Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-10-03
SIX HUNDRED ACRES OF WATER
LIFTED UP TO THE CLOUDS.


The Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle
gives the following particulars
a most remarkable water-spout
near Dangley, Ga:
A dense cloud was first seen APP
preaching the pond, being appar-
emily considerable distance up.
Nothing particular was thought of
it, tho citizens of Langley beingat
the time occupied in trying to
keep cool, a hard thing to do, with
the thermometer at one hundred
degrees in the shade. But present
ly a most startling circumstance
occurred. The cloud had halted
over the pond and established a
communication with the latter. A
genuine water spout had, In fact,
been evolved, and the immense
guam tity of water was rushing sky
ward through the liquid conduc-
tor. When first seen, the water
spout was near the dam, and trav-
eled slowly across the pond until it
reached the railroad tTestle work,
a distance Of mile and q quarter
from the pond, when it dis
appeared, and the cloud moved
majestically off, carrying with it
thousands of gallons of water which
had been drawn from the pond.
The latter, covering an area of six
hundred acres, was, in fact, lower
ed two inches. The huge column
which Joined the upper region to
the expanse of water below, re-
sembled q cone in form and rotated
horizontally with increasing ra-
pidity. The marvellous speed with
which the column turned impress
ed the beholder Immediately with
the idea that it was associated with
a whirlwind. This was probably
the case, as a tremendous wind
passed over Augusta, from the di-
rection of Langley, some hours af-
forwards. The heavens were
brilliant with incessant flashes of
lightning after the spout described
above had disappeared. There was
no rushing noise connected with
it, as is the case in some instances.
The water underneath the cloud
ust before the spout formed was
in a state of great agitation. Great
waves rolled angrily, and a percep-
tible bulge was seen. AS the cloud
halted, sort ola funnel proceeded
from it, and dropped slowly down,
becoming larger as 1t heightened,
the broader portion, or base, being
at the surface of the cloud. When |
it reached a point one-fourth of
the distance between the cloud
and the pond, the bulge on the
surface Of the latter rose to meet
it, and the two at length joined,
when the water from the pond
commenced ascending into tho
cloud, which moved slowly to-
ward TIE trestle work. The waves
in the water all leaped and tended
toward the spout, and the spout
itself continued the vertical mo
lions referred to above. The OUT
side of the watery funnel was dark
and not well defined, while the
centre was not much lighter, being
rather of blush cast. This would
seem to indicate that the column
was partly hollow, the dark part
representing the sides. There can
be no doubt but that the immense
quantity of water which was taken
from the pond to the cloud was lit
orally sucked up. The spout final
ly disappeared, as if it had been
drawn boldly up into the cloud,
while the latter moved off quite to
parts unknown. Not drop of rain
fell during the occurrence, or after
ward. The formation and subse-
quent movements of the spout are
described as having made up a
spectacle grand in the. extreme.--
Nothing of the kind was ever be-
fore seen in that section. The
strangest part of the phenomenon
was the fact that the cloud, so bur-
dened with water, moved off with
out dispensing any of tin the form
OF rain in the neighborhood.
When BroWer the actor. first ar