Nebraska advertiser., 1868-05-14

As minutes past five. When the last
we're obscured by rain it was half past
six. To those watching, the time SEEM
ed much longer. The four in their form
alton and movements were similar, but
not exactly alike. The third D was
fully fifteen minutes forming before any
thing could be seen rising from the
ground, and then it was at first so trans
parent one could hardly tell whether he
saw anything, or whether 1t was all IN
aQination. The only difference between
il and the surrounding air, il seemed
lighter and clearer-mOre like glass;
But it ultimately formed the same dark
colored band as the others. From first
to last their appearance was constantly
changing, reminding the behOider Of the
ever. varying phases of aurOra-borealls.
| have always delighted in watching dis
plays of tightening, whirlwinds, north
ern-lights," and meteoric showers, but
| never beheld any natural phenomenon
that appeared half so wonderful as this.
To those who saw it from the opposite
direclion-lhat is from the west side-in
Gage County and part of Johnson, its
beauty was increased ten. fold by the ap.
pearance of a brilliant rainbow. In one
locality the center of the bow crossed
the Water Spout at right angles, form.
ing a cross 10 the heavens, which to ma
nv would seem doubly emblematic, es-
p~ecially as this very day had been desig-
mated by a remnant of MlIlerites as the
time sci by the prophecy's of Daniel for
the final destruction of the world.
The next day, business kept me in the
neighborhood in which | was the day be-
fore, and l could learn nothing as to
the location or character of the Water
Spouls. So l concluded to divert my
course from my contemplated route.
| found, on going into Johnson Coun.
ty that the four Water Sp0uts had all
been formed within three or four miles
of each other, and had each travelled
three or four miles. The first one had
started near Strawn's Mill on the Great
Nemaha and had passed about three miles
up the valley of that stream, crossing it
several times, and twice keeping its bed
for several rods. Every fence and tree
in it's way it destroyed. They told me
that even fence posts had been lifted out
of the ground by it. But | failed to see
this. perhaps because there were no posts
along the route where | travelled and |
followed It's track for several miles. The
tops and limbs of every tree were torn
off, and even the stumps of some of them
partially barked. Some very large trees
were twisted off at the ground. but most
generally the stumps were from twenty
10 thirty feet high. When it struck the
Nemaha the citizens thought it sucked
up all the water, and also the mud and
pebbles from the bottom. Pebbles. l
was told, fell along with rain and hail,
at the houses of Mr. Webb and Mr.
Weaver. The water taken up by one
current. would, much of it, be caught at
different heights by the downward cur
rent, and thrown with great force to the
ground. Indeed there seemed to be tor
rents of water at times, forced down
ward suficientin places, to make de.
pressions or bitches in the ground. The
rapid spiral motion of the two currents,
appeared 10 those near it like the move
ments Of complex machinery, and the
roaring was heard around for ten miles.
One man said he saw where a boulder
which would weigh a hundred pounds
had been moved over twenty feet. An
other Spout passed so neal a house as to
take the roof off, and another struck a
wagon, and carried most of it entirely
away, but portions of The wheels were
found, with every spoke broken. One
tire was also found broken into four piec-
es, Most Of the limbs which saw were
lying around The roots of the trees as if
broken by the downward current, Hail
fell in the vicinity as large as hens eggs.
The cloud extended from St. Freder.
ic to Grab Orchard. The Water SpOuts
were seen for 20 miles in each direction.
TRAVELLER.