Nebraska advertiser., 1868-05-14
Written for the veTtiS.
The Water Spout.


EDIToRs ADvERTIsER:- &irS As
the meteorological phenomena witnessed
in Johnson County on the evening of
May 1st has excited a good deal of in
terest, / will attempt to give, through
your columns, a description of it as 1t
appeared to me.
During the afternoon l was travelling
in the west part of Nemaha County, on
the road, leading from Neb. City to Ia
bic Rock. Appearances indicated rain.
Thunder clouds were seen in the distance
Clouds southwest of St. Frederick be.
gan to consolidate and combine into one.
II was evident there would be IA shower
wherever it passed. 1t was moving in a
north east direction, and as it was ap.
preaching me, l sought temporary shell
ter. But the cloud suddenly changed It's
course, moving oftowards the east, grow
ing larger and blacker as it went. Il
was this cloud from which so much rain
and hail fell at Brownville on that day.
In it electricity seemed unusually active,
and the peculiar display of tightening was
beautiful and sublime. But / had yet TO
see the most extraordinary part Of the
afternoons phenomna. A small frag.
ment broke off from this cloud and re.
>mained nearly stationary in the west, but
increased rapidly in size. 1t belonged
to that class of clouds which meteorolo-
gists term "SnrrO.C umulous." Sudden
ly l heard thunder, which l thought hard
ly could come from so small a cloud, but
it was quickly repeated, and very soon
lightning became frequent. The cloud
now had become long and narrow, the
length being ten times greater than the
breadth, and extended from the zenith
half way to the western horizon. /
was afraid of the tightening, as my head
was the highest object or the high prairie;
and as it had also commenced raining,
| hurried 10 the nearest house, il being
the residence of Mr.. Frederick Sludheit.
But the growth of this singular cloud
from apparently nothing had aroused my
curiosity, and l continued to watch it.
l had not been here five minutes until
l noticed apparently near the west end
Of the cloud an inverted cone approach
ing the earth. l called the attention of
the inmates Of the house to it, telling
them | thought it was forming a regular
Water Spout" Soon a column or cyl.
inder began to rise from the earth, d.
rectly under the cone, It appeared to
be hollow, the center seeming light and
transparent, while the sides were much
darker. Around this, near the ground
was a cloud or vapor, in boiling motion,
resembling smoke rising from a distant
prairie fire. The descending cone was
a dense, deep blue, or black. 1t pene-
trated the center of the cylinder, and
without touching the sides, gradually ex-
tended TO the ground. About the same
moment the ascending column reached
the clouds. The sides then closed up
forming a dense pillar or band connect.
ing heaven and earth. In a few minutes
after its formation was complete it be-
gan slowly to move towards the N. E.
The center moving faster than the ends,
it gradually became of a semi-circular
shape. At length it began to grow mar
row, changing color from dark to grey,
and from pale to dark, sometimes swell.
ling out, in places, as if it was an indi.
an.rubber tube. Finally the end SEEM
ed to become detached from the earth
and swung back in the air in an opposite
direction from that in which the cloud
was moving, appearing %attenuated or
thread-like, slightly resembling the tail
of a kite. There were two currents in
the column or "Water Spout" moving
with great velocity, in opposite direc-
tions. At times, from my distance, l
could see this motion, especially along
the edges heal the cloud ; but lower the
the outlines were so uniform the motion
could scarcely be seen. Just previous
to its swinging round into the air, the
end at the earth would break loose and
catch again. as if dragging on the ground.
During this time another Water Spout
had been formed ia close proximity to
the first, and before it disappeared an.
other, and then still another making
four in all formed in succession, but not
more than two of them existing at any
one time. They all moved a cOnsidera-
HE distance from the Mace where tbev