goes all the way around the earth, it could break in half and disintegrate. Ted and his team plant another nuclear bomb in a pacific island volcano to stop the rip. This seems to succeed, but the rip turns back towards its origin. More earthquakes and destruction. Steve is a jerk to Maggie. Ted is heroic. Steve is almost too ill to continue. The project base is wracked with tremors. Ted and Maggie escape, but Steve remains behind to record events. The crack meets its origin point. A glowing ball of magma rises into the fiery night sky. Earth now has two moons. A squirrel comes out of hiding in a hole. Ted and Maggie hug for joy. The End.

  

CW is an action-packed disaster flick. Lava, landslides, train wrecks and lots and lots of explosions. Any 12-year-old boy cannot help but love this film.

 

CW is a strong example of the Nuclear Caution branch of Cold War morals. Man, recklessly misusing nukes, sets off a chain reaction (much like modern wars have been) which threaten to destroy the world as we know it. A "counter strike" of another nuke (in the volcano) averts total annihilation, but leaves millions dead and the earth scarred forever. All this makes for quite a blatant nuclear cautionary tale.

 

Sci-fi, as a genre, is hardly famous for strict scientific accuracy. Aliens who look perfectly human and speak English? Big monsters who can eat whole cities, yet never have to poop? But never mind. CW's flawed scientific premise is that the earth's crust is an integral shell. The integrity of this shell is what keeps the earth from flying apart due to centrifugal force. Of course, if that were true, us unattached humans ought to be flying off into space. But never mind. Knowledge of Plate Techtonics was not new in 1965, but it had not filtered down to the popular level yet. Modern viewers will scoff at CW. The earth has always had cracks in it, and works rather well that way. But, to non-scientists in the mid 60s, with a hard-shell view of the earth, the premise was more credible and pretty frightening.

 

Dr. Steve Sorensen fills the customary role of misguided (mad) scientist in several ways. He wants to do some beneficial deed for mankind, but miscalculates and causes destruction. In this case, it is nature (the earth) who becomes the monster. Per the customary role, poetic justice prevails. The monster kills the offending scientist for his haste or hubris. Once he's dead, and his sin atoned for, the rightful order is restored (lovers kiss and small furry animals emerge from their burrows)

 

Many a sci-fi movie has been hobbled with tangled drama. CW is no different. In the midst of the impending destruction of the earth, Steve can still be a petty jerk to his young wife. Maggie can still be conflicted over her less-cerebral lust for Ted. Ted can still show off his big biceps, etc. This seems quite reminiscent of Catwomen of the Moon, where upon meeting another race of beings who are openly hostile, the main characters obsess over who loves whom. Perhaps astute movie producers knew that their young audiences were likely still mired in that high-school drama mindset, in which who liked whom and who was being a jerk to whom, etc. was more important than anything -- even the destruction of the earth.

 

Movie goers of the early 60s would probably have "felt" that Ted and Maggie really belonged together anyhow. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott had starred together before CW, as lighthouse-bound husband and wife biologists in Day of the Triffids ('62): another Security Pictures film. They would team up again in Security Pictures' Bikini Paradise ('67) -- a comedy outside of this study's scope.

 

Bottom line? CW is a well done disaster flick with ample entertainment value. There is plenty of action and the special effects respectable enough. After a steady diet of ultra-low budget movies, CW plays like an epic blockbuster.Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

 

Starring Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox. Directed by Andrew Marton.

youtu.be/vIevnwsLDW8

 

Paramount distributed this big-budget production by Security Pictures in the spring of 1965. Crack in the World (CW) was partially a sci-fi movie and partially a disaster movie. Like many of the disaster-genre that would follow, the destructive power of nature itself -- rather than a giant reptile -- is the monster. Solid actors, a decent budget and ample action make CW one of the mid-60s' big A-level sci-fi movies.

 

Synopsis

Project Inner Earth, headed by Dr. Steven Sorensen, plans to tap into the molten core of the earth to supply unlimited power for mankind. Their problem is that they've encountered an extremely tough shell around the core which no drill can penetrate. Sorensen wants to use a nuclear missile to punch through that shell. Dr. Ted Rampion is worried that the earth's crust is too fragile, due to all the previous nuclear weapons tests. Some complex back story about Steve's wife Maggie (a much younger woman) being Ted's former girlfriend clouds the issue. Steve finding out that he has a terminal illness clouds his judgement too. Steve convinces his bosses to let him fire the nuke and does so. All seems to have gone as planned. The magma wells up and everyone is pleased. That is, until massive earthquakes start wiping out towns and a giant rip in the earth's crust appears. To make matters worse, the rip lengthens steadily. If it goes all the way around the earth, it could break in half and disintegrate. Ted and his team plant another nuclear bomb in a pacific island volcano to stop the rip. This seems to succeed, but the rip turns back towards its origin. More earthquakes and destruction. Steve is a jerk to Maggie. Ted is heroic. Steve is almost too ill to continue. The project base is wracked with tremors. Ted and Maggie escape, but Steve remains behind to record events. The crack meets its origin point. A glowing ball of magma rises into the fiery night sky. Earth now has two moons. A squirrel comes out of hiding in a hole. Ted and Maggie hug for joy. The End.

  

CW is an action-packed disaster flick. Lava, landslides, train wrecks and lots and lots of explosions. Any 12-year-old boy cannot help but love this film.

 

CW is a strong example of the Nuclear Caution branch of Cold War morals. Man, recklessly misusing nukes, sets off a chain reaction (much like modern wars have been) which threaten to destroy the world as we know it. A "counter strike" of another nuke (in the volcano) averts total annihilation, but leaves millions dead and the earth scarred forever. All this makes for quite a blatant nuclear cautionary tale.

 

Sci-fi, as a genre, is hardly famous for strict scientific accuracy. Aliens who look perfectly human and speak English? Big monsters who can eat whole cities, yet never have to poop? But never mind. CW's flawed scientific premise is that the earth's crust is an integral shell. The integrity of this shell is what keeps the earth from flying apart due to centrifugal force. Of course, if that were true, us unattached humans ought to be flying off into space. But never mind. Knowledge of Plate Techtonics was not new in 1965, but it had not filtered down to the popular level yet. Modern viewers will scoff at CW. The earth has always had cracks in it, and works rather well that way. But, to non-scientists in the mid 60s, with a hard-shell view of the earth, the premise was more credible and pretty frightening.

 

Dr. Steve Sorensen fills the customary role of misguided (mad) scientist in several ways. He wants to do some beneficial deed for mankind, but miscalculates and causes destruction. In this case, it is nature (the earth) who becomes the monster. Per the customary role, poetic justice prevails. The monster kills the offending scientist for his haste or hubris. Once he's dead, and his sin atoned for, the rightful order is restored (lovers kiss and small furry animals emerge from their burrows)

 

Many a sci-fi movie has been hobbled with tangled drama. CW is no different. In the midst of the impending destruction of the earth, Steve can still be a petty jerk to his young wife. Maggie can still be conflicted over her less-cerebral lust for Ted. Ted can still show off his big biceps, etc. This seems quite reminiscent of Catwomen of the Moon, where upon meeting another race of beings who are openly hostile, the main characters obsess over who loves whom. Perhaps astute movie producers knew that their young audiences were likely still mired in that high-school drama mindset, in which who liked whom and who was being a jerk to whom, etc. was more important than anything -- even the destruction of the earth.

 

Movie goers of the early 60s would probably have "felt" that Ted and Maggie really belonged together anyhow. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott had starred together before CW, as lighthouse-bound husband and wife biologists in Day of the Triffids ('62): another Security Pictures film. They would team up again in Security Pictures' Bikini Paradise ('67) -- a comedy outside of this study's scope.

 

Bottom line? CW is a well done disaster flick with ample entertainment value. There is plenty of action and the special effects respectable enough. After a steady diet of ultra-low budget movies, CW plays like an epic blockbuster.Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

 

-- Page 18

 

" PAINTING FOR THE SKIES

to Toshi Ichiyanagi

Drill a hole in the sky.

Cut out a paper the same size

as the hole.

Paste hair over the entire surface

of the paper.

Burn the paper.

The sky should be pure blue.

 

1962 summer"

    

-- Page 17

  

"Ono leads in a direction that might be called Concept-Art

   

INSTRUCTIVE AUTO-DESTRUCTION

    

THE FULL MOON hangs over the Lower East Side, its light

shines on paper-littered streets. In the daytime 2nd Avenue

is jammed with traffic and it's possible to look up through

the dust and heat at the sky and imagine what those few

seconds would be like before it came if eternity were to fit.

What an EVENT!

What is an Event and what does it have to do with Art?

Circa 1950: Yoko Ono is sitting around some-place

striking matches. She is observing the significance of a

natural act. Many matches later she finds that by lighting

a match and watching til it has gone out she is making

something that has a shorter existence than herself, and

by comparison is making her life longer.

When people are asked to observe the passage of time

they may feel ill at ease. Is this why we have a term like

auto-destruction? One of Yoko Ono's first events is

called LIGHTING PIECE: 'Light a match and watch

till it goes out.'

1961: her first one-man show in New York, in which

fifteen works were what she calls INSTRUCTUER;

'Something that emerged from instruction and yet not

quite emerged - not quite structured - never quite struc-

tured --- like an unfinished church with a sky ceiling.'

One of these works which was described by a critic as 'a

grimy unstrung canvas with a hole in it' is SMOKE

PAINTING: 'Light canvas or any finished painting with

a cigarettes at any time for any length of time. See the smoke

movement. The painting ends when the whole canvas is

gone.'* For Ono, paintings like Event do end: an ad-

ditional act in life; something to solve the temptation of

insanity.

Other works in her 1961 show were, PAINTING TO

BE STEPPED ON: 'Leave a piece of canvas or finished

painting on the floor or in the street.'* A + B PAINTING;

'Cut out a circle on canvas. A. Place a numeral figure, a

roman letter, or a katakanao on canvas B at an arbitrary

point. Place canvas A on canvas B and hang them together.

The figure on canvas B may show, may show partially, or

may not show. You may use old paintings, photographs, etc.

instead of blank canvases.'* PAINTING FOR THE

WIND: 'Make a hole. Leave it in the wind.'* PAINT-

ING TO SEE THE SKIES: 'Drill two holes into a can-

vas. Hang it where you can see the sky. (Change the place

of hanging. Try both the front and the rear windows, to

see if the skies are different.')* PAINTING TO LET

THE EVENING LIGHT GO THROUGH: 'Hang a

bottle behind a canvas. Place the canvas where the west

light comes in. The painting will exist when the bottle

creates a shadow on the canvas, or it does not have to

exist. The bottle may contain liquor, water, grasshoppers,

ants or singing insects, or it does not have to contain.'*

BLOOD PIECE: 'Use your blood to paint. Keep painting

until you faint (A). Keep painting until you die (B).'*

These and the others in the show were designed to be

done by anybody although at the time it was not apparent

to most observers and as well the works had been made by

Ono, they were regarded as going in one direction only:

purely auto-destructive. Actually all her paintings exist

in two phases. (1) The instruction phase; which may be

compared to a musical composition; written, copywritten,

distributed, and generally at large for anybody to make

(perform) and show (2) the existence of the particular

piece, which generally has some aspect which is in a state

of flux. Sometimes this may be only one-way, sometimes

it may be oscillating, or the piece may just need to be

refuelled, so to speak.

The one aspect which is considered so important in

most painting, the graphic element, or visual design, is

almost never stated except in the vaguest way as in A + B

PAINTING, and like a Swiss Patent, it is never clear

exactly how the formula goes. This is left up to the indi-

vidual who is to construct the work and how he feels about

such things. For the maker of the work and the audience

this opens up all sorts of possibilities. One is able to

observe certain relationships between art and life that are

usually overlooked in purely graphic art. Instead of saying

how the hell did he do that one might say why the hell do

I have to do that. The owner and/or maker of the painting

must continually come to grips with certain problems that

force him to consider what the concept of art is all about.

  

Recently, while the works of hers constructed by various

painters and sculptors were being collected in a gallery

for a show this coming fall, a piece was accidentally sold.

The piece WORD MACHINE #1 SKY MACHINE,

which produces a card with the word 'sky' on it when 25c

is deposited was acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scull. In

order to complete the sale in the case of this particular

piece it was necessary for Mr. Scull to sign a contract in

which he only received the right to possess the machine

but had to agree that serving of the machine would

remain the right of the maker and the maker would

receive 60% of the proceeds of the sake of 'sky' cards.

The pure iconism of the work is at question. It is a

machine, it has to be cleaned, repaired, cards replaced,

money extracted, in short, handled like crazy and the owner

and the maker have become involved in a continual

bureaucratic even in order to meet the terms of the con-

tract. Her original composition for this work states that

these machines should eventually replace all Coca-cola

and chewing gum machines, etc. everywhere. Immediately

there is a threat on these manmoth industies which have

always been auto-destructive in nature anyway - this

piece is a kind of a parody of them - and pocesses certain

interesting problems as the underworld usually controls

the vending machine operations here in New York. Is

there something wrong with a society that vends art in

machines instead of phosphate? Many agree that the coke

bottole has long been of better use and more valuable than

its contents anyway, and certain artists have even emulated

it in what has come to be known as Pop art.

