Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-03-29


smoke-colored riffs from centre to
circumference, and then contracting
to centre again, rolling in circles, as if
some atmospheric monster We're in
dire agony, and struggling and writh-
ing to rid itself of its intense, unbear-
able pain. Never before had such a
phenomenon been presented to the
eyes of the astonlshed Hazel Greenys,
and they watched the tossing and
contortions Of the attacking mass,
without a thought of the issue, with
out fear that they might be the OBJ
jects of its search. Wrenching and
twisting in its pain,
THE GREAT CLOUD CAME ON,
swelling and fading, now a deep dusky
hue, again turning grayish pale,
deepening and fading, contracting and
swelling like some huge beast in the
throes of an antagonist, yet utterly
deprived of any power of self-assist'
ance, until at a point about halfmile
southwest of the grove it was rent in
twain, as if it had been in labor-pain,
and had finally yielded the child. As
the mother ard infant parted, the lat
Ter spread off northward, and the
former to the south and east. AS
they widened the distance between
them it seemed as if the sides nearest
each other were perfectly straight,
and exactly parallel, while the further
sides bellied out and drew the denser
elements into great boiling, seething
masses, black as ink, relieved in the
middle by an ashen hue as if they
were the offspring Of some volcano.
Between them was long, clear streak
of naturally blue sky; around them
the heavens smiled unconscious. As
the two clouds approached the town
there came low, hollow swell,
LONG, DEEP. DRAWN SIGH,
like that OF the ground swell. Deep
ening as they approached the grove,
the sound grew into wild discord-
ant roar, and when, at point about a
quarter of a mile southwest of the
grove, the two masses came together,
there was deafeDing crash and yell,
and in another instant Hazel Green
was strewn with the debris Of fallen
houses and spattered with the blood
of its inhabitants. The point of at
tack was q corn-shed, almost in the
centre of the grove. a little to the
northeast. Two cylinders of com.
pressed air, operating opposite in
their circles, and maintaining cen
trail vacuum, descended upon that corn,
shed, which shot up through the mid
die Of the cylinder and fell flat with
out n single splinter left joined to its
fellow. Straight from the grove the
cylinder moved in . northeastern di-
rection, a massive cylinder 500 feet
long and 80 rods in diameter, whiring
in opposite concentrc circles The
path Of the cylinder lay in north.
easterly direction. Tearing through
the grove and over the splinters Of the
corn-shed it
STRUCK THE HOUSE OF JOHN FUNK.
a one-story wooden structure, demol-
ishing the roof and scattering it broad
cast. The next house in line was that
of Mrs. Farley, also of wood, and
which was totally demolished. Mrs.
Farley, half deatened by the noise and
fear of what was coming, fled with
her two daughters to the cellar, and
the house was completely demolished,
leaving the floor above the three wo-
men the only protection between them
and the awful hurricane. AT this
point the cylinder bounded several
feet into the air, and, descending,
bounded again, and, striking the Odd
Fellows and Masonic Hall, huge
three story stone building,
LITERALLY TORE IT IN PIECES,
scattering the debris, and leaving the
structure shapeless pile Of bricks and
mortar. Across from the hall was a
large stone residence owned and occu
pied by Mrs. E, Richards and her
family, The family consisted Of Mrs.
Richards, Miss Lizzie Richards, a
beautiful young lady 16 years of age,
Mrs. Il. Fl. Edwards, and her infant
child. Mrs. Edwards was the daugh-
in law of Mrs. Richards, snd had run
over for friendly visit. They were
all seated in the sitting.room, Miss
Lizzie upon the floor playing with the
baby, and the elder ladies were en-
gagged in selecting dress from some
samples which Mrs. Edwards had