Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-12-03
A TERRIBLE TIME.
a cyclone Compels Party of Hunters
to Take to Water,
81. LoniS ReDu5lican. De-

l.
A party of eleven hunters returned last
evening from week spent in duck shoot
ing IN Butler county, Mo-. and. ACCORDING O
10 a report by some of the party met at
the Southern Hotel last night. they had q
terrible experience with the hurricane
Whlch swept over that region on Wednes-
day last. Three of the party were on the
borders OF a lake or slough, and the 9TH
ers were camped in tents about four miles
distant. The hurricane struck the party
on the lake soon after dark, its approach
being announced by a loud roaring of the
WIND In the forest and a swaying of the
trees, which bent down and sprung hack
ike Held of grain. The rain commenced
pouring down, amidst deafening thunder
claps and flashes of lightning. To avoid
the falling branches it was proposed
~ one OF the party to turn their
ooat upside down and crawl in under It
Tor safety. This proposition was not ap-
proved by the other two, who proposed to
row out into the middle of the lake and
thereby avoid being crushed by the falling
trees, Which threatened every moment to
tumble about their heads. This last ex
pedient was adopted, and when they cot
out INTO the lake the boat seemed IN i'm
mlnent danger of being swamped and en-
5uiieo IN the waves or being lifted up bV
the cyclone, and with the inmates carried
lie ana limb. In this emergency happy
thought struck one of the party, the prin-
clpal narrator of these occurrences, who
jumped overheard with his gun. when.
luckily, the water was found to be quite
shallow. extending only to the arm
pits. The other two also got out
OF the boat, and they sunk the latter
TO prevent its being swept away like a
Cookie smell, so lmpetuOus- was the wind.
n fln hop. - -
safe III the water, as little else than their
heads were exposed, with their guns ele-
waited above the surface. The deyasta-
ton going on i'll the woods was terrific.
Large trees We're upro0ted and limbs and
branches were flying through the air like
arrows, 1t seemed as if some terrible
Iltan was cutting swath through the
woods: The lightning kept up a contin-
uous flash, which fairly blinded the eyes.
one OF the gentlemen AYERS that it had the
appearance OF red blaze, aud was no
doubt an emanation of the electric fluid.
In one OF its most astonishing phases. 1t
was in fact perfect war ofthe elements,
and what is singular, the ducks. attracted
by the light, flocked to the
lake and swan about, less terrified by the
hunters than by the hurricane. Large
numbers were killed by the party during
the two hours which the storm lasted.
At last when the wind lulled, the boat
was raised and the water baled out.
About midnight those at the lake found
their way over the fallen trunks of trees
to the camp, where the balance of the
party were. The tents were all blown
down, and the havoc made by the hurri
cane was seen everywhere, but fortu-
nately no one was hurt, though greatly
alarmed like their friends in the lake.
Inc next morning the lake party rowed
out and filled their boats with the ducks
slaughtered the night before, but before
they got them out to the Iron Mountain
Railroad they were thrown away, as they
could not stand the hot weather, the cold
wave from the north not being encoun-
tered by the returning party until yester
daV morning