Ono's work involves many facets and many roots that

are deeply traditional in Eastern and Western thought. In

the East there are traditions that have been obscured by

the advent of the West and one might hope that the reverse

may take place in the West: interbreeding considered

healthful. In Japan it was common and still is to a lesser

degree, to wrap one's lunch in a beautiful package -

intricately embossed gold foil was ideal (there are still

many things we don't know about food) - to contemplate

while eating in the woods; of course the wrapping would

be thrown away ... or for many people to gather with

the express purpose of observing the moon, without any

particular motive scientific or otherwise. This approach is

referred to as 'wabi and sabi' and it is considered that no

clear translation should be available.

In the West Ono relates to that arear referred to by Gene

Swenson as 'The Other Tradiotion'; Duchamp, Ernst,

Cage, Rauschenberg, Johns, etc., and it is interesting that

these men were attracted to her and attended her concerts

and events held in 1959-61 at her loft on Chambers St.

in New York before her return to Tokyo (at one point she

was close to Cage and tourned Japan with him in 1962, but

her music which has been described as 'music of the mind'

is diametrically opposed to his in philosophy and has no

audible sound in the conventional sense.)

What about painting of the mind? One of Ono's works

in her series 'imaginary paintings', is PAINTING TO BE

CONSTRUCTED IN YOUR HEAD: 'Imagine a flower

made of hard material such as gold, silver, stainless

steel, tin, marble, copper, etc. Imagine that the

pedals suddenly become soft like cotton or like living flesh.

In three hours prick all the petals. Save one and press it in a

book. In the margin of the page where the petal is pressed

note the derivation of the petal and the name of the petal.

At least eight hours should be spent in the construction

of the painting.'*

 

ANTHONY COX

New York City, July 4, 1966

   

For this special number of Art and Artists Yoko Ono

contributed the following: AUTO-DESTRUCTIVE

EVENTS; 1 - Dissapearing of snow, 2 - Thinking, 3 -

Dreaming, 4 - Waiting/not waiting, 5 - A wind, 6 -

Travel, 7 - Make wishknots in your head. Forget the

wish.

* reproduced by permission from Grapefruit, published by

Weltinnenraums Press, Box 186, NYC 14 USA."

   

Art and Artists

Volume One, Number Five

August 1966

Edited by Mario Amaya

London: Hansom Books, 1966

   

Private Collection of Mikihiko Hori

   

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Starring Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox. Directed by Andrew Marton.

youtu.be/vIevnwsLDW8

 

Paramount distributed this big-budget production by Security Pictures in the spring of 1965. Crack in the World (CW) was partially a sci-fi movie and partially a disaster movie. Like many of the disaster-genre that would follow, the destructive power of nature itself -- rather than a giant reptile -- is the monster. Solid actors, a decent budget and ample action make CW one of the mid-60s' big A-level sci-fi movies.

 

Synopsis

Project Inner Earth, headed by Dr. Steven Sorensen, plans to tap into the molten core of the earth to supply unlimited power for mankind. Their problem is that they've encountered an extremely tough shell around the core which no drill can penetrate. Sorensen wants to use a nuclear missile to punch through that shell. Dr. Ted Rampion is worried that the earth's crust is too fragile, due to all the previous nuclear weapons tests. Some complex back story about Steve's wife Maggie (a much younger woman) being Ted's former girlfriend clouds the issue. Steve finding out that he has a terminal illness clouds his judgement too. Steve convinces his bosses to let him fire the nuke and does so. All seems to have gone as planned. The magma wells up and everyone is pleased. That is, until massive earthquakes start wiping out towns and a giant rip in the earth's crust appears. To make matters worse, the rip lengthens steadily. If it goes all the way around the earth, it could break in half and disintegrate. Ted and his team plant another nuclear bomb in a pacific island volcano to stop the rip. This seems to succeed, but the rip turns back towards its origin. More earthquakes and destruction. Steve is a jerk to Maggie. Ted is heroic. Steve is almost too ill to continue. The project base is wracked with tremors. Ted and Maggie escape, but Steve remains behind to record events. The crack meets its origin point. A glowing ball of magma rises into the fiery night sky. Earth now has two moons. A squirrel comes out of hiding in a hole. Ted and Maggie hug for joy. The End.

  

CW is an action-packed disaster flick. Lava, landslides, train wrecks and lots and lots of explosions. Any 12-year-old boy cannot help but love this film.

 

CW is a strong example of the Nuclear Caution branch of Cold War morals. Man, recklessly misusing nukes, sets off a chain reaction (much like modern wars have been) which threaten to destroy the world as we know it. A "counter strike" of another nuke (in the volcano) averts total annihilation, but leaves millions dead and the earth scarred forever. All this makes for quite a blatant nuclear cautionary tale.

 

Sci-fi, as a genre, is hardly famous for strict scientific accuracy. Aliens who look perfectly human and speak English? Big monsters who can eat whole cities, yet never have to poop? But never mind. CW's flawed scientific premise is that the earth's crust is an integral shell. The integrity of this shell is what keeps the earth from flying apart due to centrifugal force. Of course, if that were true, us unattached humans ought to be flying off into space. But never mind. Knowledge of Plate Techtonics was not new in 1965, but it had not filtered down to the popular level yet. Modern viewers will scoff at CW. The earth has always had cracks in it, and works rather well that way. But, to non-scientists in the mid 60s, with a hard-shell view of the earth, the premise was more credible and pretty frightening.

 

Dr. Steve Sorensen fills the customary role of misguided (mad) scientist in several ways. He wants to do some beneficial deed for mankind, but miscalculates and causes destruction. In this case, it is nature (the earth) who becomes the monster. Per the customary role, poetic justice prevails. The monster kills the offending scientist for his haste or hubris. Once he's dead, and his sin atoned for, the rightful order is restored (lovers kiss and small furry animals emerge from their burrows)

 

Many a sci-fi movie has been hobbled with tangled drama. CW is no different. In the midst of the impending destruction of the earth, Steve can still be a petty jerk to his young wife. Maggie can still be conflicted over her less-cerebral lust for Ted. Ted can still show off his big biceps, etc. This seems quite reminiscent of Catwomen of the Moon, where upon meeting another race of beings who are openly hostile, the main characters obsess over who loves whom. Perhaps astute movie producers knew that their young audiences were likely still mired in that high-school drama mindset, in which who liked whom and who was being a jerk to whom, etc. was more important than anything -- even the destruction of the earth.

 

Movie goers of the early 60s would probably have "felt" that Ted and Maggie really belonged together anyhow. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott had starred together before CW, as lighthouse-bound husband and wife biologists in Day of the Triffids ('62): another Security Pictures film. They would team up again in Security Pictures' Bikini Paradise ('67) -- a comedy outside of this study's scope.

 

Bottom line? CW is a well done disaster flick with ample entertainment value. There is plenty of action and the special effects respectable enough. After a steady diet of ultra-low budget movies, CW plays like an epic blockbuster.Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

 

Starring Dana Andrews, Janette Scott, Kieron Moore and Alexander Knox. Directed by Andrew Marton.

youtu.be/vIevnwsLDW8

 

Paramount distributed this big-budget production by Security Pictures in the spring of 1965. Crack in the World (CW) was partially a sci-fi movie and partially a disaster movie. Like many of the disaster-genre that would follow, the destructive power of nature itself -- rather than a giant reptile -- is the monster. Solid actors, a decent budget and ample action make CW one of the mid-60s' big A-level sci-fi movies.

 

Synopsis

Project Inner Earth, headed by Dr. Steven Sorensen, plans to tap into the molten core of the earth to supply unlimited power for mankind. Their problem is that they've encountered an extremely tough shell around the core which no drill can penetrate. Sorensen wants to use a nuclear missile to punch through that shell. Dr. Ted Rampion is worried that the earth's crust is too fragile, due to all the previous nuclear weapons tests. Some complex back story about Steve's wife Maggie (a much younger woman) being Ted's former girlfriend clouds the issue. Steve finding out that he has a terminal illness clouds his judgement too. Steve convinces his bosses to let him fire the nuke and does so. All seems to have gone as planned. The magma wells up and everyone is pleased. That is, until massive earthquakes start wiping out towns and a giant rip in the earth's crust appears. To make matters worse, the rip lengthens steadily. If it goes all the way around the earth, it could break in half and disintegrate. Ted and his team plant another nuclear bomb in a pacific island volcano to stop the rip. This seems to succeed, but the rip turns back towards its origin. More earthquakes and destruction. Steve is a jerk to Maggie. Ted is heroic. Steve is almost too ill to continue. The project base is wracked with tremors. Ted and Maggie escape, but Steve remains behind to record events. The crack meets its origin point. A glowing ball of magma rises into the fiery night sky. Earth now has two moons. A squirrel comes out of hiding in a hole. Ted and Maggie hug for joy. The End.

  

CW is an action-packed disaster flick. Lava, landslides, train wrecks and lots and lots of explosions. Any 12-year-old boy cannot help but love this film.

 

CW is a strong example of the Nuclear Caution branch of Cold War morals. Man, recklessly misusing nukes, sets off a chain reaction (much like modern wars have been) which threaten to destroy the world as we know it. A "counter strike" of another nuke (in the volcano) averts total annihilation, but leaves millions dead and the earth scarred forever. All this makes for quite a blatant nuclear cautionary tale.

 

Sci-fi, as a genre, is hardly famous for strict scientific accuracy. Aliens who look perfectly human and speak English? Big monsters who can eat whole cities, yet never have to poop? But never mind. CW's flawed scientific premise is that the earth's crust is an integral shell. The integrity of this shell is what keeps the earth from flying apart due to centrifugal force. Of course, if that were true, us unattached humans ought to be flying off into space. But never mind. Knowledge of Plate Techtonics was not new in 1965, but it had not filtered down to the popular level yet. Modern viewers will scoff at CW. The earth has always had cracks in it, and works rather well that way. But, to non-scientists in the mid 60s, with a hard-shell view of the earth, the premise was more credible and pretty frightening.

 

Dr. Steve Sorensen fills the customary role of misguided (mad) scientist in several ways. He wants to do some beneficial deed for mankind, but miscalculates and causes destruction. In this case, it is nature (the earth) who becomes the monster. Per the customary role, poetic justice prevails. The monster kills the offending scientist for his haste or hubris. Once he's dead, and his sin atoned for, the rightful order is restored (lovers kiss and small furry animals emerge from their burrows)

 

Many a sci-fi movie has been hobbled with tangled drama. CW is no different. In the midst of the impending destruction of the earth, Steve can still be a petty jerk to his young wife. Maggie can still be conflicted over her less-cerebral lust for Ted. Ted can still show off his big biceps, etc. This seems quite reminiscent of Catwomen of the Moon, where upon meeting another race of beings who are openly hostile, the main characters obsess over who loves whom. Perhaps astute movie producers knew that their young audiences were likely still mired in that high-school drama mindset, in which who liked whom and who was being a jerk to whom, etc. was more important than anything -- even the destruction of the earth.

 

Movie goers of the early 60s would probably have "felt" that Ted and Maggie really belonged together anyhow. Kieron Moore and Janette Scott had starred together before CW, as lighthouse-bound husband and wife biologists in Day of the Triffids ('62): another Security Pictures film. They would team up again in Security Pictures' Bikini Paradise ('67) -- a comedy outside of this study's scope.

 

Bottom line? CW is a well done disaster flick with ample entertainment value. There is plenty of action and the special effects respectable enough. After a steady diet of ultra-low budget movies, CW plays like an epic blockbuster.Doomsday movies abound, but few are as offbeat as this one. It tells of a runaway fault line that threatens to circle the earth and crack it in two like an eggshell. Far-fetched? Yes. Good fun? You bet. The trouble begins after scientists explode an atomic bomb underground to tap an unlimited supply of geothermal energy. But instead they trigger a cataclysm. While the crack girdles the earth, there's time for romance and frantic 11th-hour attempts to save humanity. Dana Andrews heads the cast as Dr. Stephen Sorenson, a scientist in a control center monitoring the progress of the crack opened by the explosion. He and co-stars Janette Scott (Dr. Maggie Sorenson), Kieron Moore (Dr. Ted Rampion), and Alexander Knox (Sir Charles Eggerston) all perform capably as they attempt to forestall doomsday with crack-stopping schemes. Although Crack in the World is a B-movie, it has an intelligent script that relies more on judicious pacing and suspense-building than on special effects. Consequently, it is superior to so-so doomsday flicks such as Asteroid (1997), Meteorites (1998), Armageddon (1998), and Independence Day (1996). Experts in plate tectonics -- a science that studies the strata making up the earth's outer shell -- may pooh-pooh the plot as implausible. Then again, they just might enjoy seeing Mother Nature throw a tantrum.

 

-- Page 18

 

"Yoko Ono performs her work CUT PIECE

at Carnegie Hall

Concept-art, where you can be an Artist, goes

further and involves with the audience as in Ono's CUT

PIECE, where each member of the audience is asked

to come up on the stage one at a time and remove the

performer's clothing with a large pair of tailor's

shears. The performer sits motionless through the

whole operation in a kneeling position until all the

clothing has been removed or everybody has had a

chance to cut, usually about an hour. In contrast to

the rest of the ceoncert which is usually filled with

restlessness in the audience, this piece always takes

place in complete silence, with periods of several

minutes elapsing before the next performer (member

of the audience) gets enough courage to come up on the

stage. Usually only one third of the audience performs

while the rest apparently consider the prospect."

   

-- Page 17

  

"Ono leads in a direction that might be called Concept-Art

   

INSTRUCTIVE AUTO-DESTRUCTION

    

THE FULL MOON hangs over the Lower East Side, its light

shines on paper-littered streets. In the daytime 2nd Avenue

is jammed with traffic and it's possible to look up through

the dust and heat at the sky and imagine what those few

seconds would be like before it came if eternity were to fit.

What an EVENT!

What is an Event and what does it have to do with Art?

Circa 1950: Yoko Ono is sitting around some-place

striking matches. She is observing the significance of a

natural act. Many matches later she finds that by lighting

a match and watching til it has gone out she is making

something that has a shorter existence than herself, and

by comparison is making her life longer.

When people are asked to observe the passage of time

they may feel ill at ease. Is this why we have a term like

auto-destruction? One of Yoko Ono's first events is

called LIGHTING PIECE: 'Light a match and watch

till it goes out.'

1961: her first one-man show in New York, in which

fifteen works were what she calls INSTRUCTUER;

'Something that emerged from instruction and yet not

quite emerged - not quite structured - never quite struc-

tured --- like an unfinished church with a sky ceiling.'

One of these works which was described by a critic as 'a

grimy unstrung canvas with a hole in it' is SMOKE

PAINTING: 'Light canvas or any finished painting with

a cigarettes at any time for any length of time. See the smoke

movement. The painting ends when the whole canvas is

gone.'* For Ono, paintings like Event do end: an ad-

ditional act in life; something to solve the temptation of

insanity.

Other works in her 1961 show were, PAINTING TO

BE STEPPED ON: 'Leave a piece of canvas or finished

painting on the floor or in the street.'* A + B PAINTING;

'Cut out a circle on canvas. A. Place a numeral figure, a

roman letter, or a katakanao on canvas B at an arbitrary

point. Place canvas A on canvas B and hang them together.

The figure on canvas B may show, may show partially, or

may not show. You may use old paintings, photographs, etc.

instead of blank canvases.'* PAINTING FOR THE

WIND: 'Make a hole. Leave it in the wind.'* PAINT-

ING TO SEE THE SKIES: 'Drill two holes into a can-

vas. Hang it where you can see the sky. (Change the place

of hanging. Try both the front and the rear windows, to

see if the skies are different.')* PAINTING TO LET

THE EVENING LIGHT GO THROUGH: 'Hang a

bottle behind a canvas. Place the canvas where the west

light comes in. The painting will exist when the bottle

creates a shadow on the canvas, or it does not have to

exist. The bottle may contain liquor, water, grasshoppers,

ants or singing insects, or it does not have to contain.'*

BLOOD PIECE: 'Use your blood to paint. Keep painting

until you faint (A). Keep painting until you die (B).'*

These and the others in the show were designed to be

done by anybody although at the time it was not apparent

to most observers and as well the works had been made by

Ono, they were regarded as going in one direction only:

purely auto-destructive. Actually all her paintings exist

in two phases. (1) The instruction phase; which may be

compared to a musical composition; written, copywritten,

distributed, and generally at large for anybody to make

(perform) and show (2) the existence of the particular

piece, which generally has some aspect which is in a state

of flux. Sometimes this may be only one-way, sometimes

it may be oscillating, or the piece may just need to be

refuelled, so to speak.

The one aspect which is considered so important in

most painting, the graphic element, or visual design, is

almost never stated except in the vaguest way as in A + B

PAINTING, and like a Swiss Patent, it is never clear

exactly how the formula goes. This is left up to the indi-

vidual who is to construct the work and how he feels about

such things. For the maker of the work and the audience

this opens up all sorts of possibilities. One is able to

observe certain relationships between art and life that are

usually overlooked in purely graphic art. Instead of saying

how the hell did he do that one might say why the hell do

I have to do that. The owner and/or maker of the painting

must continually come to grips with certain problems that

force him to consider what the concept of art is all about.

  

Recently, while the works of hers constructed by various

painters and sculptors were being collected in a gallery

for a show this coming fall, a piece was accidentally sold.

The piece WORD MACHINE #1 SKY MACHINE,

which produces a card with the word 'sky' on it when 25c

is deposited was acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scull. In

order to complete the sale in the case of this particular

piece it was necessary for Mr. Scull to sign a contract in

which he only received the right to possess the machine

but had to agree that serving of the machine would

remain the right of the maker and the maker would

receive 60% of the proceeds of the sake of 'sky' cards.

The pure iconism of the work is at question. It is a

machine, it has to be cleaned, repaired, cards replaced,

money extracted, in short, handled like crazy and the owner

and the maker have become involved in a continual

bureaucratic even in order to meet the terms of the con-

tract. Her original composition for this work states that

these machines should eventually replace all Coca-cola

and chewing gum machines, etc. everywhere. Immediately

there is a threat on these manmoth industies which have

always been auto-destructive in nature anyway - this

piece is a kind of a parody of them - and pocesses certain

interesting problems as the underworld usually controls

the vending machine operations here in New York. Is

there something wrong with a society that vends art in

machines instead of phosphate? Many agree that the coke

bottole has long been of better use and more valuable than

its contents anyway, and certain artists have even emulated

it in what has come to be known as Pop art.

Ono's work involves many facets and many roots that

are deeply traditional in Eastern and Western thought. In

the East there are traditions that have been obscured by

the advent of the West and one might hope that the reverse

may take place in the West: interbreeding considered

healthful. In Japan it was common and still is to a lesser

degree, to wrap one's lunch in a beautiful package -

intricately embossed gold foil was ideal (there are still

many things we don't know about food) - to contemplate

while eating in the woods; of course the wrapping would

be thrown away ... or for many people to gather with

the express purpose of observing the moon, without any

particular motive scientific or otherwise. This approach is

referred to as 'wabi and sabi' and it is considered that no

clear translation should be available.

In the West Ono relates to that arear referred to by Gene

Swenson as 'The Other Tradiotion'; Duchamp, Ernst,

Cage, Rauschenberg, Johns, etc., and it is interesting that

these men were attracted to her and attended her concerts

and events held in 1959-61 at her loft on Chambers St.

in New York before her return to Tokyo (at one point she

was close to Cage and tourned Japan with him in 1962, but

her music which has been described as 'music of the mind'

is diametrically opposed to his in philosophy and has no

audible sound in the conventional sense.)

What about painting of the mind? One of Ono's works

in her series 'imaginary paintings', is PAINTING TO BE

CONSTRUCTED IN YOUR HEAD: 'Imagine a flower

made of hard material such as gold, silver, stainless

steel, tin, marble, copper, etc. Imagine that the

pedals suddenly become soft like cotton or like living flesh.

In three hours prick all the petals. Save one and press it in a

book. In the margin of the page where the petal is pressed

note the derivation of the petal and the name of the petal.

At least eight hours should be spent in the construction

of the painting.'*

 

ANTHONY COX

New York City, July 4, 1966

   

For this special number of Art and Artists Yoko Ono

contributed the following: AUTO-DESTRUCTIVE

EVENTS; 1 - Dissapearing of snow, 2 - Thinking, 3 -

Dreaming, 4 - Waiting/not waiting, 5 - A wind, 6 -

Travel, 7 - Make wishknots in your head. Forget the

wish.

* reproduced by permission from Grapefruit, published by

Weltinnenraums Press, Box 186, NYC 14 USA."

   

Art and Artists

Volume One, Number Five

August 1966

Edited by Mario Amaya

London: Hansom Books, 1966

   

Private Collection of Mikihiko Hori

  

Aerial view of Waltz Vineyard, where Winemaker Jan Waltz is working with state and federal agencies to remove and keep the invasive spotted lanternflies (SLF) off his fields of grape vines, grain corn and groves free of these pests, on August 29, 2018, in Manheim, PA. The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by David Kosling.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

A Rambler seems to have been home at the time the tornado hit.

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

A 1963 Chevy Bel Air or Biscayne Station Wagon may be part of the clean up process today. May 1967.

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Impession of the destructive explosion of a seamine.

Watercolour of Philipp Braumüller made in 1916.

Self-FRIGHTOUS,clueless;days the south of Denver devours itself..

 

-->>..

If this chaos is 'humanity' in this city..and the destructive humdrum bustle in what appears almost as if people are trying to destroy each other..

 

Let the hatred flow thru' them .. ..they'll mourn not for me when i perish ..they'll be to buzy off-roading over what's left of my remains.

 

..Colorado Springs claims to be the 'BEST CITY TO LIVE IN ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET' ..

 

Stay away from Dobsen's evil .. ..stay away from 'Focus on the Family' ..the sickening evils in their agenda are not made of Christianity ..or anything to that nature. But of the age old destructors:: lies,deceit,greed control and power.

 

.. the hypocrisy of the Jesus-Township appears to point otherwise. And that fib it tells itself is growing.

 

..just riding my bike to where i need to go ..why is it i cannot simply be left be. No .. gonna have 3 or 4 people honking and yelling at me as i ride to deposit my paycheck. Someone saw fit to honk at me when i was in line at the drive-up. I guess all these gas-guzzlers,combat vehicles, and rednecks aren't used to seeing people on bicycles let alone at the bank teller drive-up on a Saturday afternoon.

 

Sights to see.. the chaotix to me.. people wonder why most of my days are actually at night.. !!

 

The hostile aire of the day was confusing to me. Tired ..and lost. And the old man hitting his little girl bothered me to hell.

 

Nothing worked out.. as the blur of the day went on. Repeats and repeats of blurs and tigers and things and confusions. Yeh your head SHALL spin round like a record player until someone smashes it with a croquet mallet into a million tiny shards.

 

..i grow dark again.. yet i think to the ones depending on me.. it becomes such a difficult line to walk. Tho' i crave death like a parched beast craves water in the lost and war-torn deserts.

 

God i need to die.

 

Nothing ..nothing worked out. The lady from where i was supposed to work at failed to call back. Before i knew it i accidentally fell asleep. Waking past 9 P.M. ..loosing feeling. Blank ..and confused.. tromplin' and tripping over clutter.

 

I receive calls from friends i worry about.. ::my surrogate family.

 

I always worry about Miguel. I barely take care of myself. Gary and his krew face difficult times.. and Colorado Springs is becoming a tomb again. The skeleton of what once was my home is now turning to dust.

 

.. if i don't leave soon.. very soon. If good things don't happen soon (yes i am aware i need to work and do what i can to make them happen. Dur. Schizophrenic.. i am .. not moronic.)

 

..

 

.. i am running out of focus to keep typing. Parts of whatever ramble and story i thought i could tell here i blowing away.

 

.. - -

 

..Cho was in a lot of pain.

  

More guns wouldn't have helped at all..

 

Moron N.R.A. .. look overseas.. see where the guns and the bombs go ..and see the endless - - -

 

morons .. fucking morons.

  

Bush, butcher.. with every word that drones out of that sickly excuse of a mouth ..little by little you are committing suicide with what ever tiny shred of credibility you thought you had. Keep shooting your mouth off to hell. Again.. I look forward to seeing you when i get there there.

 

..i'm so confused,Miguel ..

- - -

 

My mother the car..

  

.. .. my mother the maniac.. one of the dearest persons i walk the fine lines of such love and hate, contempt and care, remorse and pity..lost in my hatred of her.. and the unknowing of what i'd do without her. How she's fucked up so many things.. yet has conqered so much. Norman Bate's relationship with his mum seems like a picnic sometimes.

 

I only came out to her because she literally dragged it out of me, she drinks, mixes pills, she used to sit on me like a sumo ..and beat my skull in like a kodo drummer. The entropy in me reflects the entropy in her. She is the strongest woman i know. King Kong has nothing on her as i'm sure she could climb any mountain or building and bring the planet to it's knees if she was so ambitious enough.

 

..she only calls when there is work to be done, to give me advice that doesn't make sense or is even relevant to my situation. While her heart is in the right place .. i get lost in the dependency of the job she provides to me, the love/hate she has for schizo-fag son.. ((yeh it bothers her to hell i ain' Catholic anymore)), she has me wrapped around her finger like a little bug drowning in a vat of taffy. To break my dependancy from her will will be me finding work outside of this state. Yeh fine.. while i'm still here in "New Life Church-ville" i'll do what i can to promote myself.. and keep trying to work in the community.

 

But i'm not the "Flash" ..i cannot be everywhere at once. My focus is on Sand Diego right now,resume,Miguel's Ninja Turtle site, and my own work with t2z and the paintings i owe AIDS charity, that and 50 other projects i already committed to. I'm a buzy snapper ..with the most unbalanced schedule ..and the most unreliable tools to do all this with. Everywhere i want,need,hope, and don't want to be..can't sometimes.

 

.. can't stop tho'..just keep working thru' the blur.. with the blur..

 

..this was once my home..birthplace .. a place i once loved so much.

 

Now.. - - the tomb ..god..

 

.. .. perspective ain' my strong suit. But if this city continues to devour the people that i love ..especially in their time of anguish and peril .. my anger will not subdue.

 

I am sick of this tomb of a city.. and the hatred, elite, and the false 'community' they claim to reside.

  

Dobsen,.. you can go fuck yourself with a broken beer bottle.

 

Ira Glass

 

..SHUT THE FUCK UP !!

 

+ + +

 

Schizo.. crazy .. crazy-Tokka .."Be crazy ,Tokka.. "

 

..hahaha.. voices tigers, guns, voices, tigers.. hahaha..

 

..

 

..butchers,bakers ..

 

..candle-light vigil..

 

what am i anymore.. ..

  

..and questions without marks. Questions have no answers.. so they just merge with the statements ,facts,quotas,statistics.

  

.. Somethings are so genetic.. sadly.. somethings are genetic on both sides of my parent's family. Curses and diseases. ME.

 

somethings maybe i just should have seen coming..

  

- -

 

- ..was starting to fall asleep waiting to get a phone call from another job Saturday evening..

 

..instead..

 

.. one phone call ..

..

  

..she's crying..

 

and scared .. .. i thought she wanted something ..it was strange for me to call her so late. Summin' was wrong. Usually i have to call her to find out what chores she needs me to finish up at the office.

 

No ..she had something else to say .. ::

 

.. " .. .. We found a lump in my breast.. "

   

- -

 

.. and i dunno ..

    

>v<

An Apartment building suffers heavy damage. It was repaired and is still here in 2013.

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

The pine processionary (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is a moth of the family Thaumetopoeidae. It is sometimes placed in the genus Traumatocampa, is one of the most destructive species to pines and cedars in Central Asia, North Africa and the countries of southern Europe.[1] The urticating hairs of the caterpillar larvae cause harmful reactions in humans and other mammals. The species is notable for the behaviour of its caterpillars, which overwinter in tent-like nests high in pine trees, and which process through the woods in nose-to-tail columns, protected by their severely irritating hairs,[2] as described by entomologist Jean Henri Fabre.

 

Egg

 

The typical cylindrical egg masses range in length from 4 to 5 cm. They are covered with the scales of the female anal tuft, which mimics the pine shoots.[3]

Adult

Adult

 

The pine processionary adult has cream coloured forewings with brown markings, and white hindwings. The female moth has a wing-span of 36 – 49 mm while the male is 31 – 39 mm.[3] The species flies from May to July.

Pupa

 

Pupation takes place in the soil in an oval, ocheous-white silken cocoon. The obtect pupae are about 20 mm in length, oval, and of a pale brownish-yellow colour that later changes to dark reddish-brown.[3]

Larva

 

The larva is a major forest pest, living communally in large "tents", usually in pine trees but occasionally in cedar or larch, marching out at night in single file (hence the common name) to feed on the needles. There are often several such tents in a single tree. When they are ready to pupate, the larvae march in their usual fashion to the ground, where they disperse to pupate singly on or just below the surface.

 

The larvae should never be handled as the abundant hairs on their bodies cause extreme irritation (urticaria) to the skin.[4] 5th stage larvae can eject hairs when threatened or stressed; the hairs, which have the form of harpoons, then penetrate and irritate all areas of exposed skin nearby with an urticating protein.[5] Allergic reactions may follow in susceptible individuals on subsequent exposure to the hairs.[6]

 

Fabre conducted a famous study on the processionary pine larvae where a group of them were attached nose-to-tail in a circle with food just outside the circle; they continued marching in the circle for a week; he described the experiment in his 1916 book The Life of the Caterpillar.[7] The caterpillars may follow a trail of pheromones or silk, but the main stimuli that induce following are from the hairs (setae) on the end of the abdomen of the caterpillar in front.[6] The ant mill is a similar phenomenon.[8]

Life cycle

 

The life cycle of the pine processionary is normally annual but may extend over 2 years at high altitude or in northern latitudes for part or the whole of the population. The life cycle has two phases, the adult, egg and caterpillar being aerial and the pupa hypogeal.Moths lay their eggs high on pine trees. After hatching, the larvae go through five instars, eating pine needles. They build white silken nests to maintain ideal living conditions. Around the end of March the caterpillars are ready to leave their nests and move down the tree in a characteristic procession. They dig underground and pupate, emerging at the end of the summer.[3] High numbers of adults are produced in years with a warm spring.[9]

Shelter building

'Tent' made by larvae in pine tree; frass collects at the bottom of the tent.

 

The caterpillars are highly social. At first they are nomadic, spinning and abandoning a series of flimsy shelters constructed by enveloping a few needles in silk but in the third instar they initiate the construction of a permanent nest or "tent" and settle down to become central place foragers. There are no definitive openings in the shelter that allow the caterpillars to enter and exit. Rather, the caterpillars force their way through the layers of the shelter as they move in and out. The frass that is produced as the caterpillars process their meals accumulates at the bottom of the tent.[6]

Midwinter foraging and thermoregulation

 

Colonies are active throughout the winter months. Activity records of colonies foraging in pine forests in mountainous regions near Barcelona, Catalonia, obtained with infrared activity monitors, show that the caterpillars leave their nests soon after sunset and travel to distant feeding sites on the branches of the host tree. There, they feed overnight then return to the nest at dawn. Observations in mid-winter show that the caterpillars forage on the coldest of nights and can locomote, although very slowly, at sub-zero temperatures. The permanent nests are typically sited to intercept solar radiation and during sunny days warm to well above ambient temperatures. The caterpillars rest in the nest during the day and at the elevated body temperatures they experience due to heating of the nest by the sun can efficiently digest the food they collect overnight. By March, the caterpillars are in the fifth instar and are fully grown. Then they leave their nest, following each other in long head to tail processions and seek out pupation sites in the soil.[6]

Trail marking and processionary behaviour

 

The caterpillars lay down a pheromone trail from the tip of the abdomen as they advance over the branches of the host tree. Although the caterpillars also secrete silk and mark their pathways with the material, it plays little or no role in trail following. Most likely, silk helps the caterpillars grip on smooth plant surfaces. The caterpillars can distinguish old from new trails. Caterpillars preferentially follow trails marked by larger numbers of caterpillars. Trail marking enables the caterpillars to aggregate at feeding sites and allows them to find their way back to nest after feeding. When they move over the branches, caterpillars may travel head to tail in small groups or alone. In either case, they rely on the trail marker to find their way.[6]

 

The most spectacular processions are formed when the caterpillars are fully grown and abandon the host tree in search of pupation sites, when as many as three hundred caterpillars may travel long distances from the natal tree looking for soft soil in which to bury themselves and form cocoons. During processions, stimuli from setae on the tip of the abdomen of the caterpillar in front serve to hold processions together, taking priority over the trail pheromone or silk. A caterpillar can readily be induced to follow a model made of a wooden dowel covered with the integument of the abdomen of a killed caterpillar.[6]

Anti-predator defence

 

The caterpillars of the pine processionary are highly urticating in the third and subsequent instars. Contact with the hairs causes skin rashes and eye irritations. Susceptible individuals may also develop an allergic response to a protein associated with the hairs of the caterpillar.[6]

Natural controls

 

The pine processionary is an economic pest in coniferous forests in southern Europe. It is controlled to some extent by predators, parasites and viruses which attack the moth at different stages of its life-cycle:[5]

 

Eggs are eaten by the orthopteran Ephippiger ephippiger.[5]

Larvae are eaten by birds such as great tit (Parus major) and great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius).[5]

Larvae are parasitised by solitary wasps (Ichneumonidae, Braconidae) and some species of horse-fly (Tachinidae).[5]

Larvae are eaten by Calosoma ground beetles

Pupae are eaten by hoopoes (Upupa epops).[5]

Adults are eaten by bats.[5]

Larvae may be infected by the processionary moth virus Smithiavirus pityocampae.[5]

 

Artificial control

 

Efforts to control the pine processionary have included biological control using Bacillus thuringiensis, which can be effective on eggs and first or second stage caterpillars (in September or October),[10] or insecticides such as diflubenzuron, an insect growth regulator, which can be sprayed from aircraft.[11] Monitoring can include the use of pheromone traps.[10] Older methods used insecticides in oil, inserted directly into nests, or mechanical removal of nests.[10]

I correctly forecast single costliest natural disaster ever world wide in great detail.

  

On the evening of June 15, 1896, the northeast coast of Hondo, the main island of Japan, was struck by a great earthquake wave (tsunami), which was more destructive of life and property than any earthquake convulsion of this century in that empire. The whole coastline of the San-Riku, the three provinces of Rikuzen, Rikuchu, and Rikuoku, from the island of Kinkwazan, 38° 20' north, northward for 175 miles, was laid waste by a great wave moving from the east and south, that varied in recorded height from 10 to 50 feet. A few survivors, who saw it advancing in the darkness, report its height as 80 to 100 feet. With a difference of but thirty minutes in time between the southern and northern points, it struck the San-Riku coast and in a trice obliterated towns and villages, killed 26,975 people out of the original population, and grievously wounded the 5,390 survivors. It washed away and wrecked 9,313 houses, stranded some 300 larger craft—steamers, schooners, and junks—and crushed or carried away 10,000 fishing boats, destroying property to the value of six million yen. Thousands of acres of arable land were turned to wastes, projecting rocks offshore were broken, overturned, or moved hundreds of yards, shallows and bars were formed, and in some localities the entire shoreline was changed.

  

They were all seafaring communities along this coast strip and the fisheries were the chief industry. The shipment of sea products to the great ports was the main connection with the outer world. A high mountain range bars communication with the trunk railway line of the island, and this picturesque, fiord-cut coast is so remote and so isolated that only two foreigners had been seen in the region in ten years, with the exception of the French mission priest, Father Raspail, who lost his life in the flood. With telegraph offices, instruments, and operators carried away, word came slowly to Tokyo, and with 50 to 100 miles of mountain roads between the nearest railway station and the seacoast aid was long in reaching the wretched survivors. When adequate idea of the calamity reached the capital and the cities, men-of-war, soldiers, sappers, surgeons, and nurses were quickly dispatched, and public sympathy found expression in contributions through the different newspapers, amounting to more than 250,000 yen, for the relief of the injured. The Japanese journalist and photographer were quickly on their way, and the vernacular press soon fed the public full of horrors, yet the first to reach the scene of the disaster was an American missionary, the Rev. Rothesay Miller, who made the usual three days' trip over the mountains in less than a day and a half on his American bicycle.

 

There were old traditions of such earthquake waves on this coast, one of two centuries ago doing some damage, and a tsunami of forty years ago and a lesser one of 1892 flooding the streets of Kamaishi and driving people to upper floors and the roofs of their houses. The barometer gave no warning, no indication of any unusual conditions on June 15, and the occurrence of thirteen light earthquake shocks during the day excited no comment. Rain had fallen in the morning and afternoon, and with a temperature of 80° to 90° the damp atmosphere was very oppressive. The villagers on that remote coast adhered to the old calendar in observing their local fêtes and holidays, and on that fifth day of the fifth moon had been celebrating the Girls' Festival. Rain had driven them indoors with the darkness, and nearly all were in their houses at eight o'clock, when, with a rumbling as of heavy cannonading out at sea, a roar, and the crash and crackling of timbers, they were suddenly engulfed in the swirling waters. Only a few survivors on all that length of coast saw the advancing wave, one of them telling that the water first receded some 600 yards from ghastly white sands and then the Wave stood like a black wall 80 feet in height, with phosphorescent lights gleaming along its crest. Others, hearing a distant roar, saw a dark shadow seaward and ran to high ground, crying "Tsunami! tsunami!" Some who ran to the upper stories of their houses for safety were drowned, crushed, or imprisoned there, only a few breaking through the roofs or escaping after the water subsided.

 

Shallow water and outlying islands broke the force of the wave in some places, and in long, narrow inlets or fiords the giant roller was broken into two, three, and even six waves, that crashed upon the shore in succession. Ships and junks were carried one and two miles inland, left on hilltops, treetops, and in the midst of fields uninjured or mixed up with the ruins of houses, the rest engulfed or swept seaward. Where the wave entered a fiord or bay it bore everything along to the head of the ravine or valley and left the mass of debris in a heap at the end. Where the coast was low and faced the open ocean the wave washed in and, retreating, carried everything back with it. Many survivors, swept away by the waters, were cast ashore on outlying islands, or seized bits of wreckage and kept afloat. On the open coast the wave came and withdrew within five minutes, while in long inlets the waters boiled and surged for nearly a half hour before subsiding. The best swimmers were helpless in the first swirl of water, and nearly all the bodies recovered were frightfully battered and mutilated, rolled over and driven against rocks, struck by and crushed between timbers. The force of the wave cut down groves of large pine trees to short stumps, snapped thick granite posts of temple gates and carried the stone cross-beams 309 yards away. Many people were lost through running back to save others or to save their valuables.

  

One loyal schoolmaster carried the emperor's portrait to a place of safety before seeking out his own family. A half-demented soldier, retired since the late war and continually brooding on a possible attack by the enemy, became convinced that the first cannonading sound was from a hostile fleet, and, seizing his sword, ran down to the beach to meet the foe. One village officer, mistaking the sound of crashing timbers for crackling flames, ran to high ground to see where the fire was, and thus saved his life. Another village officer, living on the edge of a hill, heard the crash and slid his screens open to look upon foaming waters nearly level with his veranda. In a moment the waters disappeared, leaving a black, empty level where the populous village had been a few minutes before. Four women clung to one man, seeking to escape to high ground, and their combined weight resisting the force of the receding wave they were all saved. The only survivors of another village were eight men who had been playing the game of "go" in a hillside temple. Eight children floated away and left on high ground were believed to be the only survivors of one village, until one hundred people were found who had been borne across and stranded on the opposite shores of their bay. One hundred and fifty people were found cast away on one island offshore. From two large villages on one bay only thirty young men survived, hardy, muscular young fishermen and powerful swimmers, yet in other places the strongest perished, and the aged and infirm, cripples, and tiny children were miraculously preserved. The wave flooded the cells of Okachi prison and the jailers broke the bolts and let the 195 convicts free. Only two convicts attempted to escape, the others waiting in good order until marched to the high ground by their keepers. The good Père Raspail had just reached Kamaishi from his all-day walk of 50 miles over the mountains and entered his inn, when his assistant called to him from the street. The priest came to the veranda, but in an instant the water was upon him. He was seen later, swimming, but evidently was struck by timbers or swept out to sea, as his body has not been recovered. Japanese men-of-war cruised for a week off Kamaishi, recovering bodies daily. The Japanese system of census enumeration is so complete and minute that the name of every person who lost his life was soon known, and the Official Gazette was able to state that out of a population of 6,529 at Kamaishi 4,985 were lost and 500 injured, while 953 dwellings and 867 warehouses and other structures were destroyed or carried away, and 176 ships carried inland or swept out and lost.

 

The survivors were so stunned with the appalling disaster that few could do anything for themselves or others. With houses, nets, and fishing-boats carried away and the fish retreating to further and deeper waters, starvation faced them, and, the great heat continuing while so many bodies were strewn along shore and imprisoned in ruins, the atmosphere fast became poisonous. The north-coast people are opposed to cremation and insisted on earth burial, which delayed the disposal of the dead and augmented the danger of pestilence. Disinfectants were sent in quantity, and the work of recovery and burial was so pressing that soldiers were put to it after all available coolies had been impressed. The Red Cross Society, with its hospitals and nurses, had difficulty in caring for all the wounded, the greater number of whom, besides requiring surgical aid, were suffering from pneumonia and internal inflammations consequent upon their long exposure in wet clothing without shelter and from the brine, fish oil, and sand breathed in and swallowed while in the first tumult of waters. Besides the generous relief fund subscribed by the people, the government has made large assignments from its available funds and sent stores of provisions, clothing, tools, etc., to the 60,000 homeless, ruined, bereaved, and starving people of the San-Riku coast.

 

The wave was plainly felt two hours later on the shores of the island of Yesso, 200 miles north of the center of disturbance on the San-Riku coast, the water advancing 80 feet beyond high-tide mark on the beach at Hakodate. Eight hours later there was a great disturbance of the waters on the shores of the Bonin islands, more than 700 miles southward, the water rising three or four feet and retreating violently. Six hours later, on the shores of Kaui, the most northern of the Hawaiian islands, distant 3,390 miles, the waters receded violently and washed on shore in a wave some inches above the normal height.

 

The plainest inference has been that the great wave was the result of an eruption, explosion, or other disturbance in the bed of the sea, 500 or 600 miles off the San-Riku coast. The most popular theory is that it resulted from the caving-in of some part of the wall or bed of the great "Tuscarora Deep," one of the greatest depressions of the ocean bed in the world, discovered in 1874 by the present Rear-Admiral Belknap, U. S. N., while in command of the U. S. S. Tuscarora, engaged in deep-sea surveys.

 

The "Tuscarora Deep" is nearly five and one-third statute miles in depth, being exceeded, so far as known, only by the still more profound depths discovered last year in the South Pacific by Commander A. F. Balfour, of the British Navy.

 

That disturbances were taking place in this tremendous abyss was again suggested at six o'clock on the morning of July 4, when the Canadian Pacific Railway Company's mail steamer Empress of Japan, sailing directly over it in a smooth sea, was shaken as if a propeller blade had been lost or the ship had struck an obstruction. Every one was roused by the peculiar shock, but no visible explanation was furnished. The destructive wave and this incident together should stimulate further investigation of this dangerous, bottomless pit of the Pacific ocean, which owes its discovery to United States explorers by deep-sea soundings.

Spotted lanternflies free vines at Waltz Vineyard, thanks to winemaker Jan Waltz who worked with state and federal agencies to remove and keep the invasive spotted lanternflies (SLF) from eating the grape vines, on August 29, 2018, in Manheim, PA. The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

this particular block house is in absolutely great condition, 117 years after. kept away from the ever present destructive monster in man/woman unkind. most of its internal wooden decks/planking are in great shape. many thanks to a farmer that allowed me to document this

 

baie dankie jannie!

 

more images to follow later in a special album

 

photographer's note-

 

blockhouses were built by the british from 1899-1902 during the anglo-boer war to protect the railway bridges from

boer attacks

 

the stone is local while the remaining materials were imported from britain. some were constructed entirely from concrete

 

the block houses could house 20 men with water, munitions and supplies stored on the lower floor. The living quarters were on the middle floor and was accessible by a retractable ladder and the top floor was the lookout deck.

 

only about 1000 of these blockhouses were built and few have survived

 

they were very effective barriers and few saw any action.

 

end of note

*************************************

 

The building of blockhouses started in March 1900 to protect the railways, in particular the railway bridges. Many of these were impressive structures of stone, with corrugated iron roofs, standing three storeys high and enetred by an external wooden stair in the form of a drawbridge.

 

These were effective but also time consuming and costly to build. This led to more modest style structures being built in the form of rectangular, signle-storey buildings with a stone wall mounted upon which was a coorugated iron upperwork, this was pierced with loopholes and double skinned, the void between being filled with stones to block rifle fire. Even these structures were slow to construct and a solution to these was sort by Kitchener, he turned to Major Spring R Rice, Officer Commanding 23 Field Company, Royal Engineers based as Middleburg, Transvaal.

 

Major Rice designed two new forms of blockhouse, the first octagonal and the second, the one that became known as the 'Rice Blockhouse'. circular. This was made of of corrugated iron filled with a stone-filled, loopholed shield above and an earth-filled caisson below, the whole being topped off with a stone roof. When ideally sited the door was blocked approached under cover of a trench and the hillock on which it sat and the lower part of the walls was covered with loose stones for added protection. It was said that trained men could erect such a blockhouse in a single day and the record for erecting one was a mere three hours. It was usually garrisoned by a non-commissioned officer and six men. Outside the immediate area was protected by barbed wire and a barbed wire fence stretched between one blockhouse and the next, hung out with tin cans to make as much noise as possible when disturbed.

 

The fortifications in cluded numerous other modesl, often ad-hoc designs fashioned to meet the requirements of the location and adjusted to make the best of available materials, but the Rice design was the one that sprang up in huge numbers. By September 1901 the Western Railway blockhouse line from De Aar to Lobatsi, north of Mafeking, was complete, as was the Central Railway system from Naauwpoort to Pretoria and the Delalgoa Railway to the border of Koomati Poort. In addition a box west of Johannesburg and Pretoria and a line south-east to Standerton and Newcastle were operational. In the next three months the line north from Pretoria to Pietersberg was built, the Western Railwasy cover extended south-west to beaufort West and numerous additions made in Transvaal and was now Orange Colony. By May 1902 a line of blockhouses ran from Beaufort West right across Cape Colony to the Atlantic coast and yet more lines had been added elsewhere. By the end of the war there were 3,700 miles (6,000km) of lines with some 8,000 blockhouses manned by 50,000 British troops and 16,000 Africans.

 

Source: The Boer War South Africa 1899-1902 by Martin Marix Evans

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician Bethany Benedict contacts and works with state and local partners; and residents to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

-- Page 19

 

"Yoko Ono Painting to be Stepped On, 1961

Almus Gallery, New York"

   

-- Page 17

 

"Ono leads in a direction that might be called Concept-Art

   

INSTRUCTIVE AUTO-DESTRUCTION

    

THE FULL MOON hangs over the Lower East Side, its light

shines on paper-littered streets. In the daytime 2nd Avenue

is jammed with traffic and it's possible to look up through

the dust and heat at the sky and imagine what those few

seconds would be like before it came if eternity were to fit.

What an EVENT!

What is an Event and what does it have to do with Art?

Circa 1950: Yoko Ono is sitting around some-place

striking matches. She is observing the significance of a

natural act. Many matches later she finds that by lighting

a match and watching til it has gone out she is making

something that has a shorter existence than herself, and

by comparison is making her life longer.

When people are asked to observe the passage of time

they may feel ill at ease. Is this why we have a term like

auto-destruction? One of Yoko Ono's first events is

called LIGHTING PIECE: 'Light a match and watch

till it goes out.'

1961: her first one-man show in New York, in which

fifteen works were what she calls INSTRUCTUER;

'Something that emerged from instruction and yet not

quite emerged - not quite structured - never quite struc-

tured --- like an unfinished church with a sky ceiling.'

One of these works which was described by a critic as 'a

grimy unstrung canvas with a hole in it' is SMOKE

PAINTING: 'Light canvas or any finished painting with

a cigarettes at any time for any length of time. See the smoke

movement. The painting ends when the whole canvas is

gone.'* For Ono, paintings like Event do end: an ad-

ditional act in life; something to solve the temptation of

insanity.

Other works in her 1961 show were, PAINTING TO

BE STEPPED ON: 'Leave a piece of canvas or finished

painting on the floor or in the street.'* A + B PAINTING;

'Cut out a circle on canvas. A. Place a numeral figure, a

roman letter, or a katakanao on canvas B at an arbitrary

point. Place canvas A on canvas B and hang them together.

The figure on canvas B may show, may show partially, or

may not show. You may use old paintings, photographs, etc.

instead of blank canvases.'* PAINTING FOR THE

WIND: 'Make a hole. Leave it in the wind.'* PAINT-

ING TO SEE THE SKIES: 'Drill two holes into a can-

vas. Hang it where you can see the sky. (Change the place

of hanging. Try both the front and the rear windows, to

see if the skies are different.')* PAINTING TO LET

THE EVENING LIGHT GO THROUGH: 'Hang a

bottle behind a canvas. Place the canvas where the west

light comes in. The painting will exist when the bottle

creates a shadow on the canvas, or it does not have to

exist. The bottle may contain liquor, water, grasshoppers,

ants or singing insects, or it does not have to contain.'*

BLOOD PIECE: 'Use your blood to paint. Keep painting

until you faint (A). Keep painting until you die (B).'*

These and the others in the show were designed to be

done by anybody although at the time it was not apparent

to most observers and as well the works had been made by

Ono, they were regarded as going in one direction only:

purely auto-destructive. Actually all her paintings exist

in two phases. (1) The instruction phase; which may be

compared to a musical composition; written, copywritten,

distributed, and generally at large for anybody to make

(perform) and show (2) the existence of the particular

piece, which generally has some aspect which is in a state

of flux. Sometimes this may be only one-way, sometimes

it may be oscillating, or the piece may just need to be

refuelled, so to speak.

The one aspect which is considered so important in

most painting, the graphic element, or visual design, is

almost never stated except in the vaguest way as in A + B

PAINTING, and like a Swiss Patent, it is never clear

exactly how the formula goes. This is left up to the indi-

vidual who is to construct the work and how he feels about

such things. For the maker of the work and the audience

this opens up all sorts of possibilities. One is able to

observe certain relationships between art and life that are

usually overlooked in purely graphic art. Instead of saying

how the hell did he do that one might say why the hell do

I have to do that. The owner and/or maker of the painting

must continually come to grips with certain problems that

force him to consider what the concept of art is all about.

  

Recently, while the works of hers constructed by various

painters and sculptors were being collected in a gallery

for a show this coming fall, a piece was accidentally sold.

The piece WORD MACHINE #1 SKY MACHINE,

which produces a card with the word 'sky' on it when 25c

is deposited was acquired by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Scull. In

order to complete the sale in the case of this particular

piece it was necessary for Mr. Scull to sign a contract in

which he only received the right to possess the machine

but had to agree that serving of the machine would

remain the right of the maker and the maker would

receive 60% of the proceeds of the sake of 'sky' cards.

The pure iconism of the work is at question. It is a

machine, it has to be cleaned, repaired, cards replaced,

money extracted, in short, handled like crazy and the owner

and the maker have become involved in a continual

bureaucratic even in order to meet the terms of the con-

tract. Her original composition for this work states that

these machines should eventually replace all Coca-cola

and chewing gum machines, etc. everywhere. Immediately

there is a threat on these manmoth industies which have

always been auto-destructive in nature anyway - this

piece is a kind of a parody of them - and pocesses certain

interesting problems as the underworld usually controls

the vending machine operations here in New York. Is

there something wrong with a society that vends art in

machines instead of phosphate? Many agree that the coke

bottole has long been of better use and more valuable than

its contents anyway, and certain artists have even emulated

it in what has come to be known as Pop art.

Ono's work involves many facets and many roots that

are deeply traditional in Eastern and Western thought. In

the East there are traditions that have been obscured by

the advent of the West and one might hope that the reverse

may take place in the West: interbreeding considered

healthful. In Japan it was common and still is to a lesser

degree, to wrap one's lunch in a beautiful package -

intricately embossed gold foil was ideal (there are still

many things we don't know about food) - to contemplate

while eating in the woods; of course the wrapping would

be thrown away ... or for many people to gather with

the express purpose of observing the moon, without any

particular motive scientific or otherwise. This approach is

referred to as 'wabi and sabi' and it is considered that no

clear translation should be available.

In the West Ono relates to that arear referred to by Gene

Swenson as 'The Other Tradiotion'; Duchamp, Ernst,

Cage, Rauschenberg, Johns, etc., and it is interesting that

these men were attracted to her and attended her concerts

and events held in 1959-61 at her loft on Chambers St.

in New York before her return to Tokyo (at one point she

was close to Cage and tourned Japan with him in 1962, but

her music which has been described as 'music of the mind'

is diametrically opposed to his in philosophy and has no

audible sound in the conventional sense.)

What about painting of the mind? One of Ono's works

in her series 'imaginary paintings', is PAINTING TO BE

CONSTRUCTED IN YOUR HEAD: 'Imagine a flower

made of hard material such as gold, silver, stainless

steel, tin, marble, copper, etc. Imagine that the

pedals suddenly become soft like cotton or like living flesh.

In three hours prick all the petals. Save one and press it in a

book. In the margin of the page where the petal is pressed

note the derivation of the petal and the name of the petal.

At least eight hours should be spent in the construction

of the painting.'*

 

ANTHONY COX

New York City, July 4, 1966

   

For this special number of Art and Artists Yoko Ono

contributed the following: AUTO-DESTRUCTIVE

EVENTS; 1 - Dissapearing of snow, 2 - Thinking, 3 -

Dreaming, 4 - Waiting/not waiting, 5 - A wind, 6 -

Travel, 7 - Make wishknots in your head. Forget the

wish.

* reproduced by permission from Grapefruit, published by

Weltinnenraums Press, Box 186, NYC 14 USA."

  

Art and Artists

Volume One, Number Five

August 1966

Edited by Mario Amaya

London: Hansom Books, 1966

   

Private Collection of Mikihiko Hori

   

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

Dump trucks and Utility vehicles canvas the neighborhood picking up debry and trees limbs following a devestating tornado..

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician Anne Lucius contacts and works with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

A damaged home is boarded up along Southwest Highway following a Tornado on April 21, 1967

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages.

 

It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

A heavily damaged home sits along Southwest Highway. It was repaired and surrounded by big trees and bushed in 2013.. Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

In destructive wind and in storm is his way, and the cloud mass is the powder of his feet. Nahun 1:3b

Nel vento distruttivo e nella tempesta è la Sua via, e la massa di nuvole è la polvere dei Suoi piedi. Naum 1:3b

En el viento destructor y en la tempestad está su camino, y la masa de nubes es el polvo de sus pies.Nahúm 1:3b

 

Returning from a solo mission, I found a sunset cloudy and windy.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician Brent van Wagoner and Anne Lucius contact and work with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

 

Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

 

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

 

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained, and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

 

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

 

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

 

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

 

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

 

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

 

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

 

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

 

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

 

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies, without the consent of our legislatures.

 

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

 

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

 

For protecting them by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

 

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

 

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

 

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms. Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

 

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren.

 

We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us.

We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here.

We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

 

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare.

 

That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown,

 

and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is and ought to be totally dissolved;

 

and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce,

 

and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do.

 

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

The signers of the Declaration represented the new States as follows:

New Hampshire:

Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:

John Hancock, Samual Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:

Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:

Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

 

New York:

William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:

Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:

Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:

Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:

Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:

George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:

William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:

Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:

Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

I correctly forecast single costliest natural disaster ever world wide in great detail.

  

On the evening of June 15, 1896, the northeast coast of Hondo, the main island of Japan, was struck by a great earthquake wave (tsunami), which was more destructive of life and property than any earthquake convulsion of this century in that empire. The whole coastline of the San-Riku, the three provinces of Rikuzen, Rikuchu, and Rikuoku, from the island of Kinkwazan, 38° 20' north, northward for 175 miles, was laid waste by a great wave moving from the east and south, that varied in recorded height from 10 to 50 feet. A few survivors, who saw it advancing in the darkness, report its height as 80 to 100 feet. With a difference of but thirty minutes in time between the southern and northern points, it struck the San-Riku coast and in a trice obliterated towns and villages, killed 26,975 people out of the original population, and grievously wounded the 5,390 survivors. It washed away and wrecked 9,313 houses, stranded some 300 larger craft—steamers, schooners, and junks—and crushed or carried away 10,000 fishing boats, destroying property to the value of six million yen. Thousands of acres of arable land were turned to wastes, projecting rocks offshore were broken, overturned, or moved hundreds of yards, shallows and bars were formed, and in some localities the entire shoreline was changed.

  

They were all seafaring communities along this coast strip and the fisheries were the chief industry. The shipment of sea products to the great ports was the main connection with the outer world. A high mountain range bars communication with the trunk railway line of the island, and this picturesque, fiord-cut coast is so remote and so isolated that only two foreigners had been seen in the region in ten years, with the exception of the French mission priest, Father Raspail, who lost his life in the flood. With telegraph offices, instruments, and operators carried away, word came slowly to Tokyo, and with 50 to 100 miles of mountain roads between the nearest railway station and the seacoast aid was long in reaching the wretched survivors. When adequate idea of the calamity reached the capital and the cities, men-of-war, soldiers, sappers, surgeons, and nurses were quickly dispatched, and public sympathy found expression in contributions through the different newspapers, amounting to more than 250,000 yen, for the relief of the injured. The Japanese journalist and photographer were quickly on their way, and the vernacular press soon fed the public full of horrors, yet the first to reach the scene of the disaster was an American missionary, the Rev. Rothesay Miller, who made the usual three days' trip over the mountains in less than a day and a half on his American bicycle.

 

There were old traditions of such earthquake waves on this coast, one of two centuries ago doing some damage, and a tsunami of forty years ago and a lesser one of 1892 flooding the streets of Kamaishi and driving people to upper floors and the roofs of their houses. The barometer gave no warning, no indication of any unusual conditions on June 15, and the occurrence of thirteen light earthquake shocks during the day excited no comment. Rain had fallen in the morning and afternoon, and with a temperature of 80° to 90° the damp atmosphere was very oppressive. The villagers on that remote coast adhered to the old calendar in observing their local fêtes and holidays, and on that fifth day of the fifth moon had been celebrating the Girls' Festival. Rain had driven them indoors with the darkness, and nearly all were in their houses at eight o'clock, when, with a rumbling as of heavy cannonading out at sea, a roar, and the crash and crackling of timbers, they were suddenly engulfed in the swirling waters. Only a few survivors on all that length of coast saw the advancing wave, one of them telling that the water first receded some 600 yards from ghastly white sands and then the Wave stood like a black wall 80 feet in height, with phosphorescent lights gleaming along its crest. Others, hearing a distant roar, saw a dark shadow seaward and ran to high ground, crying "Tsunami! tsunami!" Some who ran to the upper stories of their houses for safety were drowned, crushed, or imprisoned there, only a few breaking through the roofs or escaping after the water subsided.

 

Shallow water and outlying islands broke the force of the wave in some places, and in long, narrow inlets or fiords the giant roller was broken into two, three, and even six waves, that crashed upon the shore in succession. Ships and junks were carried one and two miles inland, left on hilltops, treetops, and in the midst of fields uninjured or mixed up with the ruins of houses, the rest engulfed or swept seaward. Where the wave entered a fiord or bay it bore everything along to the head of the ravine or valley and left the mass of debris in a heap at the end. Where the coast was low and faced the open ocean the wave washed in and, retreating, carried everything back with it. Many survivors, swept away by the waters, were cast ashore on outlying islands, or seized bits of wreckage and kept afloat. On the open coast the wave came and withdrew within five minutes, while in long inlets the waters boiled and surged for nearly a half hour before subsiding. The best swimmers were helpless in the first swirl of water, and nearly all the bodies recovered were frightfully battered and mutilated, rolled over and driven against rocks, struck by and crushed between timbers. The force of the wave cut down groves of large pine trees to short stumps, snapped thick granite posts of temple gates and carried the stone cross-beams 309 yards away. Many people were lost through running back to save others or to save their valuables.

  

One loyal schoolmaster carried the emperor's portrait to a place of safety before seeking out his own family. A half-demented soldier, retired since the late war and continually brooding on a possible attack by the enemy, became convinced that the first cannonading sound was from a hostile fleet, and, seizing his sword, ran down to the beach to meet the foe. One village officer, mistaking the sound of crashing timbers for crackling flames, ran to high ground to see where the fire was, and thus saved his life. Another village officer, living on the edge of a hill, heard the crash and slid his screens open to look upon foaming waters nearly level with his veranda. In a moment the waters disappeared, leaving a black, empty level where the populous village had been a few minutes before. Four women clung to one man, seeking to escape to high ground, and their combined weight resisting the force of the receding wave they were all saved. The only survivors of another village were eight men who had been playing the game of "go" in a hillside temple. Eight children floated away and left on high ground were believed to be the only survivors of one village, until one hundred people were found who had been borne across and stranded on the opposite shores of their bay. One hundred and fifty people were found cast away on one island offshore. From two large villages on one bay only thirty young men survived, hardy, muscular young fishermen and powerful swimmers, yet in other places the strongest perished, and the aged and infirm, cripples, and tiny children were miraculously preserved. The wave flooded the cells of Okachi prison and the jailers broke the bolts and let the 195 convicts free. Only two convicts attempted to escape, the others waiting in good order until marched to the high ground by their keepers. The good Père Raspail had just reached Kamaishi from his all-day walk of 50 miles over the mountains and entered his inn, when his assistant called to him from the street. The priest came to the veranda, but in an instant the water was upon him. He was seen later, swimming, but evidently was struck by timbers or swept out to sea, as his body has not been recovered. Japanese men-of-war cruised for a week off Kamaishi, recovering bodies daily. The Japanese system of census enumeration is so complete and minute that the name of every person who lost his life was soon known, and the Official Gazette was able to state that out of a population of 6,529 at Kamaishi 4,985 were lost and 500 injured, while 953 dwellings and 867 warehouses and other structures were destroyed or carried away, and 176 ships carried inland or swept out and lost.

 

The survivors were so stunned with the appalling disaster that few could do anything for themselves or others. With houses, nets, and fishing-boats carried away and the fish retreating to further and deeper waters, starvation faced them, and, the great heat continuing while so many bodies were strewn along shore and imprisoned in ruins, the atmosphere fast became poisonous. The north-coast people are opposed to cremation and insisted on earth burial, which delayed the disposal of the dead and augmented the danger of pestilence. Disinfectants were sent in quantity, and the work of recovery and burial was so pressing that soldiers were put to it after all available coolies had been impressed. The Red Cross Society, with its hospitals and nurses, had difficulty in caring for all the wounded, the greater number of whom, besides requiring surgical aid, were suffering from pneumonia and internal inflammations consequent upon their long exposure in wet clothing without shelter and from the brine, fish oil, and sand breathed in and swallowed while in the first tumult of waters. Besides the generous relief fund subscribed by the people, the government has made large assignments from its available funds and sent stores of provisions, clothing, tools, etc., to the 60,000 homeless, ruined, bereaved, and starving people of the San-Riku coast.

 

The wave was plainly felt two hours later on the shores of the island of Yesso, 200 miles north of the center of disturbance on the San-Riku coast, the water advancing 80 feet beyond high-tide mark on the beach at Hakodate. Eight hours later there was a great disturbance of the waters on the shores of the Bonin islands, more than 700 miles southward, the water rising three or four feet and retreating violently. Six hours later, on the shores of Kaui, the most northern of the Hawaiian islands, distant 3,390 miles, the waters receded violently and washed on shore in a wave some inches above the normal height.

 

The plainest inference has been that the great wave was the result of an eruption, explosion, or other disturbance in the bed of the sea, 500 or 600 miles off the San-Riku coast. The most popular theory is that it resulted from the caving-in of some part of the wall or bed of the great "Tuscarora Deep," one of the greatest depressions of the ocean bed in the world, discovered in 1874 by the present Rear-Admiral Belknap, U. S. N., while in command of the U. S. S. Tuscarora, engaged in deep-sea surveys.

 

The "Tuscarora Deep" is nearly five and one-third statute miles in depth, being exceeded, so far as known, only by the still more profound depths discovered last year in the South Pacific by Commander A. F. Balfour, of the British Navy.

 

That disturbances were taking place in this tremendous abyss was again suggested at six o'clock on the morning of July 4, when the Canadian Pacific Railway Company's mail steamer Empress of Japan, sailing directly over it in a smooth sea, was shaken as if a propeller blade had been lost or the ship had struck an obstruction. Every one was roused by the peculiar shock, but no visible explanation was furnished. The destructive wave and this incident together should stimulate further investigation of this dangerous, bottomless pit of the Pacific ocean, which owes its discovery to United States explorers by deep-sea soundings.

Damaged home in Oak Lawn.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

You can see right into what remains of the kitchen in this house.Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages.

 

It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

To we Brits, the Avro Vulcan, much like Concorde, represents a myriad of feelings both of praise and disdain. An engineering marvel from the 1950's, and a symbol of global annihilation, the Vulcan is one of those aircraft with a love/hate relationship, but today among crowds resounds true British innovation and technological might in a time of darkness.

 

It hadn't been 10 years since the end of World War II when such an aircraft had been conceived, and the world had been plunged into yet another war, only this one much more sinister and much greater in scale. The Cold War of 1947 was not a battle of tanks and men, but of words and spies, and the new threat of global destruction through nuclear strikes and bombings. The true destructive power of the Atom Bomb had been demonstrated by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands of people and causing widespread devastation. Very soon the nuclear bomb had become the ultimate accessory of warfare, and although the B-29's that delivered the original deadly payload against Japan were capable aircraft, the advent of larger bombs and the coming of the jet age meant that a new breed of aircraft had to be constructed to deliver these instruments of Armageddon. As such, the capitalist powers of NATO and the Soviet led powers of the Warsaw Pact devised a slew of jet powered monstrosities to carry out this world-ending task. The United States developed the B-47 Stratojet and B-52 Stratofortress, the Soviet Union built the Tupolev Tu-16 Badger and Tu-95 Bear, whilst we here in Britain created a trio of V-Bombers, the Handley Page Victor, the Vickers Valiant, and the crown prince of destruction, the Avro Vulcan.

 

Planning of the aircraft itself goes back to 1946 with the proposal of the British Atomic Weapon Programme and Nuclear Deterrent policies, which not only gave the go-ahead to the development of better nuclear weapons, but also aircraft on which to carry them. As such, in January 1947, the Ministry of Supply distributed Specification B.35/46 to UK aviation companies to satisfy Air Staff Operational Requirement OR.229 for "a medium range bomber landplane capable of carrying one 10,000 lb (4,500 kg) bomb to a target 1,500 nautical miles (1,700 mi; 2,800 km) from a base which may be anywhere in the world." The aircraft would have to have a cruising speed upward of 500 knots and a cruising altitude of between 35,000 and 50,000ft. Whilst Handley Page and Vickers set off to create their own designs, Avro technical director Roy Chadwick and chief designer Stuard Davies led the project under designation Avro 698.

 

The desire was to create an aircraft that could fill the specified payload capabilities, but at the same time be faster than other contemporary bombers. Investigations into German swept-wing aircraft such as the prototype Horten Ho 229 helped design what would later be known as the Delta Wing, intended to bring the aircraft as close as possible to that mysterious entity known as the Sound Barrier. Whilst other bombers such as the B-52 and Badger were comparatively slow and lumbering, requiring fighter escorts to carry out their mission, the future Vulcan's design was to make the aircraft as fast as possible so as to outrun contemporary interceptors of the era. Prototypes began with 1949's Avro 707, a proof-of-concept aircraft to show that the Delta Wing concept worked in practice, of which 5 examples were built. These craft were essentially ⅓-scale versions of what was designated under Avro as the 698.

 

Upon successful testing of the 707, the 698 went into prototypical production, and a contract was made with Rolls Royce and Bristol to design engines, which came in the form of the Bristol BE.10 Olympus, later to be known as the Rolls Royce Olympus. Designed back in 1947, the Olympus was originally designed for Bristol's own version of the Vulcan, but after the contract was handed to Avro, the production continued. Several engines were considered, starting with the Rolls Royce Avon engine, and later the Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire ASSa.6, both being tested on prototype Vulcan VX770, which would later become a testbed aircraft for the Rolls Royce Conway engines fitted to later Vickers VC10 Jet Airliners. Olympus engines however were preferred for the much greater amounts of thrust, with early examples providing 10,000lbf, although this would later rise to 20,000lbf on the production Vulcans. Four of these engines were fitted to the aircraft, giving an overall thrust of 80,000lbf, pushing the aircraft to just short of the Sound Barrier at Mach 0.96, or 645mph.

 

In terms of armament, the Vulcan was not intended to be able to defend itself in air-to-air combat, using its aforementioned speed to evade pursuers and anti-aircraft fire. As such, the aircraft's main weaponry was its payload, which could include 21 x 1,000lb conventional air-raid bombs, or one of any of the contemporary nuclear gravity bombs, including the pioneer British nuclear weapon, the Blue Danube bomb, and the later Red Beard and Yellow Sun designs.

 

With all developments completed, the aircraft was christened the name Vulcan, the ancient Roman God of Fire, by far the most terrifying name you could put on a nuclear bomber. Don't get me wrong, B-52 and B-47 sound very military and technical, and NATO codewords for Soviet aircraft such as Badger and Bear sound quite fearsome, but Vulcan and its connotations to the God of Fire truly does make this aircraft sound like the bringer of an inferno! The first prototype made its first flight on August 30th, 1952, fitted with the original Rolls Royce Avon engines, this being followed by a selection of other test flights throughout 1953 using differing engines and additional improvements such as extra fuel tanks in the wing. Two prototypes, VX770 and VX777 were tested between 1952 and 1956, being outshopped in RAF gloss white paint. The first production Vulcan left the ground in February 1955, whilst the second production model dazzled crowds at the 1955 Farnborough Airshow with a spectacular barrel roll, for which the pilot, Roland Falk, was disciplined by the Civil Aviation Authority for performing such a move!

 

Proposals were made to sell these aircraft abroad, but no offers sadly materialised, many Commonwealth countries, such as Australia, choosing instead to buy the later F-111C Starfighters of the USA. September 1956 saw the first Avro Vulcan officially handed over to the RAF, this aircraft being Vulcan B.1 XA897. As part of a goodwill tour, the aircraft flew around the world to the colonies of the British Empire, but ended in tragedy when the aircraft crash landed in bad weather at London Heathrow at the end of the tour on October 1st, 1956. 230 Squadron, Operational Conversion Unit, were the first to receive the Vulcan, later deployed with 83 Squadron in May 1957. In all, 134 of these aircraft were built in two variants, the original B.1, and the latterly improved B.2, which debuted in 1954 with improved electronic countermeasures and the much more powerful Rolls Royce Olympus engines. Proposals were made for a myriad of other variations, including a Missile Carrier and a Delta Winged Jet Airliner. None of these ever went to the prototype stage, although much of the design behind the Vulcan was used to develop the world's first and only supersonic passenger airline, the Bae/Aerospatiale Concorde, in yet another situation where innovations in the world of Military Supremacy have resulted in Civilian Progress.

 

The Vulcan however never did truly find itself in the combat situation it was designed to confront. As the 1960's and 70's wore on the aircraft's role in the possible future nuclear war never happened, and the aircraft spent much of its time simply doing exercises and strategic reconnaissance patrols over Soviet territory. Before the 1960's had finished the original and fearsome V-Bomber force had largely been disbanded from its nuclear role, with the Valiant being retired in 1965 due to prominent fatigue and inter-crystalline corrosion, and the Victor being converted into aerial refuelling tankers in 1969.

 

The only time the Vulcan was ever used in anger against an enemy was in the 1982 Falklands War in the audacious operation known as Black Buck. After the Argentine invasion of the British owned Falklands, a task force was sent to reclaim them, and the plan of Operation Black Buck was to disable the airport at Port Stanley to stop the Argentinian forces from using it as a base for fighter jets. The operation involved a Vulcan flying to the Ascension Islands, then onwards to the Falklands in a non-stop, 6,800 nautical mile air raid. Using squadrons of strategically placed Victor Tankers, the first raid, led by Vulcan XM607, would have 11 Victor tankers refuel one another before the furthest Victor would refuel the Vulcan over the mid-Atlantic. The Vulcan then proceeded to Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands, unleashing its payload of twenty-one 1000lb bombs on the airport before escaping north to a planned rendezvous with a Victor some way off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Although the damage to the runway was not enough to stop use of the airport, it did show the true capabilities of these mighty aircraft, and took the enemy completely by surprise.

 

This however was not enough to keep the Vulcans alive, and as the 80's dragged on it was clear this tired design mixed with new aircraft and the advent of satellite guided inter-continental ballistic missiles such as Trident had spelled the end for conventional air raids such as those the Vulcan was meant to carry out. After nearly 30 years of devoted service, the Vulcan's were retired in March 1984. Happily though, 18 aircraft have been preserved across the world, of which one example, XH558, remained airworthy for airshows until October 2015 when it was finally retired for good, bringing an end to this magnificent aircraft's time in the air.

 

With the passing of the Vulcan into history though, we can reflect however on its life and times, the fact that such aircraft, instruments of war and destruction, have become such symbols of joy and British engineering. Built during a time when we all thought we'd wake up and be atomized, today the fear of nuclear destruction has passed, the Cold War has passed, and now we can see the Vulcan for what it really is, a marvel of 1950's British engineering, conceived in a time when trains still ran on coal and hot water!

 

constructive is overrated.

  

for my big gigantic wreck of a poster.

 

edit:

 

is now going to be made into a postcard series. phew.

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

The wall from another house leans up against another..

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6]

 

As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

Why can't you say sorrow

Why can't you say think I believe

Thou must not steal borrow

Why must you steal things I receive?

 

Why can't you say sorrow

Why can't you say think I believe

Why must you steal borrow

Always conceal cling to belief

 

Damaged this way hollowed

Living the lie that you can't take

Damaged maintained solemn

Living for rules you only break

 

How can you say?

 

The enemy is thrown into the sadness,

For the enemy there's only pain and sadness then death...

 

Paradise Lost

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMgQoYFp_K4

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state, local partners, and residents to survey and help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Elverson, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. In this deeply wooded area, hundreds of SLF from each Tree of Heaven seen here are expelling a drizzle of sticky excrement down onto this homeownerâs lawn, ornamental plants, garden ornaments and outdoor fire pit sitting area, blackening the surface and promoting the growth of mold. To prevent entry and transportation to other areas the residents keep the windows and doors of vehicles and structures closed.

The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

Debry and cars litter the town after a devestating Tornado on April 21, 1967. Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6] In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as

 

it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Technician William Anderson contacts and works with state and local partners to survey and stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, seen here in Manheim, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. Swing sets are a known location that egg masses have been found.

The spotted lanternfly is a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources. The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly.

 

Inspect trucks for egg masses before leaving parking lots or work sites. Scrape off any egg masses you find into rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. While parked, keep windows closed so hitchhiking nymphs and adults stay out. Make sure you also check other equipment being moved, like outdoor machinery, propane tanks, and shipping containers. If youâre a business owner, keep a close watch over your property. Park in areas away from the tree line. To capture nymphs and adults, you can wrap tree trunks with adhesive bands from May to August. You can also remove ailanthus trees, known as âThe Tree of Heaven.â These invasive weed trees are a favorite of spotted lanternflies. Most importantly, be vigilant to inspect both incoming and outgoing goods â and the containers and equipment that carry them â they could be carrying a hitching pest as well. In a quarantine area, you can get information on management controls at aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf. If you do encounter spotted lanternfly eggs, nymphs, or adults outside of quarantined areas, report the sighting to your State Department of Agriculture. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

*Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

1 proton and 1 electron (usually) with a mass of about 1.008 amu the most simple element on the periodic table. Elusive, rare, light, buoyant, critically important to scientific discovery, destructive but important to healing, the true elixer of life with the possibility of being the philosopher's stone of energy.

 

Discovery of hydrogen as an element attributed to Henry Cavendish 1766.

 

Antione Lavoisier & Pierre-Simone Lapalce isolated hydrogen in mass conservation reactions by oxidizing iron with steam.

Fe + H2O → FeO + H2

2 Fe + 3 H2O → Fe2O3 + 3 H2

3 Fe + 4 H2O → Fe3O4 + 4 H2

 

They named it the element Hydrogen from Hydros (water) and Genes (creator) since it was created from the reduction of water (H2O).

 

Lighter than air, pure hydrogen provides an upward buoyant force against air and provided lift to balloons and dirigibles. But alas it use as a lifting gas was limited by its other chemical property - high reactivity - "Oh the humanity!"

 

Although it is the most abundant element in the universe it is rare on earth. That buoyant property causes it to float to the top of the atmosphere and drift off into space. Most of the hydrogen on earth is in the form of water - and it is this stable form that hydrogen seeks when it oxidizes explosively from H2 to H2O back.

 

Separating hydrogen from water is an incredibly energy intensive process done either by electrolysis or by extreme heat. Most hydrogen is produced via the slightly less energy intensive process of high temperature splitting of hydrocarbons.

 

Nature with its extreme time scales to tinker has come up with nifty and complicated enzyme catalyzed biological reactions in which hydrogen is produced during the anaerobic digestion of organic material. Mostly it is recaptured and turned into methane.

 

Hydrogen should also also be included in the great company of the great quantum physicists of the 20th century. Its simple atomic structure facilitated discovering the bewildering and unintuitive statistical machinations under which the subatomic universe operates. The hydrogen ion is the only atom for which there is an exact solution to Schrodinger's equation and the proof of the theory is in the prediction of hydrogen's spectral lines.

 

Like all elements hydrogen has several isotopes which are named deuterium (1 proton and 1 neutron, 0.0015% abundance) and tritium (1 proton and 2 neutrons, <0.0015%).

 

Deuterium isotope water (heavy water) is a critical component of nuclear reactors because of it's moderating properties - it slows neutrons - which are then easily captured by unstable, large nuclear cross-section atoms such as Uranium 238.

 

Deuterium has an integer spin (no magnetic moment) and as such is not detectable in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and is useful for elucidating molecular structure of organic compounds containing normal hydrogen or enriched in carbon 14.

 

Magnetic Resonance Imaging detects the spin of hydrogen in the water in our bodies. It interacts with the molecules of the tissues of our bodies and produces at signal at slightly different magnetic field strengths allowing us to "see" individual tissues.

 

Hydrogen's far less abundant isotope tritium is an important aspect of nuclear weapons (H-bombs). A conventional fusion atomic bomb is detonated and the radiation pressure initiates the fission reaction driving the less stable tritium to fuse with itself and form helium - in the process releasing huge amounts of energy according to Enstein's E=mc2 from a small amount of tritium. There is no theoretical limit to the size of the H-bomb that can be produced - the largest monster being the 50 megaton "Tzar Bomba" detonated by the USSR in 196. It had a total destruction radius of approximately 21 miles. It was scaled down from 100 megatons to reduce fallout.

 

Turning skyward it is this same process, driven by a battle between gravity and radiative pressure, rather than an initiating fission blast that powers the sun - and all stars for that fact. All energy on our planet from the warmth on your skin to the oil we burn to the trees we grow and the weather we experience come directly from the fission furnace of our sun - which produces about 10e10 megatons per second! the products of this reaction are all the other elements in the table!. These don't just happen except when produced in the core of stars. So to reference Crosby Stills and Nash: we truly are star dust!

 

Perhaps one day we will mimic this process to peacefully harness this energy and end our need for other energy sources. At the least we may be driving hydrogen powered cars which utilizes another of hydrogen's properties, the ability to form metal hydrides.

 

Which leads me to the other end of the temperature scale. Liquifaction of hydrogen occurs at temperatures near to absolute zero (-273 degrees C). This was a important component of nuclear physics for it was the cloud or bubble chambers that showed the paths and products of particle collisions.

 

Liquid hydrogen also helped bring out the superconducting properties of metals for which many of our electronics and medical devices now rely - although thankfully with higher temperature superconductors.

 

Back to the hydrogen cars for a moment . High pressure Tanks of liquid hydrogen are clearly not a desirable component of cars. Metal hydrides absorb hydrogen like a sponge - no pressure no ultra-cold temperature and may be the fuel of the future provided an economical and environmentally friendly manner can be found to produce it.

 

Ah, lovely hydrogen and Art Deco!

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) technicians contact and work with state, local partners, and residents to survey and help stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, a destructive insect that feeds on a wide range of fruit, ornamental, and hardwood trees, including grapes, apples, walnut, and oak; a serious threat to the United States' agriculture and natural resources, such as here in Elverson, Pennsylvania, on August 29, 2018. In this deeply wooded area, hundreds of SLF from each Tree of Heaven seen here are expelling a drizzle of sticky excrement down onto this homeowner’s lawn, ornamental plants, garden ornaments and outdoor fire pit sitting area, blackening the surface and promoting the growth of mold. To prevent entry and transportation to other areas the residents keep the windows and doors of vehicles and structures closed.

The pest damages plants as it sucks sap from branches, stems, and tree trunks. The repeated feedings leave the tree bark with dark scars. Spotted lanternfly also excretes a sticky fluid, which promotes mold growth and further weakens plants and puts our agriculture and forests at risk. Native to Asia, the spotted lanternfly has no natural enemies in North America. it's free to multiply and ravage orchards, vineyards, and wooded areas. The invasive insect was first detected in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, and has now spread to several states, by people who accidentally move infested material or items containing egg masses.

 

Most states are at risk of the pest. USDA and our state and local partners are working hard to stop the spread of this invasive pest, but we need your help. Look for signs of spotted lanternfly. Inspect your trees and plants for young spotted lanternfly, adults, and egg masses. Adult spotted lanternflies are approximately 1 inch long and one-half inch wide, and they have large and visually striking wings. Their forewings are light brown with black spots at the front and a speckled band at the rear. Their hind wings are scarlet with black spots at the front and white and black bars at the rear. Their abdomen is yellow with black bars. Nymphs in their early stages of development appear black with white spots and turn to a red phase before becoming adults. Egg masses are yellowish-brown in color, covered with a gray, waxy coating prior to hatching. Look for nymphs, adults, and eggs on trees. The Tree of Heaven is the preferred tree. Spotted lanternfly lay their eggs on a variety of smooth surfaces. Look for egg masses (which are off-white to grey and textured patches) on tree bark, vehicles, buildings, and outdoor items. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.

  

Find it, report it!

 

Contact your State Department of Agriculture or the Extension specialist near you to report signs of spotted lanternfly. If possible, take a picture or capture the insect in alcohol.

  

Stop the Spread

 

Everyone can play a role in stopping the spread of spotted lanternfly

  

Remove and Destroy

 

Crush nymph and adult spotted lanternflies. Scrape egg masses into hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol.

  

For more information about the Spotted Lanternfly, please see www.aphis.usda.gov/hungrypests/slf

  

For more information about the Tree of Heaven, please see www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/tree-of-heaven.htm

   

The 1924 Lorain, Ohio tornado was one of the deadliest and most destructive tornadoes in Ohio history, striking the industrial city of Lorain on June 28, 1924, and leaving devastation that shocked the entire nation. During the early twentieth century, Lorain was a thriving steel and shipbuilding community along the shore of Lake Erie, populated by thousands of factory workers and immigrant families who had come to the area seeking employment and opportunity. On the afternoon of June 28, weather conditions across northern Ohio became increasingly dangerous as heat and humidity combined with powerful storm systems moving across the region. Around 5:00 p.m., a violent tornado formed west of the city and moved northeast toward Lorain with terrifying speed and force. Residents had little warning because weather forecasting technology in 1924 was primitive compared to modern systems; there were no radar networks, emergency sirens, or television broadcasts to alert people of approaching danger. Many citizens did not realize the seriousness of the storm until the tornado was already entering the city. Witnesses described the tornado as a massive black funnel cloud surrounded by lightning, roaring winds, and flying debris that darkened the sky like night. As the tornado tore into Lorain, winds estimated at more than 200 miles per hour destroyed homes, churches, schools, factories, and businesses within minutes. Entire neighborhoods were flattened as buildings were ripped from their foundations and shattered into splinters. Streets became blocked with debris, overturned vehicles, broken glass, and fallen utility poles, while electric and telephone lines were destroyed, cutting communication across the city. The waterfront and industrial districts suffered especially severe damage as railroad cars were overturned, factory buildings collapsed, and boats along the Black River and Lake Erie shoreline were tossed aside by the storm’s tremendous power. Many residents were trapped beneath collapsed buildings, and families became separated during the chaos. The tornado caused horrifying loss of life, killing approximately 85 people in Lorain alone and injuring hundreds more, making it one of the deadliest tornadoes ever recorded in Ohio. Additional destruction occurred in nearby communities including Sandusky, bringing the total death toll across northern Ohio to around 90 people. Hospitals quickly became overcrowded as doctors and nurses struggled to care for victims suffering from broken bones, severe cuts, burns, and internal injuries. Rescue workers, volunteers, and ordinary citizens searched through wreckage for survivors and recovered bodies for days after the storm. Thousands of residents were left homeless, forcing emergency shelters to open in schools, churches, and public buildings. Relief efforts from neighboring communities, charitable organizations, and the American Red Cross provided food, clothing, medical supplies, and financial aid to survivors trying to rebuild their lives. Newspapers across the country carried dramatic stories and photographs of the destruction, bringing national attention to the disaster and to the courage displayed by Lorain residents during the recovery effort. Despite the enormous tragedy, the people of Lorain demonstrated remarkable resilience as they rebuilt homes, businesses, and factories over the following years. The tornado also had a lasting impact on weather science and disaster preparedness in the United States because storms of this magnitude highlighted the need for better forecasting and public warning systems. At the time, meteorologists often avoided using the word “tornado” in forecasts because officials feared causing panic, but disasters like the Lorain tornado eventually encouraged improvements in severe weather detection and communication. Today, the 1924 Lorain tornado remains an important event in Ohio history and serves as a reminder of both the destructive power of nature and the strength communities can show during times of tragedy.

Scanned from a Slide Transperancy purchased from a recent estate sale.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The 1967 Oak Lawn tornado outbreak was a destructive tornado outbreak and severe weather event that occurred on April 21, 1967, across the Upper Midwestern United States, in particular the Chicago area including the towns of Belvidere and Oak Lawn, Illinois. It was the most notable tornado outbreak of 1967 and one of the most notable to occur in the Chicago area. The outbreak produced numerous significant (F2+) tornadoes, among them eight alone in the U.S. state of Illinois, including one of just six[1] documented violent (F4–F5) tornadoes in the Chicago metropolitan area since the area was first settled.[2] The F4 tornado that struck Belvidere caused one of the highest tornado-related death tolls in a single school building and was featured in an episode of The Weather Channel's Storm Stories.

 

Oak Lawn–Evergreen Park–Chicago South Side, Illinois

 

The third and final F4 tornado to affect Illinois this day was also the deadliest tornado of the entire outbreak. An intense super cell with a hook echo on weather radar first appeared about 18 miles (29 km) west-northwest of Joliet at 4:45 p.m. CDT. Later, at 5:15 p.m., an employee of the U.S. Weather Bureau observed a rotating wall cloud about 10 miles (16 km) north of Joliet. Minutes later, severe thunderstorm winds blew out windows in a building, though no tornado or funnel cloud had yet occurred.[6] Near the Little Red Schoolhouse, in what is now the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, an observer first noted a funnel cloud to the south, moving east with hail up to .75 inches (19 mm) in diameter—but he was unable to report to the Weather Bureau as his telephone failed to give a dial tone.[6] At 5:24 p.m. CDT, a tornado touched down at the present-day campus of Moraine Valley Community College[4] and moved east-northeast, mainly at 70° heading.[5]

 

As it touched down, the tornado bent power poles and blew down small trees and vegetation, tossing dirt as it went. It then grew in size to 450 feet (150 yd) wide and entered Palos Hills, destroying about five buildings—including two frame homes and a brick home—and snapping trees.[6] Subsequently, the intensifying funnel severely damaged homes and a drive-in theater[4] in a half-block-wide area of the Chicago Ridge.[6]

 

Over the next six minutes, the tornado attained its maximum intensity as it tore a 16.2-mile (26.1 km) (60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) ground speed) swath of damage through Oak Lawn, Hometown, and Evergreen Park.[4] As it passed through the business district of Oak Lawn, the tornado leveled many homes that were built entirely of brick.[6]

 

In Oak Lawn, the tornado threw 25–40 vehicles from the intersection of Southwest Highway and W. 95th St. (US-12/20),[4] killing 16 people who were stuck in traffic during the rush hour.[3] Partly for that reason, this tornado ended up being the deadliest in the outbreak.[6] As it moved beyond Oak Lawn, the tornado weakened and widened as it caused lighter damage to vegetation, roofs, and garages. It finally moved offshore as a waterspout at Rainbow Beach, producing a wind gust up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at a water filtration plant on the lakefront shore.[6] In all, the tornado killed 33 people, including several children at the Oak Lawn roller skating rink,[7] and injured 1,000. It destroyed 152 homes and damaged 900, causing $50 million in damage. The destroyed buildings included a high school, grocery store, tavern, market, motel, drive-in theater, restaurant, numerous apartments, and two gas stations. Additionally, the tornado caused numerous fires in Oak Lawn which were quickly extinguished.[7